In August 2024, Microsoft teamed up with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) for a pathbreaking symposium on AI in education in Chicago, Illinois, US. This practical, two-day event served to train and empower educators to share their expertise with developers and receive hands-on experience to understand and introduce emerging AI technologies. The creativity and productivity that AI brings to teachers empowers them to focus on their students, instead of their paperwork.
“We teamed with Microsoft because we share a fundamental belief: that educators must be at the center of technological integration so AI supplements, rather than substitutes, the human connection that is the cornerstone of teaching and learning,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “This symposium is just the beginning of an ongoing collaboration between AFT, Microsoft, and other stakeholders within the AI and education communities, and will ensure the dialogue continues well beyond 2024.”
“AI presents an opportunity to enhance worker experience, giving teachers more time to get back to their true passion—educating young people,” said Amy Pannoni, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, HR at Microsoft. “That focus is what made this symposium unique. The gathering brought educators together with technology leaders to learn how to leverage new AI tools and provide feedback on their development and deployment. The symposium was a launch point for AI learning and dialogue and part of a broader set of commitments between Microsoft and the AFL-CIO.”
By fostering collaboration between educators and technology leaders, we aim to ensure that AI tools are developed with the needs of teachers and students in mind. This ongoing collaboration underscores Microsoft’s commitment to empowering educators and enhancing the learning experience through innovative technology.
Leveraging AI to support educators
At the AI Symposium, we heard from educators and leaders that a key concern is educator burnout and heavy workloads. We believe that technology and AI offers a way forward. During the event, teachers let us know that they’re already using AI tools that boost their creativity like Microsoft Copilot and Khanmigo for Teachers for content development.
AI for educators
Start the learning pathThe promise of AI can go farther by supporting teachers in some of their most complex and time-consuming challenges:
- Curriculum planning is a popular use case for AI. With Copilot and AI-powered tools like Khanmigo for Teachers, educators can quickly build lesson plans, find references and resources, and deliver standards-aligned weekly calendars of activities and content.
- Differentiating instruction: Transforming existing materials is a powerful way to enhance teaching with AI. Whether it’s adding complexity to a reading passage to keep students engaged, personalizing materials for learners to build confidence, or even adjusting the language or pedagogical style of worksheets and other materials, transforming content is a great way to leverage AI tools.
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are critical for documentation and planning to ensure all students are supported. However, they take a tremendous amount of time for teachers to develop and customize. Tools like the IEP generator in Khanmigo for Teachers can help save time by simplifying the process. Educators can add their ideas, reference a broad set of historical IEPs, and quickly develop personalized plans for each student.
- Preparing students for the future: Educators can support students in building future-ready skills like AI literacy so that they can thrive in a rapidly changing work landscape. AI-powered tools can play a crucial role in this process, helping students develop the competencies they need for success.
- AI for brainstorming: By prompting Copilot or other AI-powered tools to take on the role of a pedagogical expert or other type of advisor to help with brainstorming, educators can develop their ideas further and more quickly, helping to bridge the gap from idea to classroom.
A collaborative approach
Use of AI in education requires attention to privacy, fairness, and transparency. Microsoft’s partnership with AFT creates a collaborative approach to developing trustworthy AI. By keeping teachers and students at the center of development educational technology, AI can continue to be a tool for support, creativity, and productivity that includes everyone in the opportunities and benefits of AI.
“Our members know their students best. And that expertise is what’s needed to make AI work for everyone,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten.
By bringing together thought leaders, educators, and technologists to explore the potential of AI in education, we can ensure the trustworthy and equitable use of AI. AI can enhance teaching and learning experiences when teachers’ voices lead the conversation. We look forward to building an expanding collaboration with educators as we meet the possibilities of AI in education together.
