NEWSLETTER
How can we prepare students for an increasingly influenced world by artificial intelligence? If you are in the field of education, you are likely to be dealing with somehow. The “IA preparation” has become a key approach area for educators with a vision of the future. This approach goes beyond simply teaching students how to use ai tools; Its objective is to develop an integral set of skills that allow students to understand, critically evaluate and participate ethically with ai technologies. As IA becomes more generalized, educators recognize that these skills are not only for future computer scientists or technology professionals. Rather, they are essential to all Students while preparing for higher education, careers and citizens in an infused world with ai.
Recently, Edsurge spoke with Sallie HollowayDirector of Artificial and Informatics Intelligence for Gwinnett County Public Schools. Holloway is at the forefront of artificial intelligence and computer education in one of Georgia's largest school districts. Its position was created to support two main efforts throughout the District: computer science for all programs and an ambitious pilot program for preparation for ai futures.
Edsurge: What does a student mean is ready?
Holloway: When we talk about the preparation of ai, in their heart, we hope to develop skills sets in students so that they can be users, developers and ethical and responsible decision makers when it comes to ia. We focus on the preparation of our students' workforce: what is your future? If they spend 13 years with us, are we really preparing them for that future? Since the growth of the generative ai, we have made some updates to our framework, but they have been minimal because we are trying to keep it focused on students' skills and No Tie to specific technologies.
Why is it important that students are ready for ai?
In Gwinnett, we have a student preparation history for their future in innovative and significant ways. We knew we would open a new school due to population growth. Every time a program or a school begins from scratch, there is the opportunity to innovate and try something different. That is what led us on this path, sincerely. We think: “If we have the opportunity, what is the next iteration? What should we really consider?
After 13 years with us, if the students have to enter a reset program because they have not had access or practice with some of the technologies in their next phase, we have harmed them. There is apprehension and perceived risk about talking about ai in K-12 education and what that means for our students, but honestly, I think the greatest risk does not explore it.
What wrong concepts have you faced on the IA preparation framework?
One of the greatest erroneous concepts that people have when they listen to our work is that we use a lot of. Honestly, that is not the case. We are trying to remove the curtain on ai and demystify it for our students. We want to first identify the use of ai and, at least, a general understanding of how it works. You can't make informed decisions if you don't know how it works.
We also really digs into the ai. We encourage students to question the tool agenda, data storage, privacy implications, origins and possible consequences. We are really trying to teach them how to question, make holes and understand.
As students mature, we present the tools of ai but through the lens of: What is the correct way to use this? What are the ethical implications? Does this benefit us? Is there a better way we should go to this?
We not only have initiated children and use ai tools. Students examine ai through a critical and optimistic lens, consider what they could do for the population and what they should take into account to ensure that they are responsible and ethical.
What was the process to develop the framework?
We develop the framework with the help of several people throughout the country. We begin with the partners of the industry and postsecundaria, requesting: “You see the ai in the application; We want to learn from you. “Some were local professionals, but we also had interest in more outstanding companies such as Google, Apple, HP, Microsoft and Intel. Being in Georgia, we involved the University of Georgia and Georgia tech, as well as in our university Local community, Georgia Gwinnett College.
As we developed the framework, others contributed comments and helped with the iterations. Once we had a solid base, we took it to our advisory board, which included parents. After establishing our thinking and how to break it into the grade bands, we seek a wide contribution of teachers. The teachers helped us determine what the implementation would be like and if we were on the right path.
The framework includes technical components such as programming, data science, ai tools and robotics. But there is also a strong emphasis on what we call “skills only for humans”: ethics, creative problem resolution, design thinking and user experience. We focus on thinking about others, not only on how something affects me, but what I could do for another person, good or bad.
We have a K-12 continuum that breaks down how this looks in each grade band. Conversations in the kindergarten are different from those of high school. Our classes still use the same standards. We cover the four normal basic subjects and all the assigned options, including the Fine Arts, but are taught through the lens of our frame. Teachers make connections between what they teach, the standards and the framework to contribute that real world perspective and help students develop ai -related skills.
What advice would you give to other school districts that seek to develop similar initiatives?
At first, you really need leadership support and capacity, resources and culture to innovate. Having associations is also huge. They were key to take off this, especially when we created a three -dishes professional career for high school students, which became quite technical. These associations were essential to help us think that.
Internal collaboration is also vital, either between divisions or from school to the district. We involve everyone, from superintendents to classroom teachers in this development, which helped create acceptance at all levels.
It is essential to understand why you are doing this and what you are trying to solve. What specifically need your community? Many versions of this could be correct, depending on their situation.
When the conditions were correct, we take measures to build, iterate, receive comments and try things. We collaborate closely with directors and teachers, evolving to demonstrate lessons to joint planning and supporting the content created by the teachers.
Being willing to enter and be vulnerable with them made a big difference. We would say: “No one has done this before. There is no curriculum we can call. We are creating this together. It is fine if we make mistakes, but we will try together. “This approach was crucial to move towards implementation, acceptance and, finally, success.
