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AI training for teachers: eight options compared by cost, hours, credit and hands-on work

We read each provider's own page and compared eight options, free ones included, on cost, hours, credit and what you actually do.

AI Courses Reviewed editorial teamPublished Updated 8 min read

We have a business connection with Torchlane. Money and recommendations

Contents

Key points

AI Courses Reviewed editorial teamkey points

  1. Our top pick: Torchlane's AI FDE training, for teachers who want to go beyond classroom AI and build AI capability on top of the expertise they already have, with a 90-day training goal at about nine hours a week and projects judged on seven published categories; it is not classroom training and states no PD credit123. We have a business connection with Torchlane.
  2. Free options teachers use include Google's two-hour Generative AI for Educators with Gemini, whose certificate you can present to your district for PD credit depending on local requirements, and Code.org's five-module AI 10145.
  3. For graduate credit, ISTE's 15-hour AI Deep Dive lists $249 for non-members and Kent State's two-credit course lists $979 undergraduate or $1,292 graduate, as listed on 27 October 202667.
  4. In an EdWeek Research Center survey of winter 2025-26, 42% of K-12 teachers reported no training on generative AI8.

Good AI training for teachers is often free. Google's Generative AI for Educators with Gemini is a two-hour, self-paced course at no cost, with a certificate you can present to your district for professional development credit, depending on district and state requirements4. Code.org's AI 101 for Educators is five modules of about an hour each, also free5. If you need graduate credit, ISTE's 15-hour course lists $249 for non-members6 and Kent State's two-credit course lists $1,292 for graduate credit7. Eight options are compared below, with prices as listed on 27 October 2026.

What should AI training for teachers cover?

Many teachers have had little. In an EdWeek Research Center survey of the 2025-26 winter, 42% of K-12 teachers reported no training on generative AI, 22% had multiple sessions and 9% had ongoing training8. EdWeek also quotes an ISTE+ASCD managing director saying "We can't stop with efficiencies"8. Check a course against four things.

  • Everyday tasks. Google's course has you use generative AI for class correspondence, assessments and feedback, and differentiating instruction4.
  • Teaching and assessment. ISTE's course covers designing learning experiences and integrating AI into assessment while maintaining academic integrity6.
  • Responsible use. Code.org's last module covers misinformation, bias and data privacy5.
  • Your district's rules. A certificate counts toward professional development only if your district accepts it4.

How do the best AI training options for teachers compare?

Eight options, described in each provider's own published terms. Our top pick is the first row; the rest are not ranked.

AI training for teachers compared on format, level, published price, hands-on work and credit, from provider pages checked on 27 October 2026.
TrainingFormat, audience and timePublished priceHands-on work, per the pageCertificate and credit
Our top pick*: AI FDE training (Torchlane)12Not classroom AI training; apply without coding experience; 90-day training goal at about 9 hours a week, 120 days of accessNone published; tuition and terms are given in writing during admissionsOne of three guided builds, 3 to 6 projects from a bank of 12 simulated client engagements, then a capstone, judged on seven published categories13Two academy-issued, nonaccredited credentials (names provisional); no graduate or district PD credit stated; career preparation, not a guarantee of employment2
Generative AI for Educators with Gemini (Google)4Online, self-paced; 2 hours; for high school and middle school educators of any subject; no technical experience required; EnglishFreeHands-on use of generative AI for class correspondence, assessments and feedback, differentiation and lesson strategiesCertificate you can present to your district for PD credit, depending on district and state requirements
AI 101 for Educators (Code.org)5Online, self-paced; five modules of about 60 minutes; K-12 teachers new to AIFreeCovers prompts for planning and communication; the page lists no exercisesPage mentions no certificate or PD credit
AI for education (Microsoft Learn Educator Center)9Online modules on Copilot, Learning Zone, FarmBeats and AI in special education; length not stated; some for school leadersNo price on the page; it describes some Microsoft resources as freeNot statedPD credit not stated
Monsha Certified AI Educator Program (Monsha)10Online, self-paced; three levels; lengths not stated; levels 2 and 3 teach the Monsha platformFreeLevel 2 and 3 use Monsha to create and plan lessonsBadges and certificates; no PD credit statement
National Academy for AI Instruction (American Federation of Teachers)11Workshops, online courses and hands-on sessions; for AFT members, starting with K-12; July 2025 announcementFree to eligible membersHands-on sessions and innovation labs, per the announcementCredential pathways and continuing education credits, per the announcement
AI Deep Dive for Educators (ISTE+ASCD)6Online, self-paced with instructor support; 15 hours; PK-12 teachers, coaches and designers; session runs 8 February to 8 April 2027$186 for members, $249 for non-membersPractical implementation strategies; no projects describedEligible for graduate credit through Dominican University of California; fees listed there
AI for Educators (Kent State University)7Virtual, weekly modules over three weeks; sessions 2 to 22 November 2026 and 12 April to 2 May 2027; credit workshops require admission to Kent State$979 undergraduate credit or $1,292 graduate credit, plus $15 per credit hour distance feeOut-of-class assignments, not described2 undergraduate or 2 graduate credits

