AI for the K-12 Classroom:
Tools and Strategies for Educators
Program Description:
Image generated by Gemini AI, October 2025
This non-credit course provides K-12 and pre-service educators with a practical, hands-on guide to navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in education. Through self-paced asynchronous interactive modules and real-world examples, you will explore practical ways to use AI tools to enhance differentiated instruction, streamline feedback, and support student engagement and creativity. We'll also dive into critical issues of privacy, equity, and ethics. You will leave with valuable resources, hands-on experience, and tangible strategies needed to integrate AI into your teaching practice. Educators from around the world are invited to participate and will find the core strategies and ethical discussions to be widely relevant to any classroom setting.
Dates & Registration
Dates: December 15 - January 18, 2026 - registration closes on January 5, 2026
Format: An asynchronous hybrid model combining self-paced asynchronous learning with personalized facilitator feedback for participants on several key assignments.
Price: $295
Discount:
Practicing Educators Discount - $150 discount
Please send an email from your school email address to tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu to receive the discount instructions
Please Note: For TC participants, this course is offered on a non-credit basis only. A microcredential is offered and CTLEs awarded where relevant.
For more information, questions, or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Faculty
Ellen B. Meier is Professor of Computing and Educational Practice, Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Meier is also Director of the Center for Technology and School Change (CTSC); and oversees the Educational Technology Specialist Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Center works with teachers, administrators, schools and districts, nationally and internationally, to research the shifts needed to create inquiry-based, culturally-relevant and sustaining classroom environments. Using technology as a catalyst, CTSC has developed a successful change model, Innovating Instruction. Dr. Meier co-chairs the Technology, Policy, and Practices Council for the New York Board of Regents and serves as a Co-Editor for the CITE Journal.
Karen Kirsch Page is the Director of Professional Learning at the Center for Technology and School Change where she works with a team in the design of learning experiences for teachers in New York City and around the globe. In addition to teachers, she works with principals, district leaders, organizations, and governments on national and international reform projects. She has been a STEM electives teacher and an instructional support coach in K-12 education both in the U.S. and across Africa after founding a free annual education technology conference for underserved teachers in South Africa. Karen is passionate about helping schools and organizations around the world create cultures receptive to implementing technology for creative and empowered teaching and learning.
Jacqueline Mirón is a Senior Professional Development Associate at CTSC. She began her teaching career in 2007, in general and special education settings in New York City public schools and abroad in Sonora, México. Jackie is passionate about working with teachers in a collaborative design process that leads to creative and authentic learning outcomes by connecting curricular content to real world experiences. Her goals are to build a school’s capacity to adopt and sustain design shifts that lead to a student-centered culture of innovation and to position teachers as agents of change. In addition to her work at CTSC, Jackie teaches undergraduate courses at various academic and cultural institutions across the tri-state area.
Learning Objectives
Empower K-12 and pre-service educators to understand, evaluate, and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence tools and concepts into their teaching practice and curriculum.
- Demystify AI: Grasp the foundational concepts and potential of artificial intelligence in education.
- Enhance Teaching Practice: Apply AI tools to improve teacher productivity in lesson planning, assessment creation, and standards-aligned project design in support of curricular and skills-based learning goals.
- Empower Student Learning: Leverage AI to create personalized learning paths, provide differentiated instruction, and build room for student creativity and engagement.
- Integrate AI: Build assignments and curriculum that thoughtfully integrate AI tools without compromising critical thinking or academic integrity.
- Cultivate Responsible Use: Address critical ethical considerations, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, environmental impact, and equitable access, to ensure a responsible and ethical approach to using AI in the classroom.
Who Should Attend
K-12 Educators --including teachers, coaches, building leaders and district officials-- who want to better understand the potential of AI for teaching and learning.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this microcredential course will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios.
View our sample program badge and certificate below:
Licensed educators in NY state who complete all assignments given throughout the 8 modules of the course are also eligible for a Continuing Teacher Leader Education (CTLE) certificate for a total of 12 CTLE hours.
Important Notice: This is a non-credit program. Completion does not provide academic credit toward any degree program at Teachers College or other institutions. No transcript credit will be awarded.