List of Contributors xiii
About the Editor xvii
Preface xix

1 Integrating Distributed Cognition and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Frameworks for AI in Early Childhood Preservice Teacher Training: Toward a Culturally Responsive Educational AI (CREAI) 1
Rawad Chaker

1.1 Early Childhood Educators and AI Literacy: What Framework? 1
1.2 Distributed Cognition and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Toward an Integrative Framework for AI in Education? 2
1.3 AI as an Extension of the Human Mind: Theoretical Perspectives from the DC Paradigm 3
1.4 Using the DC Paradigm to Inform About AI Critical Integration 4
1.5 CREAI: Recommendations for AI Integration in Preservice Teacher Training 5
1.6 Conclusion 14

2 Fostering AI Literacy in Early Childhood: Designing Educational Activities for Preschoolers 21
Iro Voulgari, Elli Naoum, and Maria Sfyroera

2.1 Foundations of AI Literacy for Preschool Education 23
2.2 Crafting AI Literacy Learning Activities 27
2.3 Conclusion 36

3 AI in Action: Pedagogical Advice Using Artificial Intelligence as a Digital Resource in Early Childhood Education 41
Elyna Heinmae, Helin Puksand, and Kaire Kollom

3.1 Digital Competencies in Early Years Education 41
3.2 AI in the Context of Teaching and Learning in Early Years Education 44
3.3 Recommendations and Ideas for Teachers on How to Better Work with AI in Their Teaching 46
3.4 Discussion and Conclusion 52
3.5 The Estonian Context 54

4 Intelligent Learning: AI's Impact on Early Educational Strategies 59
Alessandro Bile

Introduction: The Role of Technology in the Education Process 59
4.1 The Biological Learning Process 60
4.2 AI Tools and Technologies in Early Education 63
4.3 Educators' Perspectives on AI in Teaching 67
4.4 Ethical Guidelines and Global Frameworks for AI in Education 71
4.5 Conclusion 72

5 AI in Teacher Education: Implications for Future Teachers 77
Luciana Kinoshita and Intissar Yahia

5.1 Teacher Challenges and a TE Model 78
5.2 AI Integration into Teacher Education Programs 81
5.3 From Theory to Practice: Bringing AI into the Classroom 86
5.4 Conclusion and Recommendation 87

6 Pursuing Information Literacy Using AI: An Activity Model Proposal to Explore Generative AI While Tackling Disinformation 92
Filippo Bruni and Emiliana Murgia

Introduction: Teaching Information Literacy in the Age of AI 92
6.1 Children and Information Access Challenges 93
6.2 Ethics and Digital Literacies for Children 94
6.3 Information Between Digital and AI Literacy 95
6.4 Generative AI: Concerns and Educational Opportunities 96
6.5 Best Practices: Media Literacy Index and the Finnish Case 98
6.6 The Key Role of Education Against Disinformation 100
6.7 Creating Content with AI to Tackle Disinformation: A Five-step Activity 100
6.8 Ready-in-5: Tackling Disinformation and Meeting Generative AI 101
6.9 Discussion and Conclusion 103

7 Developing a Parental Mediation Scale for Artificial Intelligence- supported Technologies for Children 107
Ali Ybrahim Can Gozum Introduction 107

7.1 Literature Review 109
7.2 Findings 114

8 Building AI Literacy from the Ground Up: A Holistic Approach to AI Integration in K-12 Education 131
Cristina Obae

8.1 Context 132
8.2 A Bottom-up Approach to AI 133
8.3 Teachers' AI Squad 133
8.4 Parents' Forum 136
8.5 Results 136
8.6 Conclusion 137

9 Shaping the Future of Education: AI-Driven Approaches for Primary Schools 139
Damian Maher, John De Nobile, Jose Hanham, and Alexia Maddox

9.1 Personalized Learning 140
9.2 Feedback 144
9.3 Chatbots 148
9.4 The Role of the Teacher 152
9.5 Conclusion 155

10 AI-driven Personalized Education: Adapting to Students' Learning Paces Through Interest Identification and Progress Monitoring 161
Rajul Kumar, Vishnu Teja Kandalam, and Goutam Das

10.1 AI-based Pedagogical Framework: Design and Implementation 163
10.2 Experimental Design and Key Findings 167
10.3 Recommendations and Future Work 170
10.4 Conclusion 170

11 Inclusive Education with AI: Supporting Special Needs and Overcoming Language Barriers 173
Alexandra-Emilia Forti?, Maria Villarroya Gaudo, Paulo Fazendeiro, Ernesto Exposito, and Nkanga Pedro

