PI: Luke Ziegler, PhD (University of West Georgia)

Collaborator: Jenna Harte, PhD (University of West Georgia)

Since the launch of ChatGPT and AI tools for education (MagicSchoolAI, SchoolAI e.g.), metro Atlanta educators have received varying amounts of support and professional development. Some districts have championed the use of AI tools for personalized learning and resource creation while others have provided minimal guidance or support in navigating this nascent technology in the classroom.

This project examines how educators are developing critical AI literacy and how they perceive AI’s impact on teaching, learning, and society. We will host an online public-humanities dialogue and a focus group to learn how metro Atlanta educators decide to adopt, adapt, or decline AI tools. We will frame the work within the humanities and analyze the focus group transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis, foregrounding labor, voice, and place. We will document perceived benefits and risks (data privacy, bias, impact on students’ thinking, societal and ethical implications) and how metro Atlanta educators navigate guidance, professional learning, and classroom realities.