Unlock generative AI safely and responsibly—classroom toolkit

  • Article

Generative AI is a popular topic in recent times, with both excitement about the potential of new tools, and concern about their impact. It’s clear that generative AI has the potential to bring vast opportunities in the field of education, and Microsoft is excited to support educators around the world to harness generative AI’s benefits.

Like with any new technology, it’s crucial that students are educated and empowered to use generative AI in a responsible way. As with any online experience, digital literacy skills and online safety principles are key in building resilience in students to use these tools effectively.

The Classroom toolkit: Unlocking generative AI safely and responsibly is a creative resource that blends engaging narrative stories with instructional information to create an immersive and effective learning experience for educators and students aged 13-15 years.

The toolkit is designed to assist educators in initiating important conversations about responsible AI practices in the classroom, such as the critical topics of content fabrications, privacy considerations, bias awareness, and mental wellbeing.

Use this resource

With the toolkit, students have the opportunity to actively participate in exercises that explore various generative AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and prompt engineering techniques. By completing the lessons, students gain valuable insights and develop practical skills to enhance their digital safety. These skills include:

  • Fact-checking
  • Cultivating good digital hygiene habits
  • Safeguarding their data privacy
  • Adopting strategies to manage their mental wellbeing effectively

Educators can deploy this resource in a single lesson or broken up into four parts. This rough guide suggests how long each section may take, but we encourage extra time for discussion:

  • Introduction (20 minutes)
  • Gina’s Fight for the Ocean (30 minutes)
  • Game On with Alex (30 minutes)
  • Key Takeaways for Students (10 minutes)

This resource was developed in partnership with Cyberlite, a social enterprise specializing in cybersafety, digital wellbeing, and AI education in Singapore.

The resource set is available for download in English (US), English (UK), Chinese (ZH), Dutch (NL), Japanese (JP), Korean (KO), and Malaysian (MY).

Train the trainer

This video is a comprehensive guide for educators on using the classroom toolkit. Educators learn to grasp the foundational concepts of generative AI, emphasizing safety and responsibility, with the help of the toolkit.

Learn to use the lesson’s slides to effectively engage and educate students aged 13-15, ensuring they navigate AI technology with confidence and care. This is the perfect starting point for enhancing classroom learning of generative AI tools and wanting to leverage the classroom toolkit as a key resource.

Teach with the classroom toolkit

This video is a quick guide for educators on effectively planning and pacing lessons using the classroom toolkit. It offers practical tips on structuring your teaching sessions, ensuring students grasp the essentials of generative AI at a comfortable pace. Ideal for teachers looking to maximize the impact of their lessons with these resources. If you're comfortable with generative AI concepts and ready to dive into using the toolkit, this may be the easiest place to start.

Applications in education

This video explores the essential considerations educators need to address before introducing generative AI tools in the classroom, including privacy concerns and ethical implications. It also showcases practical use cases, such as using generative AI tools to support diverse learners, helping teachers harness the power of generative AI to enhance educational experiences while maintaining a safe and responsible learning environment.

Classroom in session - student workshop

This live demonstration explains how the Classroom Toolkit can be delivered directly to students. It walks through key concepts of generative AI, reads Gina’s story, and explores Alex’s adventure together. Students are encouraged to engage in the hands-on "Try It Yourself" exercises to become familiarized with AI tools and prompt engineering. This video is for teachers who want an example of the workshop in action and seek ideas on framing the content in the classroom.

Resources

English (US)

English (UK)

Chinese (ZH)

Dutch (NL)

Japanese (JP)

Korean (KO)

Malaysian (MY)