The start of a new school year is just around the corner. With AI tools popping up all around them, teachers, students and schools are looking for support and direction to navigate the path ahead. Teachers themselves are finding their footing with new tools and also requirements. Students are asking for guidance as they move into an increasingly AI driven future. Schools want to provide consistency, integrated curriculum and vision to be sure that everyone is benefitting but also stays safe.

While a wealth of online resources like training modules, lesson plans, and skills checklists exist, a critical question remains: How do schools ensure this scattered information is sufficient, consistent with their unique curriculum, and aligned with their long-term vision?

To address this, we’ve taken a look at some of the programs out there and created a comparison chart to highlight the features of each.

Google for Education

Google for Education has a variety of resources and support for teachers and students. Although they have created some quality resources (lesson plans, guides) there is a lack of depth overall.. They have one course for teachers and the focus of their work is primarily on integration of Gemini. There are nods to ‘don’t forget to use it responsibly’ but sustainable use of AI is not a focus. These resources are geared towards individual teachers and not towards larger school development, strategic planning and cohesion.

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media has been in the digital citizenship arena for quite some time. They have two new resources for schools: an updated K-8 curriculum ‘Digital Literacy and Wellbeing K-8’ and ‘AI Literacy for Grade 6-12’. They have also developed an ‘AI Basics’ training programme for teachers. The nine AI lessons for Grade 6-12 are well-designed but not very rich in terms of activities. The AI lessons align with their other content. They are professionally presented and include some media and support resources. They are designed for a very broad audience and offer a good beginning but don’t go deep enough. They are not planned with the aim of integration into other topics/subjects and are stand-alone lessons.

Common Sense does offer some implementation support materials and ideas for school districts. They offer separate parent support articles in line with Common Sense’s other parent materials. One big missing piece from their offerings is sustainability and environmental impact. Notably there are no AI specific lessons for K-5 although some themes around bias and safety do come up.

ISTE

ISTE has also been in the digital citizenship market for a long time. Overall, ISTE has created some strong lessons in their AI booklets. The lessons are in depth and age appropriate. They have created two paid teacher training courses with certification which seem very comprehensive, but intensive in terms of time. The certification aspect of the courses means there is homework and a final project for submission which lends weight to their work. These are to be completed in a set time frame as they are graded and evaluated by ISTE instructors. Sustainability is notably missing in the course syllabus and in the free lesson booklets. The focus here is on individual teachers upskilling through paid certification or integrating the free lessons where relevant.

Overall Insights

• American-Based Approach: The programs are primarily designed with American school systems in mind but can be adapted.
• Depth vs. Breadth: ISTE provides the deepest and most structured educator learning; Common Sense Media offers breadth but less depth; Google is more tool-integrated but lacks strategic planning.
• Whole-School Strategy: Only ISTE and Common Sense offer planning tools at the school-wide level.
• Pedagogical Integration: ISTE leads in curriculum embeddedness; others offer more isolated or introductory materials.
• Certification & Training: ISTE stands out with project-based teacher certification.

All of that said, each of these have some gems in them that are worth investigating. The extra resources in the ISTE units are great (YouTube videos, TED talks, articles, and are all non-copyright) Some of the lesson plans from Google and Common Sense Media are heading in the right direction and offer some projects or hands-on ideas worth looking at.

Caution: PD from Tech Companies

A warning flag emerges here. Why would major tech companies invest so heavily in becoming professional learning hubs? The objective is not purely altruistic; it’s a strategic move to foster dependency and guarantee continued engagement with their products.

Before selecting one of these companies for your own professional development or that of your staff, ask yourself the following questions: Who authored these materials? Do the author(s) have a sound pedagogical background and long-standing experience? Is this a ‘quick-fix’ or will it lead to deeper understanding and development on a larger scale?

Schools should be very cautious and careful about who they choose as their AI professional development provider, and their AI curriculum provider. If the company also sells AI tools in addition to PD or curriculum, you might want to investigate further.

FariaLearn’s AI Academy

FariaLearn has partnered with Eblana Learning to bring you the AI Academy. The AI Academy is a comprehensive AI K-12 Curriculum and professional development offering. We partnered with Eblana Learning because they put educators at the heart of the AI conversation. They cut through the noise with clarity, discernment and pedagogical integrity, and have created the world’s first fully-articulated K–12 AI curriculum and 30+ professional development courses for leaders, teachers, students, parents and politicians. Their mission is to be the trusted source of research and guidance for schools worldwide; meeting schools where they are and helping them become AI-Informed, AI-Safe and AI-Empowered.

What the AI Academy Is Doing That These Other Organizations Are Not?

• Whole school approach which includes strategic planning for leadership, key questions and connection to mission and values of the school.
• Long-term planning– really moving the needle with training and pedagogy.
• In person training options.
• Deep experience with IB schools and international schools in general.
• Multi-layered, deep learning course modules which users can pick and choose from to personalize their path.
• School certification.
• Detailed lesson plans and support for teachers.
• Incredible curriculum that has both breadth and depth.
• SUSTAINABILITY: Ensuring that we take care of our planet.!
• Personalized approach which makes schools and teachers feel like they are supported and not doing it on their own or just ticking boxes.

As AI usage and capability increase, schools need more than one-off lessons, shiny tools, or generic training; they need a trusted partner who truly understands their context. FariaLearn, powered by Eblana Learning brings exactly that. With deep roots in IB and international education, their approach goes beyond surface-level awareness to deliver long-term impact through strategic planning, practical curriculum integration, and personalised support. From leadership vision to classroom delivery, we help schools build confident, future-ready communities grounded in ethics, pedagogy and sustainability. If you are looking to lead, not follow, in the age of AI, FariaLearn is the partner to get you there.