This 5-week online professional learning course, Using AI to Create Lesson Plans, was designed to address challenges consistently identified in national 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) reports. Evaluations of 21st CCLC programs show that while participation improves student outcomes in academics and engagement, many site coordinators report difficulty developing high-quality, standards-aligned lessons due to limited planning time and professional development support (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). These gaps highlight the need for accessible, job-embedded training that empowers coordinators to design purposeful lessons.

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The course structure reflects both Understanding by Design (UbD) and effective professional development principles. When designing this course, I began with the end in mind, aligning activities and assessments to authentic outcomes (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). In EDLE 5389, I learned that lasting instructional change happens when professional learning is sustained, active, and connected to relevant contexts (Gulamhussein, 2013). Each week in this course builds toward a culminating project where coordinators use AI tools to develop a seven-week lesson sequence. This design ensures participants gain not only technical proficiency with AI but also a deeper understanding of how to create meaningful, standards-aligned experiences for students.