February 14-18th, 2022 is the inaugural PA Distance Artificial Intelligence (AI) Week! In conjunction with a group of teachers and staff members, PA Distance Research & Development Coordinator Mrs. Heiles, and the AI Week team plan to connect AI concepts within more areas of the school.
“The goal is to provide a week of activities for students to introduce them to the idea of AI and gain some feedback about our students' level of interest in this sort of science and technology,” she said. “After this week, PA Distance can build future STEAM lessons and programs around actual student interest and requests.”
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
According to IBM, one of the leading creators, developers, and manufacturers of the industry's most advanced information technologies, AI leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.
There are a variety of real-world applications using AI systems today that youmay recognize. For example, speech recognition or speech-to-text on a mobile device, customer service or online virtual agents, computer vision that derives meaningful information from digital images, facial recognition software within law enforcement, recommendation engines that use past consumption behavior data to cross-sell goods and services to the public, and automated stock trading designed to make trades without human intervention.
PA Distance AI Week
Throughout the week, all K-12 students are invited to join in the fun and learn about AI, what it means, how it affects their daily lives, and what the future holds.
“AI is the present and the future of not only computer science, but also of this technological boom we have been and still are experiencing,” Health & Wellness teacher and AI Week contributor, Mr. Hughes said.
Students are encouraged to participate in these hands-on activities but are not required. Teachers and staff members will award PBIS “scholar dollars” to K-8 students and have prizes to send out to high school students for their participation.
“I am most excited for the fact that all students throughout the school will be able to engage and learn about what AI is and potential career opportunities in the AI field, regardless of their age or previous experiences with technology or AI,” 5th grade teacher and AI Week planner, Mrs. Hartford explained.
“PA Distance wants to prepare students to work alongside artificial intelligence in their futures,” Mrs. Heiles explained. “When they graduate and enter the real world, it’s going to be a big part of their life whether it be in the workforce or everyday life.”
“This week is an introduction to AI to gauge where the students are on this topic,” she added. “They’ll learn about how AI is used to solve problems, every day, throughout the world.”
Students will learn about AI in the world, in everyday use, AI in the workplace, and finally how it relates to their learning at PA Distance. After an age-appropriate self-guided activity during each themed day, students will reflect on what they learned by answering a few prompted questions.
The lessons will utilize activities/programs like AI4All, Code.org, a variety of Google applications, facial recognition software, and more. Students will also get the chance to hear from a guest speaker and participate in a scavenger hunt.
“We even have a guest speaker from Facebook that will be leading a live session about how AI is used in Social Media and to answer some student questions,” Mr. Hughes added.
The schedule for the week, and the theme for each day, is as follows:
- Monday, February 14th - What is AI?
- Tuesday, February 15th - AI in the World
- Wednesday, February 16th - AI Every Day
- Thursday, February 17th - AI In the Workplace
- K-8: Guest Speaker from Facebook.com
- Friday, February 18th - AI at PA Distance
After this week, we hope to have more to share about the future of AI at PA Distance! Stay tuned.
“Our hope is that this builds into something larger down the road,” Mrs. Heiles said. “Artificial intelligence is here to stay so we want our students to be knowledgeable and ready when they graduate.”
Sources: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/what-is-artificial-intelligence