How Korean teachers are embracing AI in classrooms to drive change

AI is a new language and partner that extends teachers’ expertise and opens up students’ potential. Microsoft believes that education begins through the countless everyday interactions between students and teachers. AI, as a supportive partner on this journey, saves teachers time, simplifies repetitive tasks, and empowers them to design immersive, student-centered learning experiences. 

Through a range of programs and resources, Microsoft supports educators around the world in using AI to help students build creativity and collaboration skills.  

Today, Microsoft illuminates five teachers from Korea who are actively putting AI-powered education into practice using Microsoft’s education tools. By integrating tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Minecraft, and Microsoft Learn into their lessons, they are creating more engaging, communication-centered classrooms while enhancing teaching efficiency.

Hyunsik Cho of Jugam Elementary School in Busan

“Technology isn’t here to replace teachers — it’s a tool that helps them be even better at what they do.” 

Hyunsik Cho teaches math at Jugam Elementary School in Busan. With over 20 years of experience working with children in elementary education, he also serves as a lead teacher, guiding fellow educators in AI. To him, the classroom is not simply a place to pass on knowledge, it’s a journey of discovering each child’s potential and finding paths to grow together. 

On that journey, AI is a trusted partner. Cho took part in the first cohort of Microsoft’s MAI Hero program, where he learned how to practically integrate AI and data into teaching. In the second cohort, he became an instructor himself, leading teacher training sessions and helping scale these practices in schools. He also spent a year as part of the World Mentor program, continuously exploring what it means to teach with technology. 

He believes that technology should never be a privilege for the few but a fair opportunity for all students. In his lessons, Cho uses tools like Power BI, Excel, and Minecraft to have students gather and visualize their own data, making AI concepts more accessible and engaging. 

“Students gather and interpret data, then build on the lesson with their own ideas. When I see them running up to me before the break is even over, saying let’s keep going, I can really feel the impact that technology is having on their learning. “ 

Recently, he has been actively using Microsoft Copilot to make his lessons more efficient. Tasks like creating slide decks, which once took him over five hours, can now be completed in under an hour, and it has also been a great help with tasks like arranging images and drafting lesson scripts. This frees up more time for him to focus on interacting with students and providing personalized feedback.

Cho is also committed to sharing knowledge with other teachers. He leads a study group focused on designing lessons with generative AI, and in collaboration with the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, he organizes teacher hackathons that encourage educators to exchange practical ideas and promote AI integration in their classrooms. 

He truly began to appreciate the value of technology when he experienced its impact on his own daily life. By tracking his health and daily rhythms, recording data, and observing small patterns over time, he learned to pay closer attention to his life in a more mindful and thoughtful way. 

That personal experience naturally carried over into his teaching. Rather than relying on intuition alone to understand his students’ needs, he started looking for data-driven approaches that would allow him to gain a clearer, more accurate understanding of their progress and well-being. 

“By looking at the students through data instead of relying on intuition, I began to see their hearts that were invisible before. Even those children who were hard to reach became easier to understand and support.” 

Through these efforts, he has become convinced that technology can serve as a meaningful channel to better understand and truly support students. He now embraces AI not just as a productivity tool, but as an additional educational language that connects with students and helps unlock their potential. 

Cho says he finally feels like he’s holding a “golden wand” that can lead a new kind of education. And every day, he steps into the classroom where technology and teaching come together, carrying that wand with him. 

Sangmin Lee from Jincheon Sangsan Elementary School in Chungbuk

“In the past, basic literacy skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic were essential, but moving forward, digital literacy—such as AI literacy—will become an indispensable skill.” 

Sangmin Lee, who teaches at Sangsan Elementary School in Jincheon, Chungbuk, began his journey as a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) about seven years ago. 

As a teacher, he has always approached change with an open mind and applied new ideas to his lessons. By introducing tools like Minecraft—often more familiar to students than teachers—into the classroom, he has worked to demonstrate that games can also be powerful educational tools. He believes that for classrooms to change, teachers’ mindsets must change first. 

Recently, he has been building a lesson ecosystem based on Microsoft 365, applying generative AI tools like Copilot to expand the possibilities of personalized learning. In particular, he is creating a structure where all learning experiences are connected through Microsoft Teams. 

“The greatest advantage of AI tools is their ability to personalize learning and open the door to mastery for every student. Lessons with AI feel like having an additional teaching assistant supporting you.” 

Lee believes that AI technology is the key to bridging educational gaps and providing fair learning opportunities for all students. Using AI-powered diagnostic tools, he precisely assesses students’ understanding and delivers personalized feedback in his lessons. 

When sharing the value of AI-driven education, he emphasizes the importance of highlighting the changes and experiences seen in students during class, rather than focusing solely on the technology’s capabilities. 

“Whether AI will uphold and enrich universal human values or deepen gaps and inequalities is still uncertain. That’s why I believe teachers have an even greater responsibility.” 

He helps children dream of a better society and prepare for that future through AI. 
In his classroom, students are gradually learning that AI technology can be a learning tool accessible to everyone. 

Nakyung Kim, Hyerim Park, and Jisoo Ha from Gunseo Future International School

Gunseo Future International School, located in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, is an IB World School that emphasizes student-led learning rather than textbook-centered instruction. Within this environment, teachers Nakyung Kim, Hyerim Park, and Jisoo Ha each teach different subjects and work in distinct settings, yet they share a common vision: embracing AI as a teaching partner and continuously expanding their language and perspective as educators.

“Thanks to AI, I’m now able to create lesson materials using language tailored to the students’ level.”

Nakyung Kim, who teaches lower elementary grades, uses Microsoft Copilot to organize materials in language that match her students’ understanding. To create “children’s language” rather than adult language, she simplifies complex content and carefully reviews often-overlooked assessment criteria to enhance the quality of her lessons.

“AI has become a tool that allows me to convey both inclusion and depth to my students.” 

Hyerim Park, a social studies teacher, says AI technology has helped her provide students with both empathy and depth. Teaching students from multiple countries, she uses Copilot to create learning materials translated into eight languages. Time spent interpreting advanced materials like research papers and statistics has been reduced to roughly one-tenth of what it used to be.

“Lessons I once prepared alone have now become a process I create together with AI.” 

Jisoo Ha, who teaches English, builds lessons around children’s songs that students enjoy singing along to. Previously, she spent a lot of time searching for songs that fit her lesson themes. Now, she designs her classes through conversational interactions with Copilot and even creates English chants together with the AI.

AI serves as a reliable partner for teachers, helping to create classrooms that support children’s growth and understanding. At Gunseo Future International School today, the language of lessons is carefully tailored to meet students’ perspectives, and lesson plans gradually take shape through ongoing chat with Copilot. Amid these changes, classrooms filled with students from diverse backgrounds are naturally blossoming with deeper understanding and acceptance.