Florida Panhandle Teachers Complete Comprehensive Professional Development In AI Pro Engineering As Part Of FSU’s InSPIRE Activity
Tallahassee, Fla. – After 20 hours of virtual instruction, teachers from Florida’s panhandle counties are returning to their classrooms with cutting-edge skills in AI Prompt Engineering. The AIENGIN102 course, "Leveraging AI Prompt Engineering for Engineering Design Pedagogy," is part of FSU’s InSPIRE activity and was administered by staff at Florida State University’s Learning Systems Institute (LSI).
The course equips educators with the tools and knowledge to create open-ended engineering lessons using generative AI and Microsoft Word. It focuses on leveraging AI to create K-12 engineering design lessons and is the second course in a Generative AI pathway for InSPIRE teachers.
“One of our main goals any time we work with teachers is to help them expand their toolbox and gain confidence integrating student-centered and problem-based instruction through S.T.E.M.,” said LSI STEM Specialist Robert Hanna. “In this course, we built on the foundations that were laid in the first course with this group by leveraging various prompt-engineering strategies to develop resources for open-ended, problem-based lessons.”
Participants engaged in a series of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, tackling topics such as problem-based learning, prompt engineering for AI and how to embed durable work-related skills into classrooms. Throughout the course, educators created lesson plans that included generated data sets, and simulated news articles to create real-world scenarios for students to grapple with while exploring the ethical implications and environmental impacts of AI. These practical exercises, combined with expert guidance, empowered teachers to bring innovative, real-world applications using AI into their classrooms.
Teachers demonstrated their competency in AI Prompt Engineering and problem-based learning by creating integrated STEM engineering lessons to use in their classes while also earning industry certifications in Microsoft Office Word and a joint FSU and Microsoft certificate in AI Prompt Engineering for Engineering Design Pedagogy. By integrating AI and prompt engineering into their teaching, teachers are preparing students for high-paying careers in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and technical trades.
“This work furthers our mission to support teachers with relevant curriculum and professional development while embedding topics of aerospace and advanced manufacturing, as well as working toward Microsoft Office Specialist industry certifications,” said Hanna.
FSU’s InSPIRE initiative envisions a future where alliances with industry leaders, educators and community partners result in a thriving ecosystem of technological advancement and educational excellence, contributing to the prosperity and resilience of Northwest Florida and beyond.
The InSPIRE workforce and educational development team is being led by members of the LSI staff working in the Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FCR-STEM). LSI is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions that bridge theory and practice in education. For 55 years, LSI has delivered systems that measurably improve the learning and performance of organizations and individuals in Florida and worldwide.