AI in Edu: News, Tools, & Views (July 18)

Jul 18, 2025

Welcome to my weekly digest of AI in education news, tools, and views to help keep you informed. Let’s get started:

Federal funding delays threaten AI education and America’s tech future

K-12 Dive reports that federal funding delays for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) jeopardize AI education in K-12 schools, threatening America's technological future. These delays force districts to cut programs supporting AI integration, leaving teachers unprepared and hindering access to AI tools for students, including English learners. This oversight impacts STEM innovation, tech access, and national competitiveness, underscoring the urgent need for timely fund allocation to maintain U.S. leadership in AI.

https://www.k12dive.com/news/federal-funding-delays-threaten-ai-education-americas-tech-future/752974/

Report: Teaching for Tomorrow: Unlocking Six Weeks a Year With AI

A new report by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation reveals 60% of K-12 teachers used AI tools in the 2024–25 school year. Regular AI users saved nearly six hours weekly—equivalent to six weeks annually—reinvesting this time into personalized instruction, student feedback, and parent communication. While AI helps with lesson planning and assessments, adoption is uneven, with 40% of teachers not using AI. Access to formal school policies and support significantly enhances time savings and optimism about AI's benefits for student engagement and accessibility.

https://www.gallup.com/analytics/659819/k-12-teacher-research.aspx

NotebookLM introduces Featured Notebooks

As reported at tomdaccord.com, Google's popular AI study tool, NotebookLM, now offers Featured Notebooks. These are expert-curated resources designed to help users delve into complex subjects through AI-powered interactions. Like standard notebooks, Featured Notebooks come with AI-generated mind maps and podcast-style overviews, letting users ask questions and get personalized explanations.

https://www.tomdaccord.com/blog/notebooklm-introduces-featured-notebooks

Common Sense Media releases AI toolkit for school districts

Common Sense Media has launched an AI Toolkit for School Districts, providing practical resources for safe, responsible, and effective AI implementation. Developed due to demand from educators, the toolkit addresses the fact that many schools lack clear AI rules. It offers flexible guides and templates, promoting a community-driven approach with input from various stakeholders, ensuring district-specific AI plans meet diverse needs.

https://www.commonsense.org/education/AI-toolkit-for-school-districts

What Role Should LLM-Generated Feedback Play in the Classroom?

In this post, Jason Guyla reconsiders the role of LLM-generated feedback in classrooms. Initially hesitant, he now explores its potential benefits like quick insights, while addressing concerns about privacy and AI's "sycophantic" nature. Inspired by the PAIRR system (Peer, AI, Reflect, Revise), he's developing a teaching sequence where students engage in self, peer, and AI assessments.

The AI Edventure

What Role Should LLM-Generated Feedback Play in the Classroom?

Over the past few years, I’ve adamantly opposed AI graders. In my discipline, I feel that grading needs to be relational to encourage student buy-in…

3 days ago · 14 likes · 15 comments · Jason Gulya

AGI (Artificial General Intelligence): What Teachers Need To Know

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), where AI achieves human-level intelligence across diverse tasks, is not yet a reality, though some experts claim we are close. Melanie Mitchell of the Santa Fe Institute tells Tech&Learning that current AI models are task-specific and their capabilities are often exaggerated. Educators must teach students to understand both AI's potential and its significant limitations. This comprehensive AI literacy is crucial, countering misconceptions about "AGI-proof" jobs and preparing students for future technological landscapes.

https://www.techlearning.com/news/agi-artificial-general-intelligence-what-teachers-need-to-know

Stop using AI to replicate outdated teaching–get creative, instead

This eSchoolNews article advocates for using AI in education to foster creativity and playful learning, rather than just automating outdated teaching methods. It suggests leveraging AI for collaborative, creative problem-solving, like brainstorming ideas or evaluating AI project suggestions. This approach encourages hands-on engagement, such as generating historical images or visualizing complex structures.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2024/08/09/stop-using-ai-outdated-teaching-playful-learning/

Pear Deck Embeds AI into “Every Step of Instruction”

As reported at tomdaccord.com, Pear Deck Learning, a popular all-in-one instructional platform, has launched Pear Start, a suite of over 40 AI tools that empower teachers to generate standards-aligned, interactive lesson materials quickly. Pear Deck claims to be the first K–12 platform with AI embedded throughout the entire teaching journey, from lesson planning and instruction to formative assessment and reflection.

https://www.tomdaccord.com/blog/pear-deck-learning-embeds-ai-into-every-step-of-instruction

OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

Reuters reports that OpenAI is reportedly launching an AI-powered web browser to challenge Google Chrome, aiming to redefine online interaction. Expected in the coming weeks, this browser will leverage AI to transform web browsing into a more conversational, integrated experience, potentially disrupting Google's ad revenue. OpenAI’s web browser would attempt to keep user interactions within a ChatGPT-like interface, offering direct access to user data. This move highlights OpenAI's strategy to embed AI services deeper into users' digital lives.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/openai-release-web-browser-challenge-google-chrome-2025-07-09/