Building AI learning experiences for the next generation
When AI started appearing in student assignments, Alma Trejo decided not to fight the technology. Instead, she set out to learn it and teach others how to use it successfully.
Now, the Queretaro educator is creating customized AI learning experiences for dozens of students, preparing a new generation to work with AI instead of fearing it.
Through learning AI skills, Trejo developed an understanding of generative AI, prompt design, using Microsoft Copilot, and responsible AI practices. These skills are now reshaping the way Conarep, Mexico’s technical education system, teaches high school students math, programming, and digital literacy.
Trejo used Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is based on user content and context, in addition to other AI tools, to create academic agents tailored to the needs of 56 students. Agents help explain concepts, suggest exercises, review assignments, provide personalized feedback, and give students access to support beyond the classroom. There are also programming tutors for computational thinking and agents for digital culture and cybersecurity.
Trejo started taking Microsoft’s free training courses through Conalep, starting with basic sessions on AI for teachers, Copilot, Microsoft 365, and prompt writing. She completed a Microsoft course on Fundamentals of Generative AI two years ago, followed by courses on Cybersecurity and Professional AI Tools.
For teachers, the goal is to use AI as an ally to make learning more personal and accessible in communities with limited infrastructure and small computer labs.
“There is no excuse not to apply AI tools in education,” says Trejo. “If we don’t do that, we won’t be able to prepare them for the present and the future that they need to be in,” she added of the students.
The impact was almost immediate. Students who had previously submitted assignments they had trouble explaining began to arrive ready to discuss their ideas and reasoning. Students who rarely spoke during class became more engaged by using AI-powered learning tools to review concepts, strengthen understanding, and boost confidence.
Trejo, a mother of three with a background in mathematics and science, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in AI through a scholarship program supported by Conalep.
Meanwhile, by building AI-driven learning experiences today, teachers want to help shape the next generation of innovators creating tomorrow’s solutions.
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All videos are by Microsoft.
Juan Montes writes about how AI and digital innovation are reshaping industries and decision-making across Latin America and Canada. His reporting ranges from multinational companies deploying AI agents for executives to public school teachers deploying technology in their classrooms. Born in Madrid, he worked as a journalist in Spain and Guatemala, and was a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. You can contact him on LinkedIn.
Gustavo Lo Valvo is an editorial designer specializing in new storytelling formats. He is Professor of Media Design at the University of Buenos Aires and co-leads the design studio Lo Valvo Márquez Diseño since 2021. Previously, he was Design Director at Argentina’s newspaper Clarín, where he led innovations in visual architecture and journalistic storytelling across both print and digital platforms. You can contact him on LinkedIn.
