New priorities in teacher preparation

Key points:

The emergence of artificial intelligence as a tool in education presents both opportunities and challenges for aspiring teachers. Generative AI has the potential to transform teaching practices, improve efficiency, and even promote equity–but if used without care, it can also reinforce harmful biases.

In my experience working with educators at K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities, I have seen that meaningful progress requires moving beyond surface-level solutions. By preparing educators to approach AI with a critical lens and a deep understanding of inclusive teaching practices, teacher preparation programs can ensure that the technology will be used to empower, not exclude.

Cultural competency and AI

To become effective agents of change, the next generation of teachers will need to take ownership of three core areas: cultural competency, social-emotional learning, and innovative practices (including AI).

Cultural competency–the ability to recognize, respect, and address the diverse backgrounds of students–is essential to student engagement and success. Yet, this concept often receives insufficient attention in teacher training standards, which prioritize state assessments over skills related to cultural responsiveness.

In practice, cultural competency begins with creating environments where students feel safe to share their experiences and know that these perspectives are valued. This involves embedding students’ experiences into the curriculum as core components of learning, rather than treating them as supplementary or extracurricular topics. Social-emotional learning (SEL) complements this by equipping teachers with the tools to build trust, foster collaboration, and support emotional well-being in their classrooms.

Generative AI will likely drive the conversation about innovative practices for the foreseeable future. While many of the current discussions about AI in education tend to focus on macro-level logistical concerns like plagiarism, its potential impact on equity and inclusion demands equal attention. Scholars like Safiya Noble, author of Algorithms of Oppression, have demonstrated how biases embedded in search engine algorithms have perpetuated negative stereotypes about people of color. Today’s generative AI platforms often carry similar risks, making it essential for educators to critically assess these technologies and use them responsibly.

Advantages of AI in the classroom

Generative AI offers educators a range of opportunities to enhance their teaching practices, from improving lesson design to fostering creativity in the classroom. By automating repetitive tasks, AI can reduce teachers’ workloads and give them more time to focus on meaningful, student-centered work.

When used thoughtfully, this technology can also create opportunities to bolster cultural competency and inclusion. For example, AI can assist educators in developing lesson plans and materials that reflect diverse cultural experiences, helping students feel seen and valued. It can also help teachers improve curriculum accessibility by generating sentence frames, scaffolding tools, or multilingual resources for students who need additional support in areas such as writing or language learning.

AI can also help teachers self-reflect on their practices and identify areas for improvement in a nonjudgmental way. By providing constructive insights and suggestions, these platforms allow educators to refine their approaches and better address student needs.

Despite these benefits, AI should not be viewed as an equal partner in teaching but rather as a tool that empowers educators to implement an engaging, student-based curriculum. As we continue to explore the potential of AI, it will be crucial to integrate this technology intentionally, ensuring that it serves as an enhancement to human-driven teaching practices.

Community initiatives

A number of collaborative initiatives are now exploring practical uses for AI in the education space. At Notre Dame de Namur University, we are creating an AI hub that connects teacher education programs with local school districts, community colleges, and professional organizations. The hub provides an avenue for stakeholders to discuss best practices and share ideas about how we can use AI to benefit society and prepare our youth for future careers.

As part of our commitment to responsible AI integration, NDNU has signed ISTE’s Digital Transformation Pledge. This pledge outlines strategies to ensure that educators are prepared to provide equitable learning opportunities while embracing new technologies. We have also brought on Cate Tolnai, a recognized expert in AI and K-12 education, to act as our faculty lead on AI integration in teacher training.

Other groups in California are also making strides in this area. For example, the San Mateo Union High School District has launched an AI fellowship program designed to help teachers use AI to create more inclusive learning environments (check out the work of teacher Stacy Kratochvil). Meanwhile, an interactive webinar series called The PLAIground, offers educators a supportive, hands-on space to explore AI tools together. These sessions emphasize human-centered teaching and provide practical guidance on using AI creatively and ethically in the classroom.

Through this type of purpose-driven collaboration, we can provide valuable professional development opportunities for educators while building a forward-thinking model for culturally competent, technology-enhanced teacher preparation programs.

A vision for the future

By prioritizing cultural competency and AI literacy in teacher training programs, we can fundamentally transform how we prepare educators for the future. The key will be to ensure that these two areas are recognized as interconnected priorities rather than separate goals.

When equity is at the heart of how we introduce new technologies into classrooms, we can build an education system in which every student feels valued. The steps we take today will have a lasting impact on students and teachers for generations to come.