Teaching Students AI Literacy with TypeTastic’s Free Elementary Curriculum
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This article was sponsored by Taito Learning. The opinions expressed are my own.
Our students are growing up surrounded by technology, but knowing the ins and outs of using a computer isn’t the same thing as being digitally literate. If you’ve spent any time with elementary students in a classroom you’ve probably already realized this!
Being able to switch between apps and open YouTube does not automatically mean that a child knows how to navigate the internet safely. Or that kids understand how to recognize the potential dangers of technology. Just like using a chatbot does not mean that students understand AI – or adults for that matter!
I often find that while at first glance it appears my students are very familiar with technology, their knowledge of how to properly navigate it is quite the opposite! Understanding how to check your wi-fi network, type a URL into the browser, properly save a file, or troubleshoot a simple problem are skills that many students are still learning. Students may be completely comfortable picking up a tablet and opening their favorite apps, but that doesn’t mean they understand how to safely and effectively use technology. There’s a big difference between being comfortable with technology and being digitally literate.
AI Literacy – a New Challenge
AI has gone from something you hear about in movies to something you encounter every day – whether or not you realize it! In fact there are a lot of misconceptions about AI, even for adults! Our technology is changing every single day!
This creates a new challenge for teachers. And even more so for teachers that are not as comfortable in their understanding of artificial intelligence pros and cons. How do we prepare students to understand AI at an age-appropriate level when many of us are still learning about AI ourselves?
You start by using trusted resources. I am very happy to see this much needed addition to Taito Learning’s free resources. TypeTastic has recently expanded its free digital literacy curriculum to include AI Literacy lessons specifically designed for students in grades 3–5.
And if you’re still figuring out AI yourself, don’t worry! These lessons are designed to help you introduce AI concepts to your students even if you don’t feel like you quite “get” AI yet. You don’t have to worry about learning yet another software program!
If your students already love TypeTastic’s Diginauts – they’re back with more interactive lessons. This time they’re putting their AI knowledge to the test! Students help the Diginauts collect “information shards” so they can repair the robot.
I love that the lessons are gamified with a built-in goal for students to not only learn but to interactively collect things along the way. It makes it an automatic hit for my students. Students don’t just watch a video and answer questions. They have to interact with the lesson, move things around the screen and complete simple activities.
Anything that provides a game-based approach is an automatic hit with my students. Anytime you can truly get your students engaged, they’ll not only be more interested in participating, but they will remember more about what they learned.
What’s Included?
If you’re not familiar with TypeTastic beyond their free keyboarding lessons, they offer a free, game-based digital literacy curriculum with lessons covering:
- AI Literacy (Grades 3-5)
- Digital Citizenship (Grades K-5)
- Digital Literacy (Grades K-5)
- Computer Science (Grades K-5)
- Keyboarding (Grades K-12) – a long-time classroom favorite!
The goal isn’t simply to teach students how to use technology. Students need to develop the skills to consume digital technology appropriately while also building the critical-thinking skills they need to navigate an increasingly digital world. Regardless of a teachers technical background.
And now, that includes understanding AI.
What do Students Actually Learn About AI?
One struggle I’ve had with teaching students about AI is that it’s such a broad topic that I often don’t know where to start! I like that the AI Literacy curriculum isn’t just focused on how AI works. It actually covers a large range of topics while keeping the concepts age-appropriate for elementary students. Students are also introduced to the bigger questions surrounding AI that we still all struggle with – things like AI-generated content and the role of the human connection.
Students learn about:
- Algorithms and other AI vocabulary
- Machine learning
- The history of AI
- What generative AI is
- How AI “learns”
- AI-generated content
- Ethics and interacting with AI
- Human connection
You Don’t Have to Be an Expert
Knowing how to use an AI tool is one thing. But knowing when to question it, how to think critically about what it produces, and understanding that there are still humans behind the technology? That’s a whole different skill set. This curriculum gives teachers an easy place to start.
This AI literacy curriculum was designed with ISTE Standards, CSTA 2026 Standards and A14K12 in mind and also meet CIPA requirements for E-Rate eligible schools. And the great thing is that if you choose the TypeTastic School Edition, it syncs with both Clever and Google Classroom – both of which my school district uses. It’s also web based so you don’t have to worry about downloading software or dealing with district network restrictions either.
As you can see in the timeline provided above, AI is not a new concept. It has actually been around longer than many of us have been on this earth!
Most students are shocked when they learn that AI was around when their grandparents, and sometimes even their great-grandparents, were children.
That makes for a pretty great conversation starter. In fact that’s usually the first question I ask my students when we start this topic. You can quickly gauge their interest, and range of knowledge, when it comes to learning about artificial intelligence by engaging in a simple discussion. Sometimes students are scared of AI! And that’s exactly why I think AI literacy belongs in our classrooms.
Our students don’t need to become AI engineers in elementary school. But they do need to understand what AI is, how it works at a basic level, what it can and can’t do, and how to think critically about the information and content it produces. Because I guarantee you, they will come across it, and probably on a daily basis. AI may feel like something brand new to us, but the technology has been developing for decades.
Ready to introduce AI literacy for free in your classroom? TypeTastic’s new AI Literacy lessons for grades 3–5 are now available as part of its free curriculum. You can also find free teacher guides on their website as well.
