AI Literacy

Module Learning Targets:

Understand the role of artificial intelligence in K–12 education and instructional practice
Learn how to ethically and effectively integrate AI tools to enhance teaching and support student learning

Module Success Criteria:

Create and implement a lesson that includes an AI integration component aligned to instructional goals
Articulate your understanding of AI’s instructional use, including benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations

Discover

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already reshaping how we live, work, and learn—and classrooms are no exception. As educators, understanding AI is no longer optional; it’s essential. While AI is not new, its rapid integration into tools like ChatGPT, MagicSchool, and Brisk are transforming the way we plan, differentiate, assess, and create. This module is designed to help you build foundational AI literacy as a teacher—so you can use these tools effectively, ethically, and strategically to enhance student learning.

But what is AI, really? And what does it look like in a K–12 classroom?

Watch the videos and explore the resources below to build your understanding of how AI works, where it shows up in education, and what opportunities and challenges it presents for teachers and students.

Understanding AI and Its Role in K–12 Education

“Purposeful Tech. Empowered Learners.”
Beaumont USD believes that when used purposefully, AI has the power to remove learning barriers, differentiate instruction, and help all students succeed. But to use AI effectively in the classroom, educators must first understand what AI is—and what it isn’t.

This module builds your foundational AI literacy as a teacher. You’ll learn how AI works, explore how it can support instruction, and review district expectations for responsible use. Just as with any instructional tool, effective use depends on thoughtful planning, ethical awareness, and a clear understanding of your students' needs. As you go through this discover section think about the following question: What excites or concerns you most about using AI in your role?

What Is Artificial Intelligence? (And What Isn’t It?)

AI (Artificial Intelligence) refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence—like recognizing patterns, generating text, or translating languages. It's already in many of the tools we use: predictive text, Google Translate, voice assistants, and even online shopping.

But AI is not magic. It’s not alive, smarter than humans, or meant to replace teachers. It’s a tool—just like a calculator, whiteboard, or Google Docs—and it’s only effective when used with clear purpose.

🧠 Key Terms to Know:

Generative AI – creates new content (e.g., Brisk, ChatGPT, Gemini, image generators)
Predictive AI – makes suggestions or decisions based on existing data (e.g., Netflix, Amazon, adaptive software)
Machine Learning – AI that improves over time by identifying patterns in large datasets

Now take some time to read the article below. As you read, consider: How does this article influence the way you think about teaching students to use generative AI responsibly, and what guidance or boundaries might you need to put in place in your own classroom?

Parents' Ultimate Guide to Generative AIParents' Ultimate Guide to Generative AI - Learn more and get Common Sense Media's research-backed tips.

AI in the Classroom: What It Looks Like

In Beaumont USD, we believe technology should be used purposefully to empower learners, remove barriers, and deepen understanding. Artificial Intelligence, when used intentionally, has the power to transform instruction—not by replacing teachers, but by enhancing what’s already working in the classroom.

AI is already helping educators across grade levels and content areas to streamline their work and better meet the diverse needs of students. Used wisely, it becomes an instructional partner—one that saves time, supports differentiation, and encourages creativity.

Here are just a few ways teachers in Beaumont are already integrating AI:

Save Time – Teachers are using AI tools to draft parent communications, create rubrics aligned to standards, generate exit tickets, and plan differentiated small-group lessons—freeing up precious time for meaningful student interaction.
Differentiate Instruction – AI can suggest leveled texts, modify directions, or adapt language complexity for multilingual learners. Teachers still vet and adjust outputs, but the heavy lifting of initial adaptation is done in seconds.
Support Creativity and Student Voice – Some teachers use AI to help students brainstorm ideas for projects or explore new ways to express understanding. For example, students might use an AI art tool to visually represent a theme in literature, or a language tool to draft dialogue for a historical character.
Enhance Lessons – Whether generating real-world math problems or developing reteach examples, AI can help teachers tailor instruction for student readiness and interests.

Explore so classroom examples below, and think about how you might effectively use AI to support student learning in your classroom.

