Home / Digital Citizenship / AI literacy
AI literacy for students
Students are already using AI. The question isn't whether to allow it, but whether they understand it. AI literacy means knowing what these tools actually do, where they go wrong, and how to use them without cheating themselves out of learning.
The one-sentence explanation
An AI chatbot predicts likely-sounding words based on patterns in text — it doesn't "know" facts or check truth. That's why it can sound confident and still be wrong.
What students should understand
| Concept | What it means for them |
|---|---|
| It can be confidently wrong | AI "hallucinates" — invents facts, quotes, and sources. Always verify. |
| It reflects bias | It learned from human text, so it can repeat stereotypes and blind spots. |
| It isn't private | Don't type personal info or others' data into it. |
| It doesn't replace thinking | Using it to skip the learning is cheating yourself, not just the rules. |
Honest use: a student-friendly line
Give students a clear test for when AI help is fair:
OK: using AI to understand, brainstorm, or get feedback on your own work.
NOT OK: having AI do the thinking a task is meant to build,
then turning it in as your own.
If you use AI, say how — one honest sentence. When unsure, ask.
This mirrors the teacher-facing policy in Responsible AI use & policy — keep the two consistent.
A 10-minute lesson that lands
- Ask the class a factual question, then ask a chatbot the same thing.
- Fact-check its answer together using SIFT — often it's partly wrong.
- Discuss: why did it sound so sure? What would happen if you'd trusted it?
- Co-write your class's "honest AI use" rule and post it.
Mind the age rules
Most general AI chatbots set a minimum age (often 13+) and aren't private. For younger students, demonstrate on your own screen rather than having them create accounts, and use only district-approved tools.