AI for educators
Microsoft Learn
Last updated August 30, 2026
AI for educators is a free four-module Microsoft Learn path for teachers who want to use AI in their own practice and guide students who are already using it. It opens with the concepts — a short history of AI, large language models, generative AI, prompt engineering and responsible use — then tours the AI tools Microsoft offers educators and learners at no cost. The middle of the path is about the craft of the prompt, applied to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Image Creator from Designer for planning, materials and personalized instruction, alongside guidance on critically evaluating what a model gives back. The final module turns outward: helping learners discover, interact and create with AI, and teaching them to prompt and to use it responsibly. The path lists no prerequisites and runs to about four and a half hours, self-paced.
What you'll learn
- A short history of AI, and what large language models and generative AI actually are
- Writing prompts for Microsoft Copilot and Image Creator from Designer
- The free AI tools Microsoft offers educators and learners
- Using Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat for lesson materials and personalized instruction
- Critically evaluating AI-generated content before it reaches a classroom
- AI-assisted teaching across Microsoft Edge, Word, PowerPoint, Teams and Minecraft
- Helping students discover, interact and create with AI, and use it responsibly
Frequently asked questions about AI for educators
Who is AI for educators for?
K-12 and higher-education teachers who want to use AI in their own preparation and teach students to use it well — no technical background needed.
Is AI for educators free?
Yes — AI for educators is completely free to take.
Why we suggest this course
Teaching is one of the few jobs where AI arrives twice — once as a tool for your own workload, and again as something your students are already using. This path covers both, and the second half is the harder part to find elsewhere: how to teach prompting and responsible use to learners rather than only practicing it yourself. It is mapped to recognized professional frameworks, including ISTE standards for educators and UNESCO's AI Competency Framework, so it fits alongside formal professional development instead of sitting apart from it. It also stays with tools already present in a Microsoft classroom — Copilot Chat and Image Creator from Designer — so the prompting is practiced in software a school is likely to have.