Why every student needs to learn about AI
By Maureen Haeger
As we concluded the 19th Annual sySTEMnow Conference which took place on October 26th in Milwaukee, we were inspired and encouraged to act. Not only were we able to celebrate local STEM success and share best practices, but we also learned that Wisconsin has an amazing opportunity to lead the nation in STEM programming. Let me share with you a few takeaways from the day.
Our keynote speaker, Alex Kotran, is the Chief Executive Officer for the AI Education Project, a non-profit that creates equitable learning experiences that excite and empower students with Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy. His presentation was captivating, and we all left a little smarter about AI.
why teach kids about artificial intelligence?
Alex discussed the effects of AI on students and society at large. The buzzword used to be “big data” then it was “AI”. Now AI is no longer hype; it is reality. AI is everywhere. Alex pointed out that, “Technology is accelerating faster than people. Google calls AI the new electricity”. Wow, that is hard to ignore! That statement is hard to ignore! He challenged attendees with a great question: “How are we not talking to the future workforce?” Our kids need to understand what AI is and how they live with it in their everyday lives.
HOW DO WE TEACH STUDENTS AI?
We know that AI is here to stay and cannot be ignored, but how do we teach our students about AI?
Alex shared with us that the AI Education Project uses an interdisciplinary approach to technology education, emphasizing the humanities and project-based learning alongside STEM concepts. Students learn how algorithms influence key areas of life like hiring decisions, healthcare, and access to credit and how they can influence the design and use of future technologies.
Feeling Overwhelmed? The AI Education Project brings the fundamental knowledge to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. They do this by providing free curriculum, professional development, and advocacy. Learn more at https://aiedu.org/.
One offering is AI Snapshots (formerly AI Daily). They are a set of classroom warmups that will help your students build a basic understanding of AI and its cross-curricular connections with Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. In only 5 minutes of class time, students will learn to define, identify, and think critically about AI. Any high school teacher can use AI Snapshots, no matter their subject area. Complete the form found at https://aiedu.org/ai-snapshots-download-page to get access to 180 downloads.
Alex Kotran, Founder & CEO of The AI Education Project
Attendees of the sySTEMnow Conference were inspired and ready to act. Perhaps Joe Kmoch said it best…
“ “This reflects well on Wisconsin and that we are ripe for new, innovative programs and can become a model for the nation and even lead the nation!””
You can view his presentation here if you couldn’t listen to Alex Kotran speak live. The presentations from Laurie Rosatone, our morning keynote, and our breakout presenters are available here. We want to continue collaborating with educators and businesses to set the students in southeastern Milwaukee to be tech-savvy and a competent STEM workforce of the future. Help us grow local STEM talent!
Posted on November 9, 2022, by Maureen Haeger. Communications & Program Manager.