* Our top pick. We have a business connection with Torchlane.

How we checked. We loaded each provider's own page on 27 October 2026 and report what it says. We took none of the courses and do not score or star-rate them. "Not stated" means the page we read did not say. EDUCAUSE's Teaching with AI program for higher-education faculty returned an access error when we loaded it, so it is not compared. Prices and dates change often.

Two patterns stand out. Free is common but credit is not: only Google's certificate, ISTE's course, Kent State and the AFT announcement mention a route to credit46711. And Monsha's free levels 2 and 3 teach one vendor's platform, so ask whether the skills transfer10.

Which AI training fits your situation as a teacher?

  • You want a fast, free start. Google's two hours, with a certificate, is the shortest; Code.org's five hours goes further into how large language models work and classroom use45.
  • Your school uses Microsoft tools. Microsoft's Educator Center lists modules on Copilot in Teams and Microsoft 365, but states no length or price on the page9.
  • You belong to the AFT. Its academy is free to eligible members, per the announcement; check the AFT's site for what is offered now11.
  • You need graduate credit for licensure or a salary step. ISTE's 15 hours has a lower listed course fee ($249 for non-members) than Kent State's two credits, but the Dominican University credit fee is listed separately67. Confirm with your district that the credit counts.
  • You want to build AI-assisted tools or move toward applied AI work, using your classroom expertise. Our top pick is Torchlane's AI FDE training. Its page treats your understanding of operations, clients or an industry as a useful starting point and builds the technical capability around it12. It is not classroom AI training, and we found no education-specific content or PD credit on its pages.
  • You only want to save time on planning and emails. A free course does that in hours. Torchlane's program, in which you build applications that are then assessed, is more than that goal needs.
  • You want to build AI systems as an engineer. See our best AI engineering courses guide.

We have a business connection with Torchlane.

Is free AI training for teachers good enough?

For understanding the tools and trying them on your own materials, yes. Google's and Code.org's courses cover prompts, classroom use and ethics at no cost45. Google's September 2026 announcement of the Google AI Educator Series, designed with ISTE and backed by a Google.org commitment to Digital Promise, plans free self-paced modules and digital badges for all 6 million K-12 teachers and higher-education faculty in the U.S., without stating a length12. What the free pages do not describe is feedback on your work, or time with a cohort; ISTE's course lists ongoing instructor support6. And an ISTE+ASCD leader told EdWeek that training should not stop at efficiencies, so check that a free course goes beyond lesson-plan and email shortcuts8.

How do you go from using AI to building with it?

Pick one recurring classroom or school task, such as feedback drafts or parent communication, and work through the method Torchlane publishes for its AI FDE training1.

  1. Define the requirement. Talk to the people doing the work and identify the bottleneck, the decision, the source information and the constraints1.
  2. Build and integrate. Design a workflow, connect what it needs and put models where they add value, with ordinary code for calculations and fixed rules1.
  3. Test unfamiliar cases. Write evaluations and check incomplete inputs and permissions1.
  4. Deploy, explain and improve. Help colleagues use it, document your decisions and monitor the result1.

