|
 |
Forbes
Teaching AI: Exploring New Frontiers For
Learning
Tom Vander Ark
Imagine a small secondary school in a converted city hall next to a
library and a park, on a river, in a vibrant urban core. Imagine every
student conducting community-connected projects, studying computer
science, and graduating from high school with an AA degree.
You’re imaging Renton Prep, a microschool at the south end of Lake
Washington in bustling downtown Renton, a suburban Seattle city that is
home of the Boeing 737 and the Seahawks NFL training facility.
Michelle Zimmerman (@mrzphd) is the Executive Director of Renton Prep
Christian School and Amazing Grace Elementary in Seattle, schools her
grandmother started almost 60 years ago.
Like her own hybrid high school experience combining dual enrollment
courses and work experiences, Zimmerman created a secondary school
where learners engage with integrated community connected projects that
prepare them to enroll full time as juniors at local community colleges.
Renton Prep uses Core Knowledge curriculum in middle grades to build
content knowledge. Students take more than 20 field trips to explore
learning at the intersection of domains.
In 9th and 10th grade, students do more exploration to discover
personal strengths and interests. Students “co-design learning in ways
that don’t usually happen until graduate school,” said Zimmerman.
Learners at Renton Prep are given opportunities to demonstrate
knowledge and skills in multifaceted approaches and Microsoft recently
selected the school as the first K-12 Microsoft Flagship School in the
U.S.
Teaching AI
A few years ago, Zimmerman began to see references to artificial
intelligence (AI) in popular culture and the media. When she saw more
adaptive learning programs being released she realized AI was changing
both what young people should learn, as well as how they can learn. In
2016, she began researching AI implications and applications.
She interviewed industry experts on what students should know and be
able to do. She scaled that back to elementary school and began
incorporating learning experiences for all students.
“Robots are not rapidly taking jobs over, but mindsets need to shift,”
said Zimmerman. “It’s not just how to code--machines will take over
much of the low-level coding,” added Zimmerman. “The urgency is around
collaboration.”
“My views have drastically changed since last October,” said Zimmerman.
“It’s not just about learning to code, the ethical implications are
much bigger, AI has permeated all fields.”
Zimmerman’s new book, Teaching AI: Exploring New Frontiers for Learning
was published by the International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE) with a grant from General Motors to support the development of
new resources on AI in K-12 education.
Each chapter opens with a scene featuring diverse settings and
characters. Zimmerman connects the dots between seemingly unrelated
topics and concludes each chapter with questions for further study.
Zimmerman concludes that the automation economy demands design thinking
and project-based learning. Projects and stories of some of her tenth
graders, including Sharice Lee, Rhonwyn Fleming, and Afomeya Hailu
(featured image) are included.
Bringing in the voices of international educators, Zimmerman provides a
practical guide to learning about and teaching with AI. Add this one to
your list of books to read in 2019.
Read this and other articles at Forbes
|
|
|
|
