Pulitzer Center Update October 22, 2024
Workshop for Educators: Connecting Students to AI Accountability News Stories
The Information and Artificial Intelligence Teacher Advisory Council was a Pulitzer Center Education program established in response to teacher feedback and data about the challenges and opportunities that exist when trying to engage students in conversation about AI technologies and their impacts on society. 78% of educators surveyed through our K-12 newsletter and social media channels believed their students need to learn about AI, but only 20% of educators surveyed reported frequently having conversations about AI in the classroom. Just 26% of educators surveyed reported feeling equipped enough to lead conversations about AI technologies and their impact with students. The AI Teacher Advisory Council rose to the challenge of resourcing educators with key understandings about AI and Pulitzer Center-funded reporting on AI Accountability through the development of classroom toolkits to support teacher and student understanding of the impact of artificial intelligence in their schools and communities.
On October 10, 2024, AI Teacher Advisory Council Members Jodi Hoard, Kerri-Jean Furtado, Jane Lawrence, and Linda Matsumoto, presented the toolkits to an educator audience for the first time, detailing their experience exploring news stories about AI Accountability, creating resources to support other educators in doing the same, and engaging their students with AI Accountability through implementation of the AI Classroom Toolkits .
“I thought I was going to learn the technical jargon and be better able to understand the science and the technology of AI, and I did learn some things like that, but I think my biggest takeaway was more of a shift in thinking around centering the impact of people when I'm engaging with stories about AI and technology. And I've been thinking a lot about how I translate that kind of personal learning into how it informs my practice as a teacher.” - Jodi Hoard, AI Teacher Advisory Council Member
The workshop helped to define and identify examples of AI Accountability reporting for educators, detailing how stories from Accountability Network members like Hilke Schellmann, Arijit Sen, and Joanna Kao resonated with students in the classroom. Presenters centered student voices in the classrooms and the real world connections students made to the reporting.
“...My students realized that AI is not just generative, right? So I think what happened is that they realized that this goes beyond their assignments, what they can use to make their lives go quickly. This is affecting their family; this is affecting their future. This is affecting entry-level jobs, you know. And it does affect certain groups of socioeconomic groups and students. My students, if they want to get an entry level job, it might affect them because a lot of these companies are using AI to hire…” - Jane Lawrence, AI Teacher Advisory Council Member
Audience members resonated with the kinds of questions students were asking in the Council Members’ classrooms and began making their own connections about which AI Accountability news stories may be most relevant for their student populations. 100 % of educators surveyed following the webinar reported that they would utilize the AI Accountability Toolkits in their classrooms when available.
“Students also respond well when their agency or loss of agency is centered. So questions about what is being forfeited when they delegate the writing of what is supposed to be their personal statement, can actually be quite compelling and engaging when well done.” - Kelly J, Attendee & High School Educator
Watch the recorded webinar. Register for an upcoming Featured AI Journalist Visit. Subscribe to the K-12 Education Newsletter to learn about future AI-focused resources and events for your classroom.