Abstract
Generative AI is transforming how learners search, create, and decide. The challenge for educators is not only technical proficiency but cultivating the human capacities that determine when, where, and why to use AI. This session introduces the D.A.R.E.S. Framework—Discernment, Aptitude, Resourcefulness, Ethics, and Symbiosis—developed independently by the author through research, publication, and teaching. D.A.R.E.S. provides a practical, values-driven model for teaching adaptive, ethical, and reflective engagement with AI technologies. The framework positions discernment as the first act of intelligence, aptitude as skillful application, resourcefulness as creative problem-solving, ethics as the stabilizing compass for responsible use, and symbiosis as the intentional balance between human and machine agency. Prototype activities and reflective exercises show how these principles can become teachable and observable, with proposed instructor tools to measure growth in discernment, ethics, and resourcefulness. Participants will engage directly through a guided “Should I Use AI?” decision rubric, short reflections, and scenario-based discussions illustrating D.A.R.E.S. in action. The workshop concludes with shared insights and discussion of forthcoming pilots under the Mississippi AI Collaborative (MSAIC), a statewide initiative promoting responsible AI education. This work supports the 2027 special focus by reframing AI literacy as a developmental process that centers human discernment, adaptability, and ethical imagination. The D.A.R.E.S. Framework, featured in the forthcoming book Generative AI for Your Library: Introducing the D.A.R.E.S. Framework, offers educators a replicable foundation for cultivating human-centered intelligence in an algorithmic world.
Presenters
Lara TaylorProject Manager, College of Business / Center for Entrepreneuership and Outreach, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2027 Special Focus—THE CYBER-SOCIAL CONDITION: Knowledge, Learning, and Human Futures
KEYWORDS
AI Literacy, Discernment, Ethics, Digital Pedagogy, Reflective Practice, Symbiotic Intelligence
