Abstract
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) expands rapidly in K–12 education globally, teacher educators have a critical responsibility to both understand AI tools and prepare future teachers to use them thoughtfully (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019; Holmes et al., 2022). This research project presents a collaborative self-study conducted by five faculty members in an elementary teacher preparation program in the United States. Together, we explored how to meaningfully integrate AI into our own professional practices and pedagogy. Through regular meetings and reflective dialogue, we examined the benefits and limitations of AI, particularly its ethical challenges, equity concerns, and embedded biases (Bakhtiar et al., 2023; Williamson & Eynon, 2020), while navigating the tensions inherent in adopting new technologies. In this study, we present the themes that emerged from our focus group discussions and share insights into how teacher preparation programs can ethically and critically engage with AI. We argue that preparing future teachers as informed, reflective users of AI is essential for supporting their students in becoming responsible and engaged global citizens.
Presenters
Mohamed ElhessProfessor, Elementary and Literacy Education, Minnesota State University, United States Karen Colum
Minnesota State University Rebekah Degener
Associate Professor, Elementary and Literacy Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, United States Beth Beschorner
Professor and Department Chair, Elementary and Literacy Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, United States Trish Arnold
Assistant Professor, Elementary and Literacy Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Human-Centered AI Transformations
KEYWORDS
AI, CRITICAL LITERACY
