top of page
Search

8 Free AI Courses Every Teacher Should Take in 2025 (And How to Actually Use What You Learn with TeachShare)



If you’ve ever thought, “AI sounds cool, but how would I actually use it in my classroom?”, you’re not alone. The topic of AI can be intimidating, its all over the news, and there's a huge ominous cloud around it. However, with AI becoming one of the most talked-about topics in the world, we've found that more and more teachers are trying to understand how it fits into their work. But let’s face it: between grading, planning, teacher-parent meetings, and trying to make sure your lessons effective and resonate with students, who has the time to research “How to use AI in education” and dig through 1,000 different search results? Well look no further because we have done the digging for you and have curated the top 8 free teacher-friendly AI courses you can take on your own schedule. And even better, at the end of this article we’ll show you how to actually apply what you learn using one of the most powerful teacher AI platforms on the market:TeachShare.


Google’s “Generative AI for Educators”

Platform: Grow with Google

Length: Approximately 2 hours

Format: Self-paced, interactive modules with reflection questions and classroom examples


What You’ll Learn:

  • What generative AI is, how it works, and its growing role in education

  • How to use AI to save time on lesson planning, rubrics, grading, and worksheet creation

  • Strategies for using AI ethically and responsibly in your classroom

  • Practical applications of AI tools within familiar platforms like Google Docs, Slides, and Google Classroom


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Uses simple, jargon-free language (you don't need a tech background to understand!!), perfect if you’re just starting out with AI

  • Built around real teacher workflows with hands-on examples you can immediately use

  • Focused on supporting (not replacing) your role as an educator

  • Includes a certificate of completion, a great addition for PD portfolios or educator resumes

  • Entire course is mobile-friendly and accessible


Perfect for: K–12 teachers new to AI who want realistic, classroom-ready strategies for using tools they already know and trust

Microsoft Learn for Educators

Platform: Microsoft Learn

Length: Varies by course (typically 1–6 hours per module)

Format: Self-paced learning paths with interactive content, videos, quizzes, and certification options


What You’ll Learn:

  • How to use key Microsoft tools like Teams, OneNote, Reading Progress, Immersive Reader, Flip, and more

  • Best practices for blended and remote instruction using Microsoft 365

  • How to integrate AI-supported features into your planning, grading, and student engagement strategies

  • Guidance on building future-ready digital skills for both teachers and students

  • Lessons on data privacy, digital citizenship, and ethical tech use in education


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Designed specifically for educators, school leaders, and support staff

  • Includes certification and digital badges that may count toward PD hours or CE credits

  • Offers learning paths tailored to K–12, higher ed, IT admins, and even parent-guardians

  • Content is frequently updated to reflect the latest Microsoft tools and classroom applications

  • Supports accessibility and inclusive teaching with Immersive Reader and Learning Accelerators


Perfect for: Any teacher or school team member looking to maximize Microsoft tools, build AI confidence, and earn recognized credentials along the way.

IBM AI Foundations for Educators (via SkillsBuild & MindSpark)

Length: 9 webinars (self-paced)

Format: On-demand video series + certification badge


What You’ll Learn:

  • How to explain foundational AI concepts like machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing

  • How to integrate AI into your lessons using hands-on tools like TJBot and Machine Learning for Kids

  • How to teach AI ethics, bias, inclusion, and real-world applications across subjects

  • Practical classroom strategies for design thinking, computational thinking, and career readiness

  • How AI is shaping the future of work, and how to prepare students for this transformation


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Created specifically for educators, with ready-to-use classroom activities and student projects

  • Covers cross-curricular strategies for ELA, STEM, social studies, and more

  • Helps you connect 21st-century skills to your existing curriculum

  • Earn an IBM AI Foundations for Educators badge upon completion


Perfect for: K–12 teachers ready to introduce AI concepts in an engaging, age-appropriate way and spark future-ready learning.

MIT’s “Introduction to Deep Learning”

Length: Self-paced (~10–15 hours)

Format: Lecture videos, assignments, labs, and coding exercises


What You’ll Learn:

  • Core principles of deep learning including neural networks, back-propagation, and optimization

  • How to build and train models for computer vision, natural language processing, and generative AI

  • Practical AI applications in healthcare, robotics, self-driving cars, and education

  • Use of tools like PyTorch for implementing real AI models (optional but available)


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Offers a college-level curriculum that's great for teaching AP Computer Science, AI electives, or STEM extensions

  • Includes coding labs and challenge problems to use with advanced students

  • Taught by MIT researchers, giving you access to cutting-edge content

  • Builds foundational knowledge that can be adapted into student-facing lessons or club activities


Perfect for: High school CS, STEM, or AP teachers looking to bring real AI rigor into the classroom.

