Our Solution
Teaching IDE-AI
Teaching IDE-AI is a comprehensive initiative designed to build institutional capacity and create sustainable infrastructure for AI-integrated teacher education.
1. AI Literacy for Teacher Educators
We are developing open-access modules grounded in the Digital Education Council AI Literacy Framework that focus on:
- AI and Data Understanding
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical AI Use
- Human-Centricity
- Domain Expertise
2. Professional Development Ecosystem
Teaching IDE-AI supports faculty and doctoral students through:
- Summer Institutes
- Faculty Learning Communities
- Lesson Study Cycles
- Ongoing Professional Learning Networks
3. Ethical and Human-Centered AI
Working across education, computer science, and public policy, the project embeds:
- AI Ethics
- Bias Mitigation
- Responsible Innovation
- Equity-Focused Design Practices
4. AI-Enhanced Teaching Rehearsals
Building on the NSF-funded Math Virtual Classroom (MathVC), teacher candidates will engage with virtual student collaborators in simulated teaching environments to practice instructional strategies before entering classrooms.
5. Research-Practice Partnerships
Through ERA•NOVA and collaborations with school divisions across Northern Virginia, educators, researchers, and technology developers work together to co-design AI-enhanced learning experiences based on authentic classroom needs.
Our Systemic Improvement Model
Teaching IDE-AI uses a Design-Based Implementation Research model that combines:
- AI Literacy Module Development
- Faculty Professional Learning
- Lesson Study
- Classroom Implementation
- Continuous Feedback and Research
This cycle ensures that innovations remain grounded in educational practice and continuously improve based on evidence
Developing AI Literacy Modules for Educators
Teaching IDE-AI is creating open-access, evidence-based AI literacy modules for teacher educators that can be integrated across undergraduate and graduate programs. These modules focus on responsible AI use, ethics, data literacy, instructional design, critical evaluation of AI tools, and pedagogical applications across disciplines.
Building Faculty Learning Communities
Faculty Learning Communities bring together teacher educators, doctoral students, and researchers to explore AI literacy, ethics, and pedagogy through collaborative inquiry and professional dialogue. Participants engage in sustained learning experiences that support the thoughtful integration of AI into teaching and teacher preparation.
Expanding AI-Enhanced Practice Spaces
The initiative builds on innovative AI research, including the Math Virtual Classroom (MathVC), to create virtual student collaborators and AI-powered rehearsal environments where current and future educators can practice instructional decision-making before classroom implementation.
Faculty Learning Structure
Lesson Study and Professional Learning
Teaching IDE-AI leverages Lesson Study as a powerful professional learning model. Faculty collaboratively plan, implement, observe, and reflect on AI-enhanced instructional practices, creating opportunities to improve teaching while generating research-based evidence on effective AI integration.
Research and Innovation
Teaching IDE-AI uses a Design-Based Implementation Research model to co-design, test, and refine AI-enhanced teaching practices alongside educators and school partners. This approach ensures that innovations are grounded in authentic classroom needs while generating practical and scalable solutions for teacher education.
The initiative aims to produce:
- Open educational resources and AI literacy modules
- Research on teacher learning and AI integration
- AI-enhanced instructional and assessment tools
- New models for faculty professional development
- Sustainable pathways for national dissemination and scaling