Why Banning AI & Teaching Literacy Share One Goal
Coco Coders founder and CEO, Elizabeth Tweedale, was recently featured in Scary Mommy in an insightful piece discussing one of the most pressing debates in modern education: AI in the classroom.
In the article - Banning AI In Schools And Teaching AI Literacy Share One Goal - writer Matthew Kayser dives into why school AI bans and AI literacy programs aren't opposing forces. Instead, they both stem from the exact same root concern: protecting kids and ensuring they develop critical thinking skills.
Here are a few key takeaways from Elizabeth's insights featured in the article:
1. The Fear and the Need Come From the Same Place
Whether parents and educators advocate for strict AI bans or urge schools to teach AI literacy, everyone wants the same outcome: we don't want children outsourcing their thinking to machines.
The real issue isn't whether AI poses risks - it absolutely does. The question is whether restriction alone works when AI is already omnipresent.
"Banning AI and teaching AI literacy are not opposing positions, but are two responses to the same urgency. One approach focuses on giving students tools to navigate what is already in front of them, while the other reflects a more cautious response to AI's growing presence."
2. Kids Are Already Using AI - And Most Schools Are in a "Gray Zone"
Surveys show that 64% of U.S. teens have used AI chatbots - and in workshops Elizabeth has conducted with high schoolers, that number reaches 100%.
Yet, most schools haven't clearly communicated where the line sits:
6 in 10 teens report that their school either has no rules about AI or they don't know if rules exist.
83% of parents say their child’s school has never communicated with them about generative AI.
46% of teens who used AI for schoolwork did so without teacher permission.
Without clear guidance or foundational understanding, students are left guessing whether using AI to organize an essay outline, fix grammar, or brainstorm ideas counts as learning—or cheating.
3. Why Starting Early (Ages 6–14) Changes Everything
By the time students reach high school, habits around technology are already formed, and anxieties around academic integrity take center stage. That's why Coco Coders focuses on children aged 6 to 14.
Before kids can critically evaluate an AI output, spot hallucinations, or question algorithmic bias, they need to understand how technology works under the hood.
By teaching kids foundational coding, algorithmic logic, and computational thinking early on, we equip them to:
Understand what AI is actually doing when it generates a response.
Fact-check and verify outputs (studies show students who discuss AI in class are significantly more likely to cross-check sources).
Use technology as a partner in thinking, rather than a replacement for human judgment.
Read the Full Article
We invite you to read the full feature on Scary Mommy to explore the full conversation around AI policy, student statistics, and the future of education: