The Great Connector: Why Data Literacy Is Vital To Students’ Future Success

Second grade student Kaign Groce, 7, reads a book Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006, during a literacy class at the John Fenwick Elementary School in Salem, N.J. (Jose F. Moreno / AP Photo)
You can hardly make it through one quick scan of the news or scroll through social media without finding a new discussion about artificial intelligence (AI). The same holds true within education discourse.
According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, U.S. teachers’ opinions on the use of AI tools in K-12 education remain divided, with 32% believing there’s an equal mix of benefit and harm, 35% indicating they’re not sure, and 25% citing more harm than benefit. Just last month, the federal government issued its first official guidance for K-12 schools to navigate the emerging technology.
Whether you support it, fear it, or just don’t quite understand it, AI is poised to fundamentally shape how we learn and consume information — and sooner than one might think. Students must be ready to meet this moment.
Understanding the basic processes that fuel AI require data literacy. That is as fundamental to navigating society as traditional reading and writing skills. Parents need to understand that this isn’t just a technological “wave of the future.” Equipping students with these skills now is critical for their future success and for maintaining a well-informed society.
A foundation in data literacy goes beyond preparing students for future jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which alone are projected to grow twice as fast as other careers over the next decade. We experience data literacy every day in many routine ways — from understanding our electric bill, to managing personal finances, or evaluating a nutrition label.
Data literacy is everywhere, which means that everyone benefits from data science education.
While data science refers to a subject that can be integrated into common curricula like math, science, and computer programming, data literacy refers to the collection of technical, critical thinking, and communication skills needed to make data useful and understood in the real world.
Together, they give students the tools to comprehend data, think thoughtfully and analytically as they engage with AI technologies, and form their own informed perspectives on the world — all of which contribute to their lifelong learning potential.
In Ashley Hinton’s second grade classroom at Durham Academy in North Carolina, lessons in data literacy start on the first day of school.
As their first assignment, Hinton asks students to draw a response to the question, “How are you feeling?” Students then split into groups to analyze responses — discussing how they could group similar answers, label commonalities, and visualize the results to share with peers and parents. Long before these learners will enter an AP Statistics classroom, this simple exercise is helping them gather, sort, display, and discuss data.
According to Data Science 4 Everyone, a national initiative that strives to make data science a fundamental part of K-12 education, data literacy is an excellent way to connect concepts across disciplines. This makes for a perfect introduction in early grades where integrated learning is the standard.
Doing so does not come at the expense of prioritizing the fundamentals — something that’s very much on the minds of district leaders as they seek to recover from pandemic learning loss. Rather, setting this foundation in data fluency tees students up to succeed in later courses that integrate the more technical aspects of data science, such as algebra, chemistry, or statistics.
Of course, this isn’t just for STEM students. Parents need to understand how schools are equipping all students with the data literacy and communications skills they’ll need to navigate the increasingly complex, interconnected world that awaits. This is true for theater kids, future journalists, and artists just as much as it is for students primarily interested in STEM. As Ms. Hinton’s class proves, the concepts behind data science can be applied across all subjects and grades.
We need to make sure parents know why this is important and how to advocate for these opportunities for their child. That’s why GreatSchools.org, the nation’s leading nonprofit school information site, partnered with Data Science 4 Everyone to bridge this gap. Together, we’re helping parents understand AI and data literacy and creating opportunities for school leaders to share their data science offerings on their GreatSchools profile.
Providing parents with this kind of information not only allows them to make better educational decisions for their family, but also can increase interest and demand for data science education within their schools.
Just as reading proficiency is critical for understanding the world, data literacy skills are the next foundational competencies required to thrive in today’s economy. When students are not exposed to data science or data literacy, they are excluded from a fundamental, lifelong skill set, much like if they weren’t taught to read.
We can — and should — still push foundational learning, but we ought to adapt to the needs of modern learners while we’re at it.
This story was first published by The 74. The 74 is a nonprofit news organization covering America’s education system from early childhood through college and career. There are 74 million reasons we need to talk about education every day. Join the conversation. Read the story at: https://www.the74million.org/article/the-great-connector-why-data-literacy-is-vital-to-students-future-success/
Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.
Category:
User login
Omaha Daily Record
The Daily Record
222 South 72nd Street, Suite 302
Omaha, Nebraska
68114
United States
Tele (402) 345-1303
Fax (402) 345-2351