Reflections on Empowering Future Educators: The CT and AI Workshop at Azad College

It was an absolute privilege to spend time with the bright, young pre-service teachers at the Azad College of Education, Satara. Stepping into the classroom, I felt a wave of optimism. These are the individuals who will shape the minds of the next generation, and their willingness to embrace new paradigms like Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) was truly inspiring.

🚀 The Urgency of Computational Thinking

My core objective for the session was simple: to democratize technology. We focused heavily on the Commonwealth of Learning’s CT Course, not as a programming lecture, but as a framework for thinking. Watching the teachers grasp the concepts of Decomposition and Abstraction—and immediately see their applications in subjects like History or Language Arts—was the highlight of my day. This is the new literacy. Before students can code, they must think computationally. I believe this session laid a strong foundation for them to weave this crucial skill into their future K-12 classrooms.

👶 Preparing for the Techno-Savvy Child

The most engaging part of the discussion was on AI in Education. We talked about the students they will face in the near future—children who are growing up with smart assistants, personalized algorithms, and interactive tech from their KG years. These are not "digital immigrants," but native tech users.

My message to the future teachers was clear: Don't fear AI; master it.

• We explored how AI can be a powerful co-pilot, managing tasks like grading and lesson planning.

• More importantly, we discussed how they must be the ones to teach children the ethical use and critical evaluation of AI outputs.

The energy and insightful questions from the participants confirmed that they not only understood the challenge but were excited to step up and become techno-savvy educators themselves. It wasn't just a workshop; it was a collaborative glimpse into the future of Indian education. I look forward to supporting these educators as they begin their journey and implement these essential 21st-century skills.