By giving students a safe way to explore using AI chatbots in the classroom, teachers can help them sharpen their digital literacy and critical thinking skills.

The rapidly-changing world of AI tools can be challenging territory for educators. For those who decide to engage with it, exploring the benefits large-language models can bring to the classroom while at the same time ensuring it’s not detracting from the work of learning can be daunting. There are both ethical and logistical issues to wrestle with around this emerging technology. But at an elementary school in Meridian, Idaho, one teacher is equipping students with the skills to use AI chatbots in the classroom responsibly—while teaching them to critique its performance at the same time.