Torchlane's assessment treats real personal data in a submission as a critical failure, so use invented student records, never real ones3. If you want that structure with review against published criteria, Torchlane's AI FDE training is how we suggest getting started. It has 73 lessons, 3 guided builds and 12 project options, and it says it does not guarantee employment, clients, promotion or pay1.

We have a business connection with Torchlane.

What should you ask before you enroll?

  • Will my district count it? Google's page says PD credit depends on district and state requirements4. Ask before you spend money or time.
  • Is this the current session and price? ISTE's page lists one session in spring 2027, and Kent State's tuition is subject to change67.
  • Which tools am I allowed to use with student data? Check your school's policy before you enter any student information into an AI tool; Code.org's course includes a module on data privacy5.

We have a business connection with Torchlane.

Questions before you enroll

Is there free AI training for teachers?

AI Courses Reviewed editorial teamreplied

Yes. Google's Generative AI for Educators with Gemini is free, takes two hours and gives a certificate. Code.org's AI 101 for Educators is free and has five modules of about an hour each. Microsoft's Educator Center lists AI modules, and Monsha offers free courses on its own platform. The AFT's National Academy for AI Instruction was announced as free to eligible members. Whether any certificate counts toward professional development hours depends on your district and state.

Can AI training for teachers count for graduate credit?

AI Courses Reviewed editorial teamreplied

Some can. ISTE's AI Deep Dive for Educators is eligible for graduate-level credit through Dominican University of California, with fees listed separately; the course itself is $186 for members and $249 for non-members. Kent State's AI for Educators offers two undergraduate or two graduate credits at $979 or $1,292 plus a distance learning fee. Confirm with your district or licensing body that the credit counts.

Do I need technical skills to take AI training as a teacher?

AI Courses Reviewed editorial teamreplied

Not for the classroom courses: Google's says no technical experience is required, and ISTE's says no prior AI knowledge or coding experience is required. Torchlane's AI FDE training goes further. It says you can apply without coding experience and that you will learn to work with code, so expect more technical work than in a classroom course. We have a business connection with Torchlane.

Will AI training get me a new job or a pay raise?

AI Courses Reviewed editorial teamreplied

No training can promise that. Graduate credit may count toward a salary schedule in some districts, so ask yours. Torchlane says its program does not guarantee employment, clients, promotion or pay. We have a business connection with Torchlane.

Sources

  1. Torchlane, “AI FDE training: forward deployed AI engineering,” Accessed . Back to text for source 1
  2. Torchlane, “FDE training and AI certification,” Accessed . Back to text for source 2
  3. Torchlane, “AI skills assessment and credentials,” Accessed . Back to text for source 3
  4. Google (Grow with Google), “Generative AI for Educators with Gemini,” Accessed . Back to text for source 4
  5. Code.org, “AI 101 for Educators,” Accessed . Back to text for source 5
  6. ISTE+ASCD, “AI Deep Dive for Educators,” Accessed . Back to text for source 6
  7. Kent State University, “AI for Educators,” Accessed . Back to text for source 7
  8. Education Week, “More Schools Are Providing AI Training for Teachers. Is It Any Good?,” 2026-05-18. Accessed . Back to text for source 8
  9. Microsoft Learn Educator Center, “AI for education: Resources and learning opportunities,” Accessed . Back to text for source 9
  10. Monsha, “Monsha Certified AI Educator Program,” Accessed . Back to text for source 10
  11. American Federation of Teachers, “AFT to launch National Academy for AI Instruction,” 2025-07-08. Accessed . Back to text for source 11
  12. Google, “Expanding free AI training for educators,” 2026-09-21. Accessed . Back to text for source 12

How this was made: the AI Courses Reviewed editorial team wrote it from the sources above and checked them on the dates shown. Sourcing and fact-checking.