Canadian Educators Seek Support and Training Amid AI Integration in Classrooms

Ontario teachers say they’re on their own figuring out AI in classrooms.

High school educators Jamie Mitchell and Tamara Phillips, both instructional leaders in math and English, report teachers want clear guidance on using AI. They say educators are struggling without official policies or training.

The issue started around ChatGPT’s rise nearly two years ago. Now schools debate not if AI should be used, but how. Phillips warns against seeing AI as simply good or bad.

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> “Binary thinking around ‘it’s good or bad’ should be tempered with the idea that, you know, learning and gaining knowledge about the tools that are at hand is really important,” Tamara Phillips said.

The American Federation of Teachers recently launched a $23 million US fund with Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic to train 400,000 US educators on AI. No similar program exists in Canada. The Canadian Teachers’ Federation confirms there’s no nationwide support or policies for AI education here.

Outgoing Canadian Teachers’ Federation President Heidi Yetman says:

> “Teachers are really struggling with artificial intelligence. They’re struggling on their own because there are no policies and frameworks put in place.”

Some provinces like Alberta and Quebec have issued patchy AI guidelines focusing mostly on what’s allowed and not. British Columbia leaves decisions to local districts. Newfoundland and Labrador has delivered AI training to roughly 2,000 school staff, promising more.

Mount Saint Vincent University associate education professor Johanathan Woodworth says teachers feel uncertain about their role in AI-integrated education.

> “For example, a lot of teachers are thinking, ‘If I integrate AI, am I actually the teacher who owns this? Who is pedagogically in charge of the teaching?’ ”

Teachers and education leaders push back against tech companies training teachers directly in Canada, citing concerns about biased agendas.

Phillips calls for human-focused pedagogy in AI training, not corporate pitches.

Mitchell has embraced ChatGPT, teaching students how to turn it into a math tutor by using smart prompts at home. But he warns:

> “The reality is today’s AI is the worst AI that students are ever going to use. And if teachers aren’t arming those students with the skills to work with AI ethically, with integrity, then we’re doing something wrong.”

Canadian teachers want faster, clearer AI strategies before fall classes ramp up. So far, they’re “100 per cent” flying solo.