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.
View Explainer
Thu., December 10, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET
Teacher Preparation K-12 Essentials Forum Preparing Teachers for an AI-Heavy World
Join this free virtual event tackling critical questions about how to prepare teachers to use AI responsibly and effectively.
Register
December 10, 2026
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Letter to the Editor Students Need Data and AI Literacy
Students need opportunities to develop it, says this letter to the editor.
October 30, 2026
•
1 min read
A screen displays guidelines for using artificial intelligence above a portrait of Ernest Hemingway in Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.
A screen displays guidelines for using artificial intelligence in Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. Tip for educators teaching digital literacy to young learners.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Classroom Technology 3 Ways to Build Elementary Students' Digital Literacy Skills
Teachers suggest age-appropriate ways to talk about computers, the internet, and artificial intelligence.
Jennifer Vilcarino, October 20, 2026
•
3 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Whitepaper Leading AI in Schools: 5 Practical Steps for Educators
School leaders do not need all the answers to start using AI responsibly. Learn how to build governance, AI literacy, and educator practice.
Content provided by Lift with Boys Town
102026 opinion Wineburg AI media literacy
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Artificial Intelligence Opinion Think Your Students Know More About AI Than You Do? Read This
Here are four things your students don’t understand about AI—and what you can do about it.
Sam Wineburg & Nadav Ziv, October 7, 2026
•
4 min read
Washington, DC - October 5, 2026: Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the American Psychological Association speaks during the discussion. The OpenAI Forum hosted a panel on Responsible AI for Teens, how AI can support teens’ learning while promoting safe, healthy use. The program featured an OpenAI Forum panel with experts in learning, adolescent mental health, and family and online safety: Kate Ruane, Director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, Chuck Melley, SVP of Policy, Advocacy and Communities at CodeAI, Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the American Psychological Association and Mathilde Cerioli, Chief Scientist at everyoneAI. Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, moderated the conversation and shared context on ChatGPT for Teens, a learning-first experience launched in August and designed to help teens think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence.
Arthur C. Evans, Jr., the CEO of the American Psychological Association, speaks on a panel at an Oct. 5, 2026, OpenAI forum on how to support responsible use of AI among teenagers.
Sarah Voisin for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence At OpenAI Forum, Discussion Focuses on Stronger Teen Safety Measures
Panelists put forward ideas on how to incentivize industry to develop responsible products.
Lauraine Langreo, October 5, 2026
•
4 min read
Science Spotlight From Coding to AI Literacy: Rethinking Computer Science Across K-12
Explore how districts can build more inclusive computer science pathways while supporting the teachers who make them possible.
October 1, 2026
Collage of student hands working on a laptop with half of a teacher's face looking at the screen. The eye is ominous as it is bright blue, while the teacher is otherwise dark in the shadows. There is a red alert symbol on the student's laptop. All is against a yellow background with a subtle binary code and broken glass texture on top.
Illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Getty
Artificial Intelligence How AI Suspicions Are Undermining Student-Teacher Relationships
A new report highlights how AI can fuel mistrust—and how educators can fix it.
Arianna Prothero, September 30, 2026
•
5 min read
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
4 min read