AI literacy is becoming an essential literacy for today’s learning. As the Digital Promise guide explains, becoming AI literate equips learners “with essential skill sets to responsibly use emerging technology for the good of society throughout their lives and in the workforce” (Digital Promise, p. 4).
I recently finished reading the Digital Promise guide on AI literacy, and several parts of it really resonated with me. To capture these insights in a way that educators can quickly grasp, I created a visual explainer that highlights how AI literacy connects to four foundational literacies:
- Computational Thinking
- Data Literacy
- Digital Citizenship
- Media Literacy
These literacies are not separate silos but interwoven strands that make AI literacy possible. For example, computational thinking helps us break problems into smaller steps and understand the logic behind algorithms.
Data literacy sharpens our ability to collect, interpret, and question data sets, skills critical when working with AI. Digital citizenship ensures responsible and ethical engagement with technology, while media literacy helps learners evaluate content and detect bias, persuasion, or misinformation.
The challenge in creating the visual was space: the framework is detailed, but I wanted to keep it teacher-friendly and usable. That meant being very selective about which skills and examples to include while still showing the key connections. My hope is that the visual captures the essence of the framework and offers a practical entry point for teachers, trainers, and PD facilitators.
Of course, the visual is only a snapshot. I highly recommend reading the full Digital Promise guide, AI Literacy: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate, and Use Emerging Technology, for a deeper dive. It’s a rich resource for anyone thinking about how to prepare students for a future shaped by AI.
To make things easier, I’ve also prepared a free PDF version of the poster. Feel free to use it in your PD sessions, workshops, or classrooms.
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