The US Ministry of Education announced this week another priority proposed for discretionary grant programs: advance the use of artificial intelligence in education.
The additional priority of additional subsidies “would promote the appropriate integration of AI into education”, as well as training in educators and would promote early exposure to AI concepts and technology to develop an AI workforce, according to The project published in the Federal Register July 21.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize education and to support the improvement of results for learners,” said education secretary Linda McMahon in A press release. “It stimulates personalized learning, sharpens critical thinking and prepares students with problem solving skills that are vital for the challenges of tomorrow.”
The recommendation comes three months after President Donald Trump signed An executive decree which calls to infuse AI throughout the education of kindergarten to the 12th yearincluding training educators To integrate it into their daily tasks and teach students how to use it effectively. The order obliges the Secretary of Education to issue advice on the use of the formula and discretionary grant funds to improve education results by using AI.
While AI technologies have been around for decadesattention to them increased in 2022 after the release of CatA generative AI tool that can produce human -type conversational responses to prompts. Since then, the districts have been with which role rapid evolution technology should play in classrooms.
Considering the uncertainty around the funding of the federal schoolWhile the president continues to retain more than $ 5 billion in states and districts, this proposed priority is “a nice signal” for school districts that it is normal to use federal funds for AI activities, said Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE + ASCD.
But if there will be really subsidies to apply and if the education department has the expertise to support schools from kindergarten to the 12th year in this initiative, it remains to be seen, said Culatta, noting that The Ministry of Education Technology Office has been closed Earlier this year.
“These are major priorities,” said Culatta. But there is a “difference between the priorities that are on paper and the priorities that are really implemented with support behind them, and I hope we will see it.”
What the proposed priorities include
The priority proposed to advance AI in education is divided into two categories: expanding the understanding of AI and expanding the appropriate use of AI. In these categories, the ministry has provided a list of what would be interested in seeing future subsidy proposals, including plans for:
- Support the integration of skills and concepts of literacy of AI in teaching and learning practices;
- Extend the offers of AI and computer education in K-12;
- Provide professional development to educators on the integration of the fundamental principles of AI in their respective subjects;
- Associate yourself with state or local agencies to encourage double registration courses to obtain references in AI-related courses;
- Integrate AI -focused tools into classrooms to personalize learning, improve students' results and support differentiated teaching.
Pat Yongpradit, the university director of Code.orgA non -profit organization that promotes IT education, applauded the proposal, in particular because it is not only focusing on the passive learning of AI technologies.
“There is a call for awareness, but there are also calls for action,” he said.
Yongpradit said it was happy that the project recognizes that IT education is fundamental for the literacy of AI and that the work of integration of AI into education should be interdisciplinary.
He agreed with the definition of the ministry of ItaphAlso, who declares: “Technical knowledge, sustainable skills and future attitudes necessary to thrive in a world influenced by AI. It allows learners to engage, create, manage and design AI, while critically assess its advantages, risks and implications. ”
“This is a very stimulating definition,” said Yongpradit, who also directs the Teach initiative. “This does not assimilate the literacy of AI to fast engineering and only that. There is much more.”
Culatta added that the inclusion by the Ministry of AI use to improve teacher training and assessment in its proposed priorities is a good idea.
“It is often excluded from the conversation,” he said.
What the experts who lack the proposed priorities say
What is lacking in the current version of the priorities proposed on AI, however, is to ensure that AI tools are built by thinking of student learning, said Culatta.
“All of these things are excellent, but they assume that AI's tools really happen as they should,” he said.
In addition, the emphasis should be placed on “the creation of a healthy digital culture in schools,” said Culatta.
Schools are encouraged to intensify their use and integration of AI, but at the same time, at least 31 states and the Columbia district Return the use of student mobile phones or plan to do so. Culatta stressed that the navigation of these priorities means guaranteeing that students know how to use the technology of “manifestations that are not dysfunctional and distracting”.
For Yongpradit, what is missing is the emphasis on the search for the impact of AI on socio-emotional and mental health of young people.
“We need people to understand this thing, and that is why it must be called as an explicit priority in the language,” said Yongprait
The Department of Education accepts comments on the proposed priority on AI until August 20, after which it will respond to the comments, then publish the final version. Submit comments here.
The proposed priority focused on AI is added to the priorities Limitation based on evidenceeducational choice and return to education in the United States, that the ministry proposed in May.