Over the last 2 years we have heard a lot about how AI is going to make teaching easier, how it will remove some of the more mundane tasks and how teachers will get some of their time back.
We have also heard about our student's creativity being enhanced and chatbots supporting students in miraculous ways. But when you strip this all away what remains? A tool called Artificial intelligence…one that is only as effective as the skills we use to guide it.
The skills our students need are the same as ever, and school librarians have been talking about and teaching them for decades. Information literacy for example is the skill to find, access and use information ethically. AI literacy is just another extension of these.
But tackling these challenges can’t be done in isolation. School Librarians need partners in this effort, and that’s where teachers come in. Together, school librarians and teachers form a powerful team to guide students through the complexities of AI.
The school library is a hub for developing critical thinking and media literacy skills. To achieve this effectively and strategically it is important to have the right tools. One of these is FOSIL (Framework Of Skills for Inquiry Learning). FOSIL is a free skills framework from reception to year 13. It provides the building blocks that empower students to take control of their learning by asking the right questions, seeking credible information, evaluating it critically and enabling them to form their own opinions.
This requires collaboration between teachers and librarians. Teachers bring deep knowledge of curriculum, while librarians specialise in inquiry learning. Together, they design and implement projects that engage students in critical thinking and inquiry. This kind of deep, inquiry-based learning transforms students from passive recipients of information into active, thoughtful learners. It is in the use of school library resources, with the support of librarians and teachers, that this transformation happens.
In a world where AI is shaping the information we see. Students need a clear, structured approach to critically evaluating that information.
Our students should be curious, ethical and reflective in their learning. School librarians help develop these traits, creating learners who can question and critically engage with the world around them, including the content driven by AI.
Working together, teachers and school librarians can guide students through complex ethical discussions about how AI influences society, preparing students to become not just knowledgeable, but thoughtful digital citizens.
Recognising the expertise of school librarians is key to ensuring students develop the full range of skills needed to tackle the challenges of AI. Librarians have long addressed the ethical questions now posed by AI. Bringing them into these critical conversations can both answer pressing questions and unlock new avenues of learning for students.