Elementary AI Examples:

ELA – 2nd Grade
A teacher uses Brisk AI to generate a list of differentiated sentence starters and vocabulary scaffolds for students responding to a reading comprehension question. This supports ELL students and struggling writers during a writing task aligned to RL.2.1 (Ask and answer questions about key details in a text).

Math – 4th Grade
During a fractions unit, the teacher uses Brisk AI to quickly create a reteach handout and practice problems aligned to CCSS.Math.Content.4.NF.B.3. The teacher uses the AI-generated content to support a small group who didn’t demonstrate mastery on a formative quiz.

Science – 5th Grade
Students use an AI image generator (e.g., Canva, Padlet) to create visual representations of the water cycle after learning key vocabulary. The teacher prompts students to critique the AI-generated diagrams to reinforce conceptual accuracy and build critical thinking.

Secondary AI Examples:

History – 8th Grade
A teacher asks ChatGPT to create 3 levels of guiding questions for analyzing primary sources on westward expansion. Students work in mixed-readiness groups using leveled prompts, allowing access to historical thinking regardless of Lexile level.
English – 10th Grade
Students are allowed to use an AI tool to generate a draft outline for a literary analysis essay. The teacher requires students to annotate how they modified the outline and reflect on its strengths/weaknesses in a writing journal—embedding AI use into metacognition and academic honesty.
Biology – 11th Grade
During a genetics unit, a teacher uses Gemini to generate practice quiz questions based on student misconceptions from a recent formative assessment. The AI helps quickly create personalized review questions targeting areas of struggle—saving time and improving reteach alignment.

Understanding Open vs. Closed AI Tools & Student Privacy

Not all AI tools are created equal, especially when it comes to data privacy and security. When using AI tools in education, it’s critical to understand how those tools handle the data you enter, especially when that data involves student work, personal information, or internal district materials.

Closed-Source AI Tools

Closed Data Use (Enterprise Accounts or Paid Education Versions)

When using AI tools with a district enterprise license or education account, your data is typically not used to train the AI. The tool treats your input as private, used only for that interaction unless explicitly permitted otherwise.

Examples:
- Google Gemini (with district Workspace for Education account)
- Brisk Teaching (District Purchased Account)
Good for: Planning lessons, creating rubrics, differentiating content—safely within district privacy parameters

Open-Source AI Tools

Public or Free Use (Consumer Accounts)

When using a free or personal account (e.g., ChatGPT Free, Bard via personal Gmail), your input may be used to train and improve the model. This means your prompts and data can be stored, reviewed, and even influence future AI outputs.

Risks:
- Anything you type is not private
- Do not enter any personal information about you, students, or staff including names, IEP data, grades, or internal documents
Examples:
- ChatGPT (Free or Plus)
- Google Gemini via personal Gmail
- Any AI tool without a privacy policy or enterprise agreement

🛑 Never input personally identifiable information (PII)—such as student names, IEPs, grades, or discipline records—into any AI tool unless it is on the district’s approved tool list and verified as privacy-compliant.

At Beaumont USD, we believe in leveraging AI to empower both teachers and students—when used purposefully, ethically, and with clear expectations. Our district has developed specific expectations around when and how AI tools may be used, and it's essential for educators to understand both the opportunities and the limitations. Please review the below Beaumont USD Guidelines for Responsible Use, and think about how you will use these to set clear AI classroom expectations.

Beaumont USD Guidelines for Responsible Use

For Teachers

Lesson Planning & Content Creation
Generate rubrics, aligned lesson plans, or question sets tailored to different readiness levels.
Differentiation
Adapt materials for multilingual learners or students with IEPs by modifying language complexity, formatting, or scaffolds.
Administrative Efficiency
Draft parent emails, newsletters, or permission slips quickly using approved tools like Gemini or Brisk.