11.1 Gaps and Challenges in European Educational Systems-Insights and Analytics 174
11.2 Role of AI in Supporting Special Educational Needs and Overcome Language Barriers 175
11.3 Objectives of the Chapter 176
11.4 Structure Overview 176
11.5 AI Bias and Critical Thinking in Utilizing AI 176
11.6 Challenges in Educational Contexts and Accessibility 181
11.7 Visual Programming Applications for AI Education 183
11.8 Mapping Higher Education Experiences to Preuniversity Education 188
11.9 Conclusion 194

12 Ethics in AI: A Structured Approach to Teaching and Learning with AI in Ethical Contexts 201
Dr. Munir Moosa Sadruddin

12.1 Definition of AI 201
12.2 Importance of AIED 202
12.3 Applications of AIED 203
12.4 AIED and Ethics 205
12.5 Ethical Challenges 206
12.6 Data Privacy and Security Issues 206
12.7 Lack of Fairness 207
12.8 Lack of Transparency and Accountability 207
12.9 Inequity and Discrimination in Digital Practices 207
12.10 Existing Guidelines and Frameworks on AIED 209
12.11 Introduction to Nonuple+ AI Ethical Framework 210
12.12 Framework 210
12.13 Ethical Principles 213
12.14 Conclusion 216

13 New Times and New Challenges in Education: The Ethics of AI in Infant and Primary Education and Critical Thinking 223
Isabel Maria Gomez-Trigueros and Cristina Yanez de Aldecoa

13.1 AI, Generative AI, and Its Characteristics 224
13.2 Using AI and Machine Learning in Education 225
13.3 GenAI and Ethics in Education 226
13.4 Challenges and Opportunities in the Training of Infant and Primary Education Teachers with AI 227
13.5 Resources and Recommendations for Preschool and Primary School Teachers 228
13.6 Conclusion 231

14 Synthographies in the Classroom. Enhancing Visual Literacy with AI in ECEC and Primary Education 235
Lorenzo Manera

14.1 Text-to-Image Technologies: The Advent of AI-generated Images 235
14.2 From Photography to Synthography 236
14.3 AI Literacy in ECEC and the Reggio Emilia Approach 241
14.4 A Research Experience in Reggio Emilia 243

15 Navigating Trust and Transparency: The Role of XAI in Supporting Education and EU Regulatory Measures 248
Paul Hur and Marcus Kubsch

15.1 Background 250
15.2 Formal Regulations and Data Protection in the EU 253
15.3 XAI in Addressing Regulation Considerations 256
15.4 Conclusion 261

16 Harnessing AI for Inclusive Teaching: Professional Development Strategies for Early Educators 267
Arianna Marras, Fabrizio Fornara, and Angela Pasqualotto

16.1 The Role of AI in Education 267
16.2 AI Tools for Inclusive Teaching 269
16.3 AI and Inclusive Education: Aligning with UDL 277
16.4 AI and Teacher Training: Developing Skills for Responsible Use 279
16.5 Conclusion 283

17 Integrating AI into Pedagogical Practice: Professional Development Approaches for Educators 291
Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer, Samra Maqbool, and Sufyan Maqbool

17.1 The Role of AI in Modern Pedagogy and Case Studies 292
17.2 Key Competencies for AI-enabled Pedagogy in ECE 294
17.3 Professional Development Approaches 295
17.4 Challenges in AI Integration 298
17.5 Conclusion 301
17.6 Recommendations 301

18 Teacher Professional Development: Training Strategies for Effective AI Tool Usage in Early Education 308
Mirela C. C. Ramacciotti

18.1 Early Educators' Characteristics: Personal and Technical Aspects 310
18.2 Competence in Implementing Curricula and Programs 314
18.3 Early Educators and AI: Where Problems May Lie 317
18.4 Early Educators and Training: Where Opportunities May Ensue 320

19 The AI-empowered Teacher: Transforming Teaching Practices and Professional Growth 336
Christina Varnava Vasou and Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris

19.1 Challenges in Instructional Design for Primary Educators 339
19.2 Opportunities for AI in Enhancing Lesson Planning and Assessment 339
19.3 Addressing Challenges and Misconceptions About AI in Education 340
19.4 Recommendations for Creating an AI-friendly Educational Ecosystem 341
19.5 Practical Tools and Strategies for Lesson Planning, Assessments, and Rubrics 342
19.6 A Practical Toolkit for Educators: Integrating AI into Teaching Practice 343
19.7 Building the Educator's AI Toolkit: Grounded in Global Frameworks and Classroom Practice 344
19.8 Conclusion 348

Conclusion 353
Index 357