Abstract

This article presents the WISE AI Literacy Framework—Wisdom-centered, Informed, Safe, and Ethical—as a human-centered model for AI literacy in K–12 education. Drawing on technical, tool-use, policy, ethics, and human-centered approaches, the framework addresses a central gap in current scholarship: the limited emphasis on human judgment, disciplinary knowledge, and the enduring purposes of schooling. In response, WISE positions practical wisdom and human agency as the organizing principles for AI literacy, emphasizing not only how AI works and how it may be used, but also when, why, and to what extent its use is educationally appropriate. The framework comprises five interrelated domains: understanding AI, using AI responsibly, interacting with AI productively, evaluating AI critically, and applying AI wisely. The article further considers how these domains may be operationalized across classrooms, teaching practice, and school systems. It argues that AI literacy in education should be understood not merely as technical competence, but as the cultivation of informed, ethical, and context-sensitive human judgment in an increasingly AI-mediated world.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Literacy, Framework, Human Agency

How to Cite:

Vontz, T., Larson, L., Windsor, M., Bradshaw, D. & Simmons, D., (2026) “WISE AI Literacy: A Durable Framework of Human Agency for K-12 Schools”, Educational Considerations 51(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/edconsiderations.20921