Digital/AI Literacy

Read more about students’ ability to use technology, including artificial intelligence, to discover, evaluate, and utilize information

Explainer

Ava reads at Indian Run Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio. The school integrates iPads, laptops, and books into reading time.
What Is Digital Literacy?
For educators, digital literacy means much more than learning to read online. Here's a guide to understanding it.
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Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, speaks remotely during a Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, speaks remotely during a Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Sept. 23, 2026. Another meeting that took place at the General Assembly focused on AI safety for children. Erin Mote, a former school leader, participated and discussed the importance of tackling the challenge globally.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
Artificial Intelligence Q&A An Educator Banned Social Media in Her School Years Ago. What About Banning AI?
An AI safety expert and former educator spoke at a UN meeting about AI safety. This is what she said.
Alyson Klein, September 25, 2026
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5 min read
Dr. Jennifer Watters, center, elementary teacher with 18 years of experience, speak to other teachers during an exercise at the first training session of the National Academy for AI Instruction on March 18, 2026, at UFT headquarters in New York City, NY. The partnership between the American Federation of Teachers and major AI developers aims to train 400,000 teachers to use artificial intelligence in the classroom.
Jennifer Watters, center, an elementary school teacher, speaks to other teachers during an exercise at the first training session of the National Academy for AI Instruction on March 18, 2026, at UFT headquarters in New York City. A new survey shows how teachers and parents feel about AI education.
Salwan Georges for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Educators Feel Confident They Can Teach About AI. What Do Parents Think?
A new study shows the resources educators are using to learn how to teach about AI.
Jennifer Vilcarino, September 9, 2026
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3 min read
Collage image of a person holding a magnifying glass, standing on a head with a digital grid representing the brain. Voice/conversational bubbles in the background.
Liz Yap/Education Week + Getty
Artificial Intelligence Opinion ‘Just Say No’ Didn’t Keep Teens Off Drugs. It Won’t Work for AI, Either
Do you hate AI? That’s all the more reason to teach AI literacy.
David Nurenberg, September 3, 2026
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5 min read
Social Studies teacher Simon Sharick supervises students at the Plymouth High School in Ohio on how to properly prompt the Gemini Ai App to get their desired information. Students were using the Gemini App for the first time on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026.
Students in a social studies class on Aug. 28, 2026, at Plymouth High School in Plymouth, Ohio, learn how to properly prompt Google's Gemini chatbot to generate useful and accurate information. In August, Google made Gemini available to K-12 students of all ages. <br/>
Ruddy Roye for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Schools Caught Flat-Footed After Google Makes Gemini Chatbot Available to All Students
Schools wrestle with the question of whether to permit or prohibit access to the AI chatbot.
Grace Jiang, September 1, 2026
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5 min read
Teachers work with A.I. on their laptops during the Charleston County School District Charleston Educator Symposium on July 22, 2026, in North Charleston, S.C. Districts still provide most of the teacher training in A.I., but a national teachers' college group wants to create more comprehensive training.
Teachers work with artificial intelligence on their laptops during the Charleston County School District Charleston Educator Symposium on July 22, 2026, in North Charleston, S.C. Districts still provide most of the teacher training for AI use in the classroom, but a national teachers' college group says preservice programs need to think through their approach to the subject, too.
Mic Smith/AP
Teacher Preparation How Should AI Shape Teacher Education?
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education outlines a framework for the future.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 26, 2026
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3 min read
Image of a keyboard, flashcards, and a quote box.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
Artificial Intelligence Data How Teens Are Using AI: Key Takeaways for Educators
Two recent surveys provide insights on teens' views of artificial intelligence.
Lauraine Langreo & Laura Baker, August 26, 2026
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4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion ‘Autopilot Is the Enemy’: Why You Should Shake Up Your Stale Classroom Script
Lisa Delpit and Christopher Emdin explain how to bring more agency and energy into teaching.
Larry Ferlazzo, August 19, 2026
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6 min read
A group of 98 high school students representing all 50 states who spent three days in Boston creating, debating, and voting on a framework for what they believe AI use in schools should look like.“America’s Youth AI Festival,” took place July 17-19 and was hosted by nonprofit Day of AI; MIT RAISE; AASA, The School Superintendents Association; and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate.
A group of 98 high school students representing all 50 states spent three days in Boston July 17-19 creating, debating, and voting on a framework for what they believe AI use in schools should look like. Some experts say educators should get students more involved in helping craft AI policies for schools.
Eric Haynes/Edward M. Kennedy Institute
Artificial Intelligence Students Created a National AI Policy Framework. Here’s What It Includes
Nearly 100 students from across the country collaborated to set guardrails around AI use in schools.
Lauraine Langreo, August 7, 2026
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8 min read
Benjimon Kelly, center, a 19-year-old industrial maintenance student at Texas State Technical College, speaks with WSP recruiters Jeff Caraway, right, senior VP project management, and Charles Schoubroek, left, department manager Texas region, during a spring job fair at the campus in Red Oak on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Teens share how they feel about AI impacting the job market, a new survey shows.
Benjimon Kelly, center, a 19-year-old industrial maintenance student at Texas State Technical College, speaks with recruiters during a spring job fair at the campus in Red Oak on March 24, 2026. High school and college students are increasingly concerned about the impact AI will likely have on their future job opportunities.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
College & Workforce Readiness How Well Are Schools Preparing Students for an AI-Driven World? Teens Weigh In
Most teens say they learn best when they can apply what they're learning to real-world situations.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 31, 2026
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2 min read
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Hundreds attend the ISTELive 26 + ASCD annual conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. on June 29, 2026. Some educators at the conference discussed how they introduce AI to elementary students, breaking down specific lessons to illustrate the technology's potential and limitations, and boost students' AI literacy.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Lessons on AI for Elementary Students: 'Teach Them Good Habits Now'
Teachers want to help their youngest students become familiar with AI's potential—and its limits.
Arianna Prothero, July 8, 2026
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7 min read
Illustration of four shrinking human brains with a circuit board texture and binary code in the background.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Artificial Intelligence 3 Ways Teachers Can Help Students Think Critically About AI
Student use of AI should always end with human reflection and analysis. Here's how to do that.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 8, 2026
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3 min read
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Attendees at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD annual conference listen as Kate Meyer, left, an English teacher and instructional innovation coach for the Mount Desert Island, Maine, school district, discusses how she and other Maine educators are addressing teachers' concerns about AI use. Meyer and colleagues presented at the conference, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on July 1, 2026.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence How Educators Can Encourage AI Skill-Building Without Being Tech Cheerleaders
State education leaders outline how they've tried to ease anxieties about the fast-evolving technology.
Lauraine Langreo, July 1, 2026
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3 min read
Tight crop of a white computer keyboard with a cyan blue button labeled "AI"
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Staffing, Mentoring, Strategy: Can AI Solve Big Problems at School?
One of the sessions at the ISTE conference focused using AI for strategic questions facing schools.
Arianna Prothero, June 30, 2026
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5 min read
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Roberta Freitas presents at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 29. Freitas spoke about the concept of unplugged AI, in which educators teach students about the fundamentals of the tech without immersing them in it.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A How to Use Paper to Teach About AI and Cutting-Edge Tech
Low-tech activities can help students develop a richer understanding of implications and mechanics of AI.
Arianna Prothero, June 30, 2026
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3 min read