06/11/2025
AI literacy is really about three things: what you know, what you can do, and how you think about AI.
In other words the AI literacy trio: knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
In my book "AI in Teaching: Practical Strategies for Integrating AI in the Classroom", I break these down in detail, showing how teachers can grow their understanding and confidence step by step.
Just a quick note: the three elements of AI literacy, knowledge, skills, and attitudes, aren’t my own framework. They come from well-established definitions shared by organizations such as UNESCO and the European Commission, and TeachAI (see the guides featured below).
Every educator needs to develop all three.
1. Knowledge
Knowledge is the foundation. Understanding how AI works, how it’s trained, and where its limits lie.
2. Skills
Skills come next, from crafting good prompts to evaluating outputs, fact-checking, and designing lessons that make smart use of AI tools.
3. Attitudes
Then comes attitude, the mindset piece. You need curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn, unlearn, and explore what AI can (and can’t) do for teaching and learning.
In this post, I’m focusing on the knowledge part, because it’s where everything starts.
One of the best ways to build it is through credible, research-based guides. And I mean credible, because there’s no shortage of AI-generated “guides” online that do little more than repeat buzzwords.
In an age when anyone can publish content with a click, curating trustworthy resources has become just as important as reading them.
In my book, I also have a chapter called AI for Professional Development, where I list reliable guides, courses, and books that teachers can use to keep learning.
Here are a few of those trusted guides, some featured here for the first time (Link in the first comment)
1. Empowering Education Leaders: A Toolkit for Safe, Ethical, and Equitable AI Integration
A roadmap from the U.S. Office of Educational Technology for school leaders planning responsible AI use.
2. A Guide to AI in Schools: Perspectives for the Perplexed
Written by educators for educators, this guide clears up confusion and offers honest, classroom-level perspectives on AI.
3. AI Literacy: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate, and Use Emerging Technology
Digital Promise’s practical framework for building AI understanding and applying it in real learning settings.
4. Empowering Learners for the Age of AI
A joint European Commission and OECD framework that helps schools introduce AI literacy to younger students.
5. AI and the Future of Education: Disruptions, Dilemmas, and Directions UNESCO’s global look at AI’s role in education, urging balance between innovation and human-centered values.
6. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning
A U.S. Office of Educational Technology report offering research-based recommendations for integrating AI responsibly in schools.
