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Pulitzer Center Update January 13, 2025

Chicago Educators Explore AI Accountability Reporting During December Workshop

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AI Accountability Teacher Toolkit created by the Pulitzer Center AI Teacher Advisory Cohort
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This resource is designed to support classroom engagement with AI journalism by providing background information and key concepts for better understanding artificial intelligence and its societal...

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October 18, 2024

On December 7, 2024, 11 Chicago educators joined Pulitzer Center staff and Teacher Fellows at the University of Chicago for the workshop “Journalism as Accountability for AI Technologies.” Educators explored global news stories about artificial intelligence (AI) supported by the Pulitzer Center, analyzing how accountability reporting about AI technologies connects to other systemic global issues and the issues that matter the most in their unique communities. The workshop was supported by both the University of Chicago Educator Outreach Initiative and the Julian Grace Foundation.

The half-day event featured workshops led by two local teaching partners: West Ridge Elementary educator Jodi Hoard, a member of the Center’s 1619 Education Network and AI Teacher Advisory Council, and Kennedy High School educator Katherine Smith, a Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow. 

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chicago teachers connecting and analyzing AI reporting
Teachers connect in Chicago around AI Accountability reporting, Image by Jaya Mukherjee. United States, 2024.

“I really liked hearing from current teachers (both the presenters and the workshop participants) about how and why AI is an important focus of classroom study. I really loved the ability to explore the toolkit LIVE with a bunch of people, rather than prior to the workshop; I also liked the gallery walk at the end to really capture all of our thoughts. Super thoughtful, useful activities. Time flew!” –Rachel Zein, Back of the Yards High School

 

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Chicago teachers engage with AI Reporting
Workshop led by educator Jodi Hoard. Image by Jaya Mukherjee. United States, 2024.

Hoard led a workshop exploring the AI Accountability Student and Teacher Toolkits developed by the AI Teacher Advisory Council to support classroom engagement with AI journalism by providing a foundation to better understand AI and its societal impacts.  Teachers had the opportunity to employ learning strategies from the Toolkits when engaging with a collection of Pulitzer Center articles.

Smith led a workshop focused on introducing “Fake News + Text Analysis,” a unit plan that provides opportunity for students to analyze how algorithms employed by social media platforms influence their perspective on an underreported global issue. The unit centers on Arijit Douglas Sen’s Pulitzer Center-supported project for the Dallas Morning News: Peering Into the Black Box.

Through a series of activities and discussions, teachers left the workshop with an understanding of how to employ the AI Toolkits and a selection of articles, graphic organizers, and strategies to share with their communities.

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Katie Smith leads a workshop on her unit
Educator Katherine Smith leads a workhop on unit created through the Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship Program. Image courtesy by Jaya Mukherjee. United States, 2024.

When asked how participants plan to apply the content from the workshop, 100% of educators expressed a desire to use at least one strategy, lesson resource, or article in their classrooms. 

“I would like to really dive into the toolkits. I want to spark the conversation around this topic with my peers. I like the idea of making students more aware of how they interact with AI. I will definitely be using the toolkits.” –Michelle Cruz, Brentano Math and Science Academy

 

“I would apply the learned content and strategies by actively monitoring and evaluating AI systems for bias and unintended consequences, establishing clear lines of responsibility within the class or my students and actively seeking diverse perspectives to inform decision-making when using AI in my work, ensuring ethical and accountable implementation in  my class.” –Angeline Maglasang, Sawyer School

 

“I actually want to start a group at my school to meet and discuss possibilities for discussing AI in the classroom. I think other teachers would be interested in doing this (I hope). I also just want to incorporate some of the media literacy questions into some of my units in the spring.” –Rachel Zein, Back of the Yards High School

 

The Pulitzer Center hopes to offer more teacher workshops for Chicago educators in 2025. To stay informed, subscribe to the Pulitzer Center’s Chicago Educators newsletter.

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