UTA launches AI webinar series for educators
The College of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington launched a successful AI webinar series to help educators and school leaders navigate the growing role of artificial intelligence in education.
Titled “AI in the Classroom: Leadership and Instruction,” the series was led by the college’s AI researchers and explores practical, ethical and innovative ways AI can be used in K-12 and higher education.
Below is a summary of the sessions:
Designing responsible uses of AI in the classroom
Lauren Weisberg, assistant professor in the Department of Teacher and Administrator Preparation
What’s the idea?
Educators are increasingly asking how to use AI in ways that support student learning, not replace it. This session focuses on helping teachers understand best practices for using AI in areas like lesson planning and inquiry-based learning, while also recognizing potential risks, including student privacy concerns and bias in AI systems. Being transparent about how AI is used in the classroom is key to building trust and helping students use these tools responsibly.
Why it matters
AI is evolving quickly. Giving educators a clearer understanding of how these AI systems are built, how they work and who they benefit helps them make better decisions for their classrooms. It also helps teachers and administrators identify which tools are useful and which may pose concerns.
Real-world use
When educators understand both the opportunities and risks of AI, they’re better equipped to help K-12 students develop their own AI literacy.
Next steps
The goal is to move beyond seeing AI as simply a time-saving tool. Instead, educators are encouraged to think more critically: How does this AI tool support learning? Who benefits from it, and who might not? Are there concerns about bias or data privacy?
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Hands-on introduction to machine learning—training your first AI model
Erdogan Kaya, assistant professor in the Department of Teacher and Administrator Preparation
What’s the idea?
This session focuses on helping educators understand how AI systems work by actually using them. Through hands-on activities like collecting and analyzing data and training and optimizing their own AI models, teachers can gain the confidence to bring these concepts into their classrooms. The goal is to have students understand and figure out how to use AI tools more creatively and responsibly for real-world problem-solving.
Why it matters
As AI becomes more common, K-12 students need more than basic familiarity; they need hands-on exposure to develop the skills to engage with it in meaningful ways. Preparing teachers to introduce concepts like machine learning can help ensure all students have the opportunity to explore and understand these technologies.
Real-world use
Early hands-on learning opportunities can spark student interest and motivation, deepen understanding and open the door to future career paths. It also helps students build a foundation that supports more advanced learning and more informed decision-making about emerging technologies.
Next steps
While AI offers new opportunities in education, integration must be approached thoughtfully to prevent potential issues like data privacy, hallucinations and risks of perpetuating biases. To better serve educators and students, it’ll be essential to work more collaboratively with them and highlight more careful approaches to explore AI.
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The PROSE prompt writing model
Luis Perez Cortes, assistant professor in the Department of Higher Education, Adult Learning, and Organizational Studies
Hugh Kellam, assistant professor and program coordinator of instructional and learning design technology
What’s the idea?
This session introduces the PROSE model, a framework that helps educators create effective prompts for AI tools. It shows teachers how to use AI to design activities that align with learning objectives and classroom assessments. The model also makes it easier to turn existing lessons and assignments into interactive AI-supported experiences.
Why it matters
With new technology, there’s often a rush to implement it simply because it’s new. It’s important to take into consideration the learning needs of each student and how new technology can improve their learning experiences. Through the PROSE model, teachers can ensure all AI activities align with course learning objectives, can be meaningfully assessed and meet the needs of their students.
Real-world uses
Educators can use this approach to create more personalized learning experiences, such as AI-supported tutoring, feedback on assignments and interactive activities like quizzes, simulations and case studies.
Next steps
The presenters are already using the model to build customized AI chatbot courses in fields like nursing, social work, history, physics and education. These chatbots are personalized, 24/7 virtual teaching assistants that help students explore ideas, understand complex topics, practice skills and get assistance for course-related questions any time.
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AI science and math lesson design for dual-language settings
Maricela Leon, assistant professor of bilingual education (STEM specialization) in the Department of Teacher and Administrator Preparation
What’s the idea?
This session focuses on how educators can use AI to better support students in dual-language STEM classrooms. Many AI tools default to English, which doesn’t always reflect the languages and experiences students bring to the classroom. This session helps teachers think about how to use AI in ways that build on students’ full language abilities, not limit them.
Why it matters
AI is becoming a powerful tool in education, but it doesn’t always account for multilingual learners. By helping teachers recognize gaps and biases in AI-generated content, this session shows how teachers can adapt these tools to better support students learning in more than one language, especially in subjects like math and science.
Real-world use
When designing lessons, teachers already consider factors like standards, learning goals and materials; this session encourages educators to add AI to that list. After carefully analyzing AI outputs, teachers should embed the dual-language learning practices missing from a lesson so it can best serve their multilingual classroom.
Next steps
Educators are encouraged to view STEM subjects as another language students are learning. To do this, the researcher is working on ways to position multilingual learning practices, with the help of AI tools, to design the best learning experiences for learners in these areas.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.