Teachers are being told that students need to use AI responsibly, think critically and question what they see online.
But there is a much more practical question that often gets missed:
What does teaching AI literacy actually look like in a classroom that already has a completely packed curriculum?
That's something I recently discussed with educator and researcher Kelly Ilich on the Ed Disruptors Podcast.
Kelly has completed her PhD investigating teachers' capability to teach algorithmic literacy in Australian schools, and one of her findings really stood out to me:
Teachers already understand a lot more about algorithms than they think they do.
The challenge isn't necessarily that teachers don't care or don't understand.
It's often about time, resources and knowing how to turn a huge topic like AI literacy into something practical that can actually be taught.
What is AI literacy for teachers?
AI literacy for teachers isn't simply knowing how to use ChatGPT or another AI tool.
And teaching AI literacy doesn't mean adding an entirely new subject to an already crowded curriculum.
It is about helping students understand the technology that is increasingly shaping the world around them.
That includes AI, but it also includes the algorithms behind the platforms students use every day.
Think about what students encounter when they:
search on Google
scroll through social media
watch videos
use recommendation systems
interact with AI chatbots
receive AI-generated information
use platforms that personalise what they see
These systems are making decisions about what content is shown, recommended or prioritised.
Students need to understand that.
Algorithmic literacy goes beyond ChatGPT
When schools talk about AI literacy, the conversation can quickly become focused on generative AI and academic integrity.
Can students use ChatGPT for an assignment?
How can teachers detect AI-generated work?
How do we stop students misusing AI?
These are valid questions, but they aren't the whole conversation.
Algorithmic literacy asks students to look more closely at the systems influencing their digital experiences.
Why am I seeing this?
Why was this recommended to me?
Who benefits from keeping me engaged?
What information is the system using?
What might I be missing?
And can I trust what I'm being shown?
These questions build a much broader form of digital literacy.
Teachers don't need to become AI experts overnight
One of the most encouraging points from my conversation with Kelly was the idea that teachers may already have more knowledge to draw on than they realise.
Teachers don't necessarily need to become programmers or AI researchers before they can start teaching algorithmic literacy.
They can begin with the questions they are already asking students in their subjects.
For example, a Humanities teacher might ask students why one source appears more prominently than another.
An English teacher could explore how persuasive or personalised online content influences an audience.
A Science teacher could discuss how students evaluate evidence and distinguish reliable information from unsupported claims.
A Media teacher could explore how algorithms influence what audiences see.
The subject doesn't have to change.
The questions can change.
How algorithms shape what students see
Students can spend hours online without necessarily thinking about why they're seeing the particular content in front of them.
A social media feed isn't simply a neutral window into the world.
Search results aren't necessarily a complete representation of everything available.
Recommendation systems are designed to predict what content a person is likely to engage with.
And AI systems can generate information that sounds convincing without necessarily being accurate.
That creates an important opportunity for teachers.
Instead of simply telling students to "be careful online", we can teach them to become more curious about what they're being shown.
Why this?
Why me?
Why now?
Who created it?
What is the source?
What might the algorithm be trying to achieve?
Those questions are useful far beyond one particular platform or AI tool.
AI literacy can strengthen critical thinking
One of the biggest reasons I think algorithmic literacy belongs in schools is because it connects directly to critical thinking.
Students are constantly making decisions about information.
They see headlines.
They watch videos.
They encounter influencers.
They receive recommendations.
They use search engines.
They ask AI chatbots questions.
The ability to pause and question what they're being shown is becoming increasingly important.
AI literacy shouldn't simply teach students what buttons to press.
It should help them develop the habit of thinking before accepting an answer.
That means asking:
Is this accurate?
What evidence supports it?
Who created it?
What might be missing?
Can I verify it somewhere else?
That is a skill students can carry with them long after they leave school.
What can Australia learn from Finland?
Our conversation also explored Finland's approach to media literacy and what Australia could learn from it.
The broader lesson is that media literacy doesn't have to sit in isolation.
It can be developed across education, giving students repeated opportunities to question information, understand media and think critically about the digital environments they are part of.
That's particularly relevant now that AI is making it easier to create convincing content at scale.
Students don't just need to know how to use technology.
They need to understand the systems behind it and become more thoughtful consumers of information.
AI companions need to be part of the conversation too
Another area that can't be ignored is AI chatbots and relationships.
Students aren't only using AI for schoolwork.
Some are using chatbots for conversation, advice and emotional support, and some are developing relationships with AI companions.
That raises completely different questions around trust, privacy, reliability and wellbeing.
If we're teaching students how to navigate AI responsibly, these conversations need to sit alongside discussions about prompting and academic use.
Otherwise, we're only teaching students about one small part of the technology they are actually encountering.
Start with questions, not another subject
If you're a teacher wondering where to begin with AI literacy, I don't think the answer is necessarily another thing to add to your workload.
Start with the questions.
When students encounter information online, ask them to question it.
When they use an AI tool, ask them to evaluate the response.
When they see something in their feed, ask why that particular content might have appeared.
When they use a search engine, ask what might be missing from the results.
When they encounter a convincing image or video, ask how they could verify it.
These small moments can build something much bigger over time.
From "How do we stop AI misuse?" to "How do we prepare students?"
For me, one of the biggest takeaways from this conversation was the shift in the question we should be asking.
Instead of only asking:
"How do we stop students misusing AI?"
We should also be asking:
"How do we prepare students to think for themselves in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms?"
That shift changes the conversation.
It moves AI literacy away from simply policing technology and towards preparing students for the world they are actually going to live and work in.
Teachers don't need to have every answer.
They need practical ways to help students ask better questions.
And that's a very good place to start.
Teaching AI literacy in your school
This is the kind of practical AI literacy conversation I work with schools on through student presentations and workshops.
My Truth or Algorithm presentation helps students question what they see online, explore AI-generated content and build practical critical thinking skills.
Other sessions explore AI more broadly, including how students can use AI responsibly and understand the technology shaping their everyday lives.
Because AI literacy isn't just about teaching students how to use AI.
It's about helping them understand it, question it and think for themselves.
