AI literacy in the classroom looks like students practicing judgment, sense-making, and self-awareness while working alongside AI, not replacing thinking with tools. It emphasizes mindset before mechanics.

In this episode of Shifting Schools, Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman frame AI literacy through the BAKE Mindset:

Balance – Knowing when AI helps and when it doesn't
Adaptability – Updating learning practices as tools change
Knowledge Sharing – Making thinking visible and collective
Empathy – Designing learning with student experience in mind

How Does AI Change Research in Schools?

AI changes how research starts and what counts as learning.

Instead of:

Finding information
Rewriting sources
Formatting citations

Students now practice:

Comparing perspectives
Identifying bias and heuristics
Deciding what matters and why

Research becomes an exercise in judgment, not retrieval.

The episode traces this shift historically—from card catalogs to microfiche to Google—and positions AI tools as the next evolution rather than a rupture.

The conversation highlights several skills that remain human-led:

Judgment – Evaluating ideas, not accepting outputs
Question Formation – Using AI to clarify what to ask next
Bias Awareness – Recognizing anchoring and confirmation effects
Metacognition – Noticing learning gaps and strengths

AI supports these skills but does not perform them on a learner's behalf.

What Does "AI as a Co-Learner" Mean?

AI as a co-learner means:

Students remain responsible for decisions
AI offers scaffolding, variation, or clarification
Learning paths stay human-directed

This mirrors patterns already familiar in education, including IEPs, 504 plans, and differentiated instruction.

How Does AI Literacy Connect to SEL?

AI literacy intersects with social-emotional learning by strengthening:

Self-awareness of strengths and gaps
Confidence in asking questions
Comfort with uncertainty and revision

As students work with AI, they gain clearer insight into how they learn—not just what they produce.

Who Is This Episode For?

Classroom teachers rethinking research and assessment
School leaders shaping AI literacy strategy
Instructional coaches and curriculum designers
Educators focused on mindset, SEL, and learning design

Series Context

This episode is part of the BAKE Mindset series from Shifting Schools.

Ready to learn more:

https://www.shiftingschools.com/

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