AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI
NEA (National Education Association)
Last updated September 15, 2026
AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI is a free, self-paced independent-study course from the National Education Association examining the ethical implications of AI in schools — data privacy, algorithmic bias, transparency and environmental impact — and how they affect students and communities. It runs about 5 hours through a single online module, and finishes with NEA's Teacher Quality Certificate and 5 continuing-education hours.
What you'll learn
- Evaluating AI's ethical impacts on privacy, equity and transparency in education
- Data governance practices that protect student privacy and security
- Detecting and mitigating bias in educational AI systems
- AI's environmental impact, and sustainable practices worth weighing against it
Frequently asked questions about AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI
Who is AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI for?
Any educator interested in understanding and leveraging AI tools in their practices, especially the privacy, bias and governance questions AI raises.
Is AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI free?
Yes — AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI is free to take. Requires creating a free NEA Professional Excellence Portal account.
Does AIED: Safe and Ethical Use of AI offer a certificate?
Yes. Free "Teacher Quality Certificate" and 5.0 continuing-education/PDU hours on completion.
Why we suggest this course
It positions educators as informed advocates who can shape how AI is developed, evaluated and governed in their own school, not just as end users following a vendor's terms of service — a framing few AI-ethics courses built for a general audience take.