AI Resources for School Librarians

This document provides a curated list of AI-related resources, cut down to be concise and highly relevant for school librarians. The goal is to equip librarians with introductory information on AI, its ethical implications, and practical applications in an educational setting.

What is AI?

AI Guide from Harvard AI Pedagogy Project: A step-by-step introduction to AI designed to help you understand what AI is, how it works, and what it can and cannot do.
Definition for students: Artificial intelligence (machine learning) is technology that allows a computer to make predictions or decisions by identifying patterns and connections from lots of examples. This is something new. Previously, computers could only follow code and instructions, whereas now computers can predict and “create” (regurgitate) new material from patterns and large amounts of data.
EdPuzzle AI Activity: AI explained in 8 minutes.
What Is AI? | Learn all about artificial intelligence - YouTube video by Learn Bright

Understanding AI

Understanding how AI works is crucial for effective integration into the curriculum and for guiding students.

How does artificial intelligence learn? (TED-Ed): This video explains how AI sites learn and develop unique rules and strategies.
The Turing Test: Can a computer pass for a human? (TED-Ed): This video explains why AI struggles with general human conversations.
Basics of machine learning (YouTube)

Professional Development Opportunities

Numerous professional development opportunities are available to get educators started in their journey to integrate AI effectively.

Resource	Focus	Access
Google AI for Educators	Training for Google districts	Generative AI for Educators - Grow with Google - for teachers Google AI Training: training for teachers and lessons for students.
Microsoft AI in Education	Training for Microsoft districts	AI for educators - Training \| Microsoft Learn
ISTE Artificial Intelligence Explorations for Educators	Comprehensive course (paid, scholarships available)	Artificial Intelligence Explorations for Educators
AI Literacy through the iSail Standards	This session positions AI literacy as a critical extension of existing literacies, including information, media, digital, and personal literacy, all part of the iSail standards.	Pre conference session of AISLE 2025 Conference. Registration required.
Teaching About, Not Just With, AI	We will look at how instruction is changing as a result of AI usage and how AI can be leveraged as a part of performance-based learning and assessment.	Post conference session of AISLE 2025 Conference. Registration required.
Fighting AI "Slop" - Teaching About Misinformation in the Age of AI	This session will explore the five major types of misinformation through an AI lens.	Concurrent session of AISLE 2025 Conference. Registration required.
Building Bridges: Librarians as District Instructional Leaders Connecting AI, Ethics, and Information Literacy	Walk away with new resources, practical examples, and forward-thinking strategies for guiding AI use.	Concurrent session of AISLE 2025 Conference. Registration required.

Ethical AI Use

Addressing ethical considerations and potential biases in AI is paramount.

HCS Gen AI Guidance (Hoke County, NC): This six-page document includes general information and scenarios of ethical and unethical AI use.
AI + Ethics Curriculum for Middle School (MIT): This project seeks to develop an open source AI curriculum for middle school students.
How to keep human bias out of AI (TED Talk by Kriti Sharma): Explores how the lack of diversity in tech affects AI and offers ways to create more ethical algorithms.
Three Types of Bias in AI:
AI Ethics from UNESCO: Provides a comprehensive overview of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) initiatives and perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI). Includes useful information for educators and researchers interested in the intersection of technology, ethics, and society. Education Specific: Artificial intelligence in education | UNESCO
How to Cite AI Generated Content - Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Research Guides at Purdue University Libraries: Includes examples of correct citations for AI resources using MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.

Frameworks & Guides

State AI Guidance for Education: Provides an overview of state-level guidance on AI in education.
AI Literacy Frameworks: Research on various frameworks to help in building your own.
Day of AI Planning Guide, 2025-2026: A workbook designed for schools and/or classroom teachers.

AI Learning Activities & Tools

These resources provide a start to engaging activities and tools for students to interact with and learn about AI.

K-5 Quick Draw with Google: An interactive game in which AI guesses your drawings.
6-8 Music FX from Google: An AI tool for music creation.
9-12 Survival of the Best Fit - AI-Based Hiring Simulator: Simulates AI in hiring processes.
6-12 Common Sense Media AI Literacy for grades 6-12: Offers lessons for developing AI literacy.

Additional Resources

Learning Resource

Practicing Click Restraint | Civic Online Reasoning: A resource for teaching students how to evaluate online information. 4 lessons

Click Restraint: a strategy that involves resisting the urge to immediately click on a result and instead scanning the page to make a more informed choice about where to click first.
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Click Restraint
Practicing Click Restraint
Researching a Claim
Click Restraint Poster

Current Research & Importance of AI Proficiency

Current research indicates the growing importance of AI proficiency in the workforce. Microsoft's Work Trend Index reports that 75% of knowledge workers now use generative AI, and hiring managers increasingly prioritize AI proficiency. This highlights the value of guiding students in the ethical and professional use of AI.

Contributors: Jen Campbell, Rachel Evans, Kathy Garneau, Sheryl Hinman, Carolyn Kinsella, Colleen Malone, Neha Thakkar, Carrie Upjohn

Updated: September 7, 2025