IBM International Foundation
Project Title
For funding teacher engagement to develop the Watson Teacher Advisor tool
Date
Mar. 03, 2016
Duration
6 months
Description
Learning from peers is widely acknowledged as a critical method for raising teacher quality, encouraging the sharing of instructional techniques and ideologies between and among teachers. Through peer-to-peer learning, teachers can receive focused classroom support, improve classroom practice, and gain support from an “expert” who understands the demands of the classroom. While the benefits of peer-to-peer learning are far reaching, structured opportunities to observe and learn from other teachers remains limited. This problem is compounded by a lack of tools designed to support teacher learning and help strengthen instructional practice. Teacher Advisor, powered by IBM Watson, will apply the power of cognitive computing technology to teacher professional development, providing teachers with an on-demand expert advisor and a resource for targeted strategies, lesson plans, and video demonstrations of expert teaching practices. The first release of Watson Teacher Advisor, scheduled for June 2016, will focus on Grade 3 mathematics. Funding from the Carnegie Corporation will support the design, implementation, and analysis of pilot testing with selected educators from multiple schools to gain insight into how teachers experience the features of Teacher Advisor, the likelihood of implementation of lessons/ classroom activities based on the guidance and support from the tool, and their judgments about the value if its guidance and support.