FutureLearn’s “AI in Education” (King’s College London)

Platform: FutureLearn

Length: 3 weeks (2–3 hours/week, self-paced)

Format: Video lessons, scenario-based tasks, and active discussions


What You’ll Learn:

  • The fundamentals of AI and generative AI, explained in real-world education contexts

  • How AI is used in teaching, feedback, and assessment

  • Ethical dilemmas around bias, inclusion, and sustainability in AI tools

  • The evolving role of AI in shaping careers, curriculum, and learning goals


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Created for educators by education experts at King’s College London

  • Offers “try it out” activities and discussion prompts you can bring back to your own students

  • Helps you reflect critically on how AI fits in your own teaching practice

  • Provides a well-rounded, global view of how AI is shaping the future of learning


Perfect for: K–12 or higher ed teachers who want to think deeply (and practically!) about the impact of AI in classrooms and beyond

AI for Education: The AI Crash Course

Platform: AI for Education

Length: 2 hours

Format: Self-paced, hands-on video course with educator-focused activities


What You’ll Learn:

  • How to get started using ChatGPT as an educator (no tech background needed!)

  • Time-saving strategies for lesson planning, admin tasks, and feedback

  • Practical prompt engineering tailored to classroom use

  • Ethical do’s and don’ts of using AI in schools

  • How to safely and effectively introduce AI and ChatGPT to students

  • Access to a Prompt Library made just for teachers


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Super actionable, you’ll be using what you learn RIGHT AWAY

  • Created specifically for educators, tutors, and school leaders

  • Great for PD or staff-wide AI onboarding

  • Covers both teacher use and student-facing strategies


Perfect for: K–12 teachers, private educators, tutors, and school/district leaders who want to implement AI fast and responsibly

AI 101 for Teachers by Code.org, ISTE, ETS & Khan Academy

Platform: Code.org

Length: ~6 sessions (1 hour each)

Format: Self-paced video series with expert-led content


What You’ll Learn:

  • What AI is and how it’s already showing up in your classroom

  • How to responsibly integrate AI into teaching practices

  • How to identify and address bias in AI tools

  • Ideas for using AI to enhance student outcomes and support equity

  • How to begin teaching your students about AI


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Co-developed by trusted education orgs: Code.org, ISTE, ETS, and Khan Academy

  • Features top voices in education and AI

  • Doesn’t require any technical background

  • A great starting point for teachers feeling “AI-curious” but unsure where to begin


Perfect for: K–12 teachers of any subject looking for a solid, easy-to-digest foundation in AI for education

AI for Education (by Khan Academy + Partners)

Platform: Khan Academy

Length: Ongoing, self-paced

Format: Video series + ready-to-use lesson plans


What You’ll Learn:

  • What generative AI is, how it works, and how to teach it

  • Practical ways to integrate AI into classroom instruction

  • The ethics of AI, including bias, privacy, and fairness

  • How to guide students through complex AI topics like facial recognition, chatbots, and algorithms


Why It’s Great for Teachers:

  • Developed in collaboration with trusted education orgs: Code.org, Common Sense Education, aiEDU, and professors from Wharton

  • Includes a full collection of student-ready lesson plans on AI literacy

  • Explores real classroom applications with practical examples

  • 100% free and super easy to integrate into any subject

  • Ideal for launching a classroom discussion or even building an AI mini-unit


Perfect for: K–12 teachers who want to introduce AI concepts in an engaging, accessible way—no tech background required

How to Put It All Into Practice: Use What You Learn with TeachShare

We believe that taking an AI course is a great first step when dipping your toes into AI, but we all know as teachers that practice makes perfect, and applying it in real time is where the real value comes in. That’s why so many educators pair their AI learning with TeachShare, an incredible free platform built specifically to help teachers create, collaborate, and customize resources using AI.


Why TeachShare Is a Must-Have for Teachers Exploring AI:

  • Teacher-Centered Design: Built by teachers for teachers

  • AI Resource Generator: You can create full lesson plans, quizzes, rubrics, and vocabulary tools in seconds

  • AI Toolbox: Dozens of plug-and-play tools for instructional tasks, IEP writing, feedback, and more

  • Marketplace + Collaboration: Share and browse resources made by real educators

  • Differentiation Ready: Automatically customize content by grade level, standards, and student learning needs

  • Pricing: 100% free for teachers (Marketplace content may be purchased)



Final Thoughts: Learn Smart, Teach Smarter

AI isn’t just a faraway fantasy or something only the tech gurus know how to use. It's an incredible tool freeing up time for teachers, empowering YOUR instruction, and better supporting YOUR students. These 8 free courses give you the professional development you need to understand AI. But if you really want to put your learning into action, TeachShare is the platform to start with. Explore it for free today: TeachShare!

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page