For Students (when explicitly approved by the teacher)

Idea Generation & Brainstorming
Use AI to help brainstorm project topics, outline essays, or explore different perspectives.
Language Support
Use AI-powered translation tools to better understand grade-level content.
Media Creation & Enhancement
Use AI tools to support visual or audio expression (e.g., generating background images, improving pronunciation with text-to-speech).

Prohibited Uses of AI in Education

To maintain academic integrity, protect privacy, and support equitable access, Beaumont USD prohibits the following uses of AI tools:

❌ For Teachers

Replacing Professional Judgment
Relying on AI to make instructional or evaluative decisions without reviewing or editing the content.
Privacy Violations
Uploading student data into unsecured or unapproved tools that do not comply with FERPA or district data privacy agreements, and always knowing if they are using a closed sourced or open sourced AI tool.
Surveillance or Monitoring
Using AI to track teacher-student interactions or behavior as a form of classroom surveillance is not permitted.

❌ For Students

Plagiarism or Misrepresentation
Submitting AI-generated work as your own (e.g., essays, reports, math solutions) without teacher permission or proper documentation.
Bypassing Learning
Using AI to complete assignments without understanding the content or process.
Inappropriate Content or Behavior
Using AI tools to generate content that is harmful, misleading, or intended to harass others.

Important Things to Remember

Students may only use AI tools in the classroom when explicitly directed or approved by the teacher. All student use must align with expectations for academic honesty, digital citizenship, and data privacy.
Teachers must review and vet all AI-generated content before sharing it with students or using it for instructional purposes. AI should support—not replace—your professional judgment.
Only use district-approved AI tools, or obtain explicit parent/guardian permission when piloting tools outside the approved list.
For a complete list of expectations and examples, refer to the Beaumont USD District AI Guidelines:
1. - Employee AUP
  - Student AUP

Discuss

Reflecting on Responsible Use of AI in Education

Now that you’ve explored how AI can support teaching and learning—and reviewed Beaumont USD’s expectations—it’s time to reflect on your understanding and connect with your colleagues.

Responsible use of AI starts with thoughtful planning, transparency, and professional judgment. As digital educators, we must ask: How can you use AI to enhance student learning while maintaining student agency and critical thinking? How do we model safe, ethical, and effective use in our own classrooms?

To guide your reflection, answer the following questions using the Padlet below. You may respond using text, audio or video. After posting your own response, reply to at least two other participants.

How do you currently feel about using AI in your role as an educator?
(Excited? Curious? Concerned? Skeptical?) Share why.
Based on the guidelines and examples shared, what is one way you might begin using AI purposefully in your classroom or planning?
Choose one risk of AI use (e.g., bias, plagiarism, privacy, overreliance) and explain how you could help mitigate that risk in your practice.

Demonstrate

Now that you’ve explored the foundations of AI, reflected on its role in education, and considered our district’s guidelines, it’s time to apply your learning by designing and implementing a lesson that thoughtfully integrates AI.

Before diving into the lesson design, explore a few of the videos below to help inspire your upcoming lesson.

Now it's time to create your lesson! This lesson should demonstrate purposeful AI integration to support student learning, differentiation, or creativity, while aligning with academic standards and maintaining student agency.

Make sure you are using a district approved AI tool, Brisk or Gemini, or abide by the rules of AI use for an open source AI tool of your choice.

Create and teach a lesson using this this lesson plan template that includes at least one of the following AI integration strategies:

Using an AI tool to differentiate instruction or modify materials for multilingual learners or students with IEPs
Providing students access to a teacher-created AI-powered support space on Brisk AI for practice, tutoring, or scaffolding. If you would like to learn how to do this, click here for a quick overview
Guiding students in brainstorming or outlining using AI with appropriate guardrails
Using AI to Design instructional resources (e.g., exemplars, graphic organizers, practice problems) that reinforce key skills or support reteaching based on student data

Please note you do not need to create a lesson that is at the transformation technology integration level. With your developing understanding of technology integration, decide your current technology integration comfort level, and design a lesson with that technology integration level in mind. Once you have created the lesson plan and taught the lesson, please submit your evidence and reflection with the below Google Form.

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