AI and Civic Engagement

Integrate generative AI technologies into your teaching with activities and prompts designed to engage students in civic learning to become adaptable, critical thinkers in a time of ongoing change. >

Many students have become disinterested and disengaged from politics and what's happening in their communities. To ignite interest and activate engagement in civics, students need to learn how to analyze current events; make informed decisions; think and act democratically; and participate locally, nationally and globally as engaged citizens.

Generative AI (GenAI) technologies - which are transforming every aspect of modern life - can support and enrich civic learning in ways that were never before possible!

With this practical guide, you'll discover how to integrate GenAI technologies into civic learning across all grade levels and in many different subject areas, including math, English language arts, engineering, science, computer science, history/social studies, music and art. This book features 28 learning plans that connect with the ISTE Student Standards - each with multiple interactive activities and example prompts - to support students in engaging with GenAI tools as active citizens and critical investigators of the capacities and risks of these technologies.

The book:

As students and teachers begin using GenAI tools to learn about civic issues and public policy topics that matter to them, they become more informed civic learners and more knowledgeable technology users. This book is devoted to making that crucial teaching and learning happen.

Audience: Elementary and secondary teachers across various disciplines including social studies, STEM fields, and the English language arts

Torrey Trust, Ph.D., is a professor of learning technology in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work centers on the critical examination of the interconnected relationship between teaching, learning and technology, and how technology can support teachers in designing contexts that enhance student learning. Trust has received the University of Massachusetts Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award (2023), the College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award (2020) and the ISTE Making IT Happen Award (2018). Trust has served as a professional learning network leader for the ISTE Teacher Education Network for five years, including a two-year term as the president. More recently, Trust has been a leading voice in exploring ChatGPT in education and has been featured by several media outlets in articles and podcasts, including U.S. News & World Report, WIRED, Tech & Learning, The Hill, Education Week and BAM Radio Network.