The AFT Innovation Fund is pleased to announce a new round of grantmaking for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. In this year of bursting artificial intelligence, we thought we should focus our grants on creating real solutions for how we use education technology. This past summer, the AFT Innovation Fund conducted a survey of educators about what they think of education technology and how they use it.
The application of ed tech in your classrooms and schools is at a record level. And while educators largely embrace technology, many feel shut out of conversations and processes related to technology adoption and acquisition. In our survey, 84 percent of respondents told us they believe teachers should have more say over how technology is deployed in their classrooms. Teachers report relatively low levels of personal use and adoption of AI technologies in their classrooms and among their students (more in high school). As these technologies take hold and transform teaching and learning, teachers should be part of the decision-making process.
We need to create these models, and what better way than to rely on the collective wisdom of our members? That is why we invite local and state preK-12, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, and higher education members, with support from their affiliate president, to submit applications. They should focus on addressing the opportunities and challenges related to education technology in schools, including procurement, adoption and spread, as well as policies governing use and effective practices for teaching and learning.
Grant awards will range from $10,000 to $25,000 (with consideration given to affiliate size when determining the amount).