Their “purposeful play” approach got teachers excited about AI
Hey there,
Implementing AI training for teachers doesn’t have to be a headache.
While most districts are still figuring out how to approach AI professional development, two innovative district leaders have cracked the code with a refreshingly simple approach. I recently learned about their success stories from an Education Week K-12 Forum, and I’m excited to share how they transformed teacher AI training from a daunting challenge into an engaging experience.
Today, we’ll explore how the Wichita and Fox Chapel school districts revolutionized their AI training through:
- Empathy-first approach
- Family engagement
- “Purposeful play” methodology
Here’s what makes their approach special:
In Wichita, Kansas, Digital Literacy Coordinator Dyane Smokorowski took an unconventional route. Instead of traditional “sit-and-get” training sessions, she launched a virtual family night where teachers and their kids could experiment with AI tools together. This creative approach not only made learning more enjoyable but also gave teachers practical experience they could directly apply in their classrooms.
Over in Pennsylvania’s Fox Chapel district, Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac focused on understanding teachers’ needs first. Through “empathy interviews,” she discovered teachers’ specific concerns about AI and built training programs that addressed their actual pain points rather than generic tech tutorials.
Weekly Resource List:
- Edutopia: Effective Professional Development on AI: A variety of online professional learning options can help teachers get up to speed on the impact of artificial intelligence on education.
- AI4ALL: AI4ALL’s mission is to establish the next generation of AI Changemakers that humanity needs by equipping diverse, emerging talent with the responsible AI skills and social capital needed for collective success.
AI4K12.org: the AI for K-12 guidelines are organized around the 5 Big Ideas in AI. The guidelines will serve as a framework to assist standards writers and curricula developers on AI concepts, essential knowledge, and skills by grade band.
Key Concepts to Consider:
- Purposeful Play in Professional Development
- Replace traditional lectures with hands-on exploration
- Encourage experimentation in a low-stakes environment
- Build confidence through collaborative learning
- Family Integration Strategy
- Include teachers’ families in the learning process
- Create natural opportunities for tech exploration
- Bridge the home-school AI understanding gap
That’s it for today. Here’s what you learned:
- Teacher AI training works best when it’s experiential, not theoretical
- Family involvement can make AI learning more accessible and engaging
- Understanding teacher concerns should drive training design
Ready to try this approach? Start by conducting your own mini empathy interviews with 3-5 teachers about their AI concerns and interests. Use their feedback to design your first “purposeful play” session.