Don’t try to build alone

Like at many institutions, the decision about UVU’s AI usage and teaching came from the top. The school’s leadership recognized the critical need and assembled a committee of industry professionals, faculty, and administrators to assess what their students needed with regards to AI training. In the end, the Applied Institute for Artificial Intelligence was created.

Follow UVU’s lead. Gather professionals, teachers, administrators, and even students to talk about your school’s vision for AI education. But remember, you don't have to build it alone. 

Different parties bring unique backgrounds and experience, helping to define the goals of your program. Don’t forget to look outside the pool of CTE and technology educators. Bring in liberal arts educators as well. Collaborating across departments creates a richer, more well-rounded learning experience for your students. 

Create curriculum that meets students where they are

Not all your students have equal experience using AI tools. UVU knew they’d need to create multiple levels for students at different stages of their education. Currently they offer undergraduate certificates focused on applied AI concepts and business-ready AI skills, plus full degrees and graduate level programs focusing on AI development. 

This tiered approach is intentional. Not every student will become an AI developer, but every student will likely use AI in their career. Designing curriculum that serves both the builders and the end users of AI is essential.

If you’re not sure what to include in your curriculum, we are here to help! Pearson Career Ready offers AI curriculum and certifications for K12 learners, from novices to burgeoning developers. You can get more information here.   

Focus on user responsibility 

While AI is useful, students need to understand the truth. AI can be flawed. AI can be biased. Cyndi commented, “Educators need to remind students that AI is a tool, not a truth machine.” 

There are several critical concepts students need to understand:

• Bias: AI tools can reflect gender, racial, and other biases. Remind your students to evaluate outputs critically.

• Knowledge gaps: Many AI tools have training data cutoffs, meaning recent information may be missing or incomplete.

• Hallucinations: AI can fabricate facts and even invent fictitious references to support false claims. Every output needs to be verified.

Cyndi recommends including a statement on ethical AI use in all syllabi. Providing additional guidance around when AI can and should be used also helps students understand best practices. 

For example, should your students use AI, they should document the tool they used, the prompt they entered, and how they applied the output. This practice builds critical thinking and accountability, rather than just allowing students to shortcut their learning.  

Prioritize hands-on learning

You’re building support with leadership. You’re setting guidelines and parameters. Don’t forget the most important component of AI education. Giving students hands-on experience. 

Cyndi’s recommendation? Giving students direct, practical exposure to AI tools as early as possible. At UVU, and likely similarly at your school, students begin with familiar platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude. Students can build up to creating their own custom AI tools.

This hands-on approach has produced remarkable results at UVU. One student developed an AI program capable of detecting bacterial growth in knee surgery patients, a real-world application born from personal experience and classroom experimentation. 

This project-based approach allows students to leverage AI tools to solve real problems. Students can also get into AI in teams by reviewing AI-generated work, helping build evaluation, communication, and critical thinking skills. 

But learning doesn’t need to be limited to the walls of your classroom. Connect with local businesses to discuss potential internships that expose students to how businesses are actually using AI. After all, learning doesn’t stop once they enter the workforce. 

Stay current

Where AI is involved, lifelong learning isn’t optional. AI is ever-evolving rapidly, and your program needs to change with it. 

You’re reminding your students about the value of education. Cyndi reminds educators to take their own advice. “Educators must commit to continuous learning themselves before they can effectively teach others,” she said. 

Often that can feel easier said than done. Cyndi recommends some practical ways to stay current:

• Attend webinars and training courses focused on AI in education. 

• Read emerging literature. Cyndi recommends titles like The Educator's 2026 AI Guide by Dan Fitzpatrick and Teaching Students to Use AI Ethically and Responsibly. 

• Create regular community conversations at your school. UVU hosts an "AI Hour" twice a month where students, faculty, industry partners, and administrators share how they're using AI. Crowd sourcing your learning can cut back on the hours you spend keeping up with the latest changes. 

Any teacher can stay up to date with AI. Lean on your community for help. Invite local business leaders, parents, and colleagues from other departments to share ideas. Remember, you don’t have to build or learn alone. 

No fear exploration 

If you're feeling hesitant about launching an AI program, Cyndi's message is simple: "Don't treat AI as an enemy. Treat it as a tool that has to be used appropriately." 

You don't need a fully funded AI lab to get started. Begin in your own classroom. Explore what AI is doing in your subject area. Start small, stay curious, and share what you learn with others.

The students sitting in your classroom today will graduate into a world where AI literacy is a baseline expectation. Give them the skills, the critical thinking, and the ethical framework to use AI responsibly. After all, career readiness starts with you. 

Pearson Career Ready is your K12 partner for AI training, resources, and information. Whether you’re an AI expert or novice, Pearson Career Ready resources will help you discover how to effectively use and teach AI in your classroom. Get all the details here.