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William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

The AI-Empowered Teacher

An online course for instructional staff

Online Professional Learning for Educators at the Friday Institute

Course AvailableOpen now
Registration ClosesJuly 1, 2027
Certificate Requirements Due365 days after you register
Course Access EndsWithin 365 days of your registration
Duration9 sections
CostFree
Primary AudienceK-12 classroom educators
Certificate AvailableYes
Professional Development Hours15

The AI-Empowered Teacher course is an opportunity to explore how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can intentionally enhance teaching and learning–without losing what matters most: human connection, educational best practices, and student impact. While you can complete this course individually, we suggest engaging as a cohort to spark collaborative conversations and deepen your understanding. Whether you’re curious, cautious, or already experimenting with AI tools, this course will help you reflect on your teaching practices and beliefs about technology, develop practical skills for using GenAI tools ethically and effectively, and connect with colleagues to share ideas and challenges.

This course centers on AI literacy to help educators understand, evaluate, and use AI in their professional practice. AI-literate educators are equipped to protect student data, uphold ethical standards, and ensure that any use of technology supports equity, learning, and professional integrity.

Through a series of reflective, practice-based modules, you will…

  • Clarify your values and vision for human-centered AI use
  • Further foundational knowledge for how GenAI systems work and where they fall short
  • Practice ethical decision-making and evaluate AI tools for bias, transparency, and fairness
  • Design for innovative learning experiences that go beyond substitution
  • Prepare for ongoing change by cultivating adaptability and informed decision-making

This course is for instructional staff who are ready to…

  • Explore the promises and perils of GenAI in education
  • Apply critical and creative thinking to GenAI integration
  • Prioritize human relationships, values, and professional judgment in GenAI use
  • Collaborate with peers to deepen understanding, share insights, and apply ideas in real-world educational settings

Learn More

Certificate/CEU Information

To earn a certificate for 15 professional development hours, which can be submitted to your local agency with a request for CEUs, you must:

  • Engage in the Inquiry, Input, Interpretation, and Insight activities in each unit
  • Submit responses to all self-assessments, quizzes, and questionnaires
  • Create a new discussion post in the 6.2a Reflect on the Shifts discussion forum
  • Create a new discussion post and reply to two other people’s posts in the Wrap Up Discussion forum in Module 9

Granting of CEUs will be subject to the policies and procedures of your state and local agency.

Course Outline

This is a self-paced asynchronous course consisting of nine interconnected modules designed to move participants from foundational concepts to future-oriented practice.

  • Module 1: Setting the Stage | Course overview, AI literacy, goals, cohort formation
  • Module 2: Step In, Stay Human | Explore your beliefs, values, and human-centered vision for GenAI
  • Module 3: Decode the Invisible | Learn how GenAI works, its limits, and unknowns
  • Module 4: Interrogate the System | Examine bias, transparency, and trust in GenAI tools
  • Module 5: Practice Algorithmic Integrity | Apply ethical decision-making in GenAI use
  • Module 6: Design AI-Entangled Opportunities | Create meaningful learning experiences with GenAI
  • Module 7: Reimagine Personalization & Assessment | Explore new assessment and differentiation strategies
  • Module 8: Find Access Points for the Previously Inconceivable | Envision GenAI’s role in engagement and creativity
  • Module 9: Future the Practice | Prepare for disruption, adaptation, and continued growth

How to Register

Before you can register, you’ll need an NC State Brickyard account. If you don’t already have one, you can create one in a few steps:

  • Go to the REPORTER registration system landing page at go.ncsu.edu/reporter.
  • Click the Create New Account button.
  • Enter your email and click Send Email Confirmation.
  • Note the code that has been emailed to you and enter it in the Confirmation Code field.
  • Enter your First Name, Last Name, and Password.
  • Click Create Brickyard Account at the bottom. Your account will be created and you should be redirected to REPORTER to log in.

Ready to register?

Register Here

Need help?

For screen shots, troubleshooting tips, and step-by-step instructions for creating your Brickyard account or updating your name or email address, see the Brickyard Account Management Guide.

For help with changing your password, visit go.ncsu.edu/brickyard-reset-pw.

Have questions or need additional assistance? Contact Friday Institute Online Professional Learning Support and let us know how we can help.

Course Development Team

Through funding from the Ballmer Foundation and The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), this course was developed by The Friday Institute in collaboration with four State Education Agencies dedicated to the responsible and effective integration of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 education. 

The Friday Institute Team

Kentucky Department of Education

  • Sean Jackson
  • Marty Park
  • Laura Raganas

New Mexico Public Education Department

  • John Chadwick
  • Jed Duggan

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

  • Vera Cubero
  • Barry Pace

Wyoming Department of Education

  • Steven Priest
  • Nathan Tedjeske