Professional Development Improvement Project: Supporting Math Teachers in Integrating Khanmigo and Generative AI

Abstract

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Virginia wanted to address the growing need for teacher training in using Generative AI. As part of their initiative, they established an AI policy and joined a nationwide pilot of Khan Academy Khanmigo. This project was created to further provide its educators with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to incorporate AI tools into their teaching. It involved designing and delivering a two-day PD session based on research-backed best practices and input from local educators. The content covered the TPACK framework, large language models, prompt engineering, and practical applications of Khanmigo from both student and teacher viewpoints. Evaluation through interviews and pre/post surveys indicated that the PD significantly enhanced participants’ understanding and confidence in utilizing Generative AI. The key findings indicated educators placed a high value on hands-on activities, small group collaboration, and AI tools that save time. It was also found that there are serious threats to the broad adoption of these tools. The most significant challenges are limited time and varying technological skills. To address these challenges and enhance the training, it recommends that PD include expanded hands-on opportunities and that protected time for AI PD is established by integrating it into regular school schedules.