Mark J. Davis is a digital literacy educator with more than two decades of experience serving in K–12 public education. Holding a PhD in education with a specialization in infographic literacy, he currently teaches digital literacy at Barrington Middle School in Barrington, RI. Mark is also a researcher with the Media Education Lab, where he contributes to advancing scholarship and resources in media and digital literacy. He lives with his wife and two children in Massachusetts, where he continues to champion the critical role of literacy in a digital age.
When Mark considers the landscape of AI education, he hopes for a future in which, he says, “all students are empowered to act as both consumers and creators of technology.” Talking to his own middle-schoolers, he found that they were active, consistent consumers of AI tools, but didn’t know how to create with those tools while staying critically engaged at every step. His project-based AI unit, rooted in the competencies outlined in the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) framework, encourages his students to ask more of AI tools—and themselves.
In this unit, students began by learning about algorithmic bias through the documentary Coded Bias (2020) and the educational game Survival of the Best Fit. Next, they worked in pairs to develop problem statements connected to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, then refined their statements through discovery of the ways that imprecise prompts lead to AI “hallucinations.” Students documented their progress through the unit by placing their created artifacts into digital portfolios, and they could also earn digital badges along the way as they mastered specific skills. “The unit helps students grow as global citizens who can critically evaluate information, creatively solve problems, and communicate effectively across cultures and contexts,” says Mark.
Mark’s always excited to share his work with colleagues near and far, from co-teaching with subject area teachers at his own school to presenting at state and national conferences, including CSTA. Through CSTA, ISTE, and the Algorithmic Justice League, he contributes to the development of CS proficiency standards, including guidelines on AI and cybersecurity. As part of his work with the Media Education Lab and the University of Rhode Island, he collaborates on curriculum design to connect AI concepts to other core competencies, such as media literacy, critical thinking, and digital citizenship.
As a CSTA Responsible AI Fellow, Mark wants to build on the success of his middle school unit, grow his understanding of the challenges and opportunities that AI presents, and learn fresh new strategies for teaching AI as a key part of the CS curriculum. He hopes to collaborate with his cohort on project-based learning units that encourage students to evaluate AI outputs for bias, examine AI’s influence on media and civic life, and grow to understand themselves as informed citizens and ethical creators of technology.
Mark says, “I want to help establish responsible AI education as a cornerstone of computer science learning. Through this fellowship, I aim to create transformative, inclusive AI learning experiences that prepare all students to navigate and shape a rapidly evolving technological world.”