From Digital Literacy to Digital Fluency

As educators, we are constantly hearing about AI. It’s in the news, it’s in our software, and most importantly, it’s in the pockets of our students. But how do we move beyond just "using" tools to actually teaching children how to live alongside them responsibly?

I recently completed the Responsible AI Teaching course, a collaboration between STEM Learning and the Good Future Foundation. It’s a series of five "CPD Drops" whihc are short, practical audio/video modules designed to be listened to on the go.

The Motivation

This course wasn't built in an ivory tower.It was born from direct consultation with educators. Earlier this year, the Good Future Foundation conducted focus groups and a poll with primary and secondary teachers to understand their real-world needs regarding responsible AI teaching.
The insight was clear: teachers need guidance that is short, practical, and non-technical. They are looking for classroom-ready activities that move beyond abstract warnings to build genuine student agency. The resulting five CPD Drops being three for primary and two for secondary which are the direct answer to this call, providing a framework for teaching students to live alongside AI with confidence and care.

The motivation for taking this course was simple: I wanted to understand how to better prepare students for the "unsupervised environments" they inhabit when they leave our classrooms.

The Core Shift: Literacy vs. Fluency

The course opens with a powerful distinction that became my main takeaway:

• Literacy is knowing how to find information or use a tool.
• Fluency is the ability to adapt, question, and respond confidently to new situations.

In an age of invisible algorithms, fluency is what allows a student to ask: "Is this image real?", "Why is my feed showing me this?", and "Who owns the data I just typed into this chatbot?"

For Primary Educators

The first half of the course focuses on younger learners. I found the "Swimming Model" analogy brilliant: we don't throw kids in the deep end; we start with protection, move to coaching, and finally allow independent swimming.

• Oracy is a Safeguard: We can’t expect children to write about AI ethics yet, but they can talk about it. Activities like "Talk Circles" give students a safe space to vocalize where they see AI in their lives.
• Augmented Creativity: The course suggests we use AI to "augment, not diminish" imagination. One great activity was a "No AI / With AI" writing challenge to visually spot where an algorithm helps vs. where human originality is stronger.

For Secondary Educators

The latter half of the course shifts to secondary education, tackling the reality that teenagers are already heavy users of AI in spaces we can't monitor.

• The "Internal Compass": Since we can’t police their unsupervised use at home, our job shifts to being "human gatekeepers" who help them build an internal ethical compass.
• AI as a Career Companion: Instead of just fearing plagiarism, we can teach students to use AI as a "Critical Friend" or a "Tutor in your Pocket."

The Personal Impact: Confidence and Agency

For me, the course was an empowering experience. It reassured me that I "don't need to be an expert" in coding or data science to lead these discussions. Instead, my role is to act as the "human gatekeeper," modeling curiosity and guiding students to develop their own critical lens.

The single most useful idea is the concept of augmented creativity the goal is to support student imagination, not replace it. By implementing activities like the "swimming model" for scaffolding AI use, I feel equipped to manage the tension between leveraging powerful tools and ensuring students retain their independent problem-solving skills.

Get Ready for the Drops

This series is a vital resource for any educator looking to future-proof their students and their own practice. It provides the practical guidance needed to move the conversation beyond fear and toward responsible, confident engagement with technology.

Teachers who complete all five sessions will receive a certificate and a badge. Get ready for the first CPD Drop, coming soon via the Good Future Foundation community platform and the STEM Learning Community. Don't miss this chance to make the shift from digital literacy to digital fluency in your classroom.

Why You Should Take It

What I appreciated most was the practicality. This wasn't just theory; every module came with a "Drop" resource sheet full of classroom-ready activities, from "Concept Cartoons" for debating ethics to "Podcast Simulations" using tools like NotebookLM.

Final Verdict: This course offers a balanced, responsible approach to future-proofing our students. It empowers us to teach them not just how to use technology, but how to do so with agency, ethics, and resilience.