More schools provide AI training for teachers

Education Week reported on May 19 that more U.S. schools are providing artificial intelligence training for teachers, but experts told the publication many programs remain introductory. The report said districts are moving from informal experimentation toward organized professional development as generative AI tools spread through classrooms. Corporate programs are expanding at the same time. Google and Microsoft both announced new teacher-training efforts in 2026, adding major technology companies to the mix of school systems, nonprofits and education groups shaping how educators learn to use AI. (blog.google) The new training push comes as teachers are still sorting out what they want from the technology. Futurity reported on May 18 that Katie Davis, a University of Washington professor and codirector of the Center for Digital Youth, and colleagues interviewed 22 teachers in Aurora Public Schools in Colorado, where the district is investing in systems including Google’s Gemini and MagicSchool. Those teachers said AI could reduce workload on rote tasks, but they also raised concerns about the social side of teaching and about inequities in adoption. (edweek.org) ### Which schools and companies are building these teacher AI programs? Google said on May 13 that it launched the first wave of more than 20 sessions in its AI Educator Series, created with ISTE+ASCD and offered free to all 6 million K-12 and higher education teachers across the United States. Google said the sessions are designed as short, non-sequential modules that can be completed during a prep period or lunch break. (futurity.org) Microsoft said on January 15 that it introduced Microsoft Elevate for Educators, a program the company described as connecting educators with community, professional development and AI tools. Microsoft tied the initiative to its broader Elevate effort, which it said aims to help more than 20 million people gain AI skilling credentials in two years. (blog.google) ### Why are experts saying the training is still too basic? Education Week’s May 19 report said experts want training to move beyond basic introductions if it is going to be useful in classrooms. The publication’s broader research coverage has also shown that many educators are still uneasy with the technology: an Education Week research item published in September 2023 said nearly half of educators were uncomfortable with the AI technologies they had encountered. (microsoft.com) Katie Davis told Futurity that earlier waves of school technology were often promoted as solutions to inequity but did not play out that way. Davis said more affluent schools often have the time and resources to integrate new tools around learning goals, while under-resourced schools may use them mainly for efficiency or monitoring. ### What are teachers saying they actually want from AI? Aurora Public Schools teachers interviewed by the University of Washington-led team said they valued AI most when it helped with planning and other routine work, according to Futurity. (edweek.org) The same interviews found ambivalence about broader adoption, especially where AI might weaken human interaction in teaching. Google said its training is meant to show teachers how to use Gemini and NotebookLM in ways that can be applied immediately in classrooms, and that educators who complete sessions will receive badges or micro-credentials. (futurity.org) Microsoft said its education push includes tools for lesson preparation and other classroom uses alongside the training program. ### What happens next, and who is shaping the next phase? (futurity.org) Google said new content for the AI Educator Series will be added every month starting in September, with ISTE+ASCD as its partner. Microsoft said educators can sign up for Elevate for Educators through its education platform, while Education Week’s May 19 report sets out the next test for districts: whether teacher training moves past basic AI literacy into classroom-specific practice. (blog.google 1) (blog.google 2)