FREE MINI-COURSE
AI Literacy for Teachers
Three sections. No email required. No login. Just the AI knowledge every K-12 teacher needs right now, built by a working classroom teacher who has lived through exactly this.
3
Sections
~90
Minutes
Free
No Email
K-12
Teachers
WHY THIS EXISTS
53% of teachers lack confidence using AI. The training hasn't kept up.
Between 2024 and 2025, the share of K-12 teachers using AI for instruction doubled, from 25% to 53%, according to RAND. But half of those teachers received no training at all. They are figuring it out in real time, in front of students, with no foundation under them.
Most AI professional development for teachers covers tools. How to use ChatGPT. Which button to click. What MagicSchool can do. That is useful, but it is not enough. If you do not understand how these systems actually work (why they sound so confident, why they get things wrong, why they can help students learn or quietly undermine the process) you cannot make good decisions about when and how to use them.
This course is the foundation. Three sections. No vendor pitch. No paid upgrade at the end. Just the AI literacy that every working classroom teacher deserves to have.
WHAT'S COVERED
Three sections. One solid foundation.
SECTION 1: 30 MIN
How AI Actually Works
Not a computer science lecture. A clear explanation of what a language model actually is, why it sounds so confident, why it gets things wrong, and what it genuinely cannot do. The foundation everything else builds on.
Covers: tokens and probability · hallucination explained · context windows · training data and bias · the one thing most teachers get wrong about AI
Start Section 1 →SECTION 2: 30 MIN
Fast AI vs Slow AI
The most important idea in AI and education right now. Students who use AI to get quick answers learn less than students who use AI to think harder. The research is clear. This section explains what is happening cognitively and what to do about it.
Covers: productive struggle · the Wharton chess experiment · cognitive offloading · what Slow AI looks like in a real classroom · the teacher-support multiplier
Start Section 2 →SECTION 3: 30 MIN
AI in Your Classroom: Where to Start
The practical entry point. Which free tools are actually worth your time. What to try this week. How to talk to students about AI use. One clear starting point for teachers at every level of experience.
Covers: MagicSchool, Diffit, Brisk, Khanmigo · the 80/20 rule · first-week activities · talking to students · the one task that saves every teacher 2 hours
Start Section 3 →YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Shawn Pecore
Shawn is an educator, scientist, and author with classroom and global consulting experience. He researches, writes, and discusses current issues in AI in education facing educators, parents, and students.
He also writes about where education is heading and publishes children's science books through the MEYE Science Series. Visit shawnpecore.com and follow him on Substack at @shawnpecore.
Ready to start?
No email. No account. No cost. Section 1 takes about 30 minutes.
Start Section 1: How AI Works →