Dear Parents, are you teaching your children about technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning?  In this digital world, children encounter AI in the forms of smart toys and computationally curated educational and entertainment content. However, children have not yet been empowered to understand this technology.

A popular app for kids to learn AI is PopBots, a toolkit and curriculum designed to help young children learn about artificial intelligence¹ by building, training, and interacting with a social robot.

Children should learn AI at an early stage because in today’s world, all kids are surrounded by Artificial intelligence and they should know how it works. Now children are growing up in an environment surrounded by Artificial Intelligence.

As a parent, it is a smart move to start teaching your kids about AI and machine learning² to secure their future. Even if your kids do not want to pursue their career in the field of computer science, the knowledge of AI and machine learning will give them a massive boost in their chances of landing a job.

Overview

Teaching children about AI will improve their critical thinking skills³ and their ability to comprehend probability and #statistics. Not to mention that understanding how artificial intelligence systems function will dispel the notion that AI is pure magic.

Another aspect of AI that kids will likely take away from learning is the concept of understanding through examples. To prepare students for an AI-powered future, educators need to pull back the curtain on AI and help kids understand where and how it influences their lives. However, AI can be a tricky concept to pin down.

Apps for Teaching Children Artificial Intelligence

1. Pika

Pika is an entertaining camera app for kids. It allows kids to photograph colours and make robots learn about the colours. It is quite challenging for kids, which would make them love this app. Furthermore, the kids also earn badges with each milestone to encourage them to learn with passion.

2. Machine Learning for Kids

This app provides parents with scratch and spreadsheets. You will be able to track the progress of your kids via this app. The kids can also teach machines via image selection.

3. Dalton Learning Lab

This application offers numerous tools to help parents with AI and #machinelearning. The Scratch option is free for parents⁴, and there is no need for you to either register or make an account on this website.

4. Kano Computing

Kano Computing enables kids to develop their version of computers. Then, they need to program that computer for the completion of tasks. The guide is available for helping kids with the learning process.

5. VIPER

Wonderville introduced a game, Viper, to make machine learning interesting for kids. In this game, the kids program a robot⁵ for exploring Europa

Strategies to Influence Children to Learn AI

1. Instructor Training Programs

Teacher training sessions equip educators with the skills and confidence they need to transmit what they learn about AI to their students. Introducing the concepts behind artificial intelligence to teachers will also help accelerate the implementation of AI intoschool curriculums⁶. This is critical because today’s children represent the very first generation to grow up in an AI-infused environment. These children will therefore need to learn about AI in order to make conscious and informed decisions as they interact with it.

2. In-classroom workshops

In-classroom workshops with students, unfold through three types of activities: unplugged activities to start things off in an engaging way off the computer, hands-on exercises focused on #computervision⁷ where kids get to build a project using the AI capability of Scratch, and a discussion around the ethics of artificial intelligence. The workshops will strengthen their natural intelligence and will begin to prepare them for the changing job market ahead.

3. Educational Resources

The development of educational resources about artificial intelligence that address issues concerning AI ethics and digital citizenship. These resources, which include a curriculum, are created, developed, tested, and vetted by leading experts in research, industry and #education.

Integrating AI in the K-12 Curriculum

Schools are turning to AI lessons in their classrooms and Montour District in Pittsburgh is an example of teaching children about technology. Learning institutions offer courses focused on artificial intelligence, ranging from ethics to #robotics.

Schools in this are collaborate with universities and technology companies working on the cutting edge of AI. And on the district’s backend IT infrastructure, there are dashboards and programs powered by AI providing educators with real-time data about each student, producing metrics that monitor progress and even forecast future success.

Ed-tech vendors are pitching statistical AI tools as a way to provide greater personalized learning⁸, tailoring curriculum to a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Researchers say it is unlikely advanced AI will transform K-12 education, but it can have a positive impact in areas like adaptive instruction, automated essay scoring and feedback, language learning, and online curriculum-recommendation engines.

Models for Encouraging AI Learning in Schools

Here are some methods schools are using to encourage AI learning among students:

1. Hands-on Learning

Make the toolkit interactive and let children guide themselves through activities.

2. End-to-End Learning

Have children play a role in every step of developing a full system, from training to operating a fully functional system.

3. Transparency

Choose algorithms and give feedback that exposes as many logical and reasoning steps as possible.

4. Creative Exploration

Embed the AI #algorithm in fun and creative activities. Give children agency to make something personally meaningful.

Encourage Your Child to Learn Artificial Intelligence

For many children, it is already integrated into their daily lives. It is essential for them to learn how it works so they can navigate in a proper way and consume them well. It is estimated that the right way to teach your kids from age of 5 so that they can get interested in this field and if they get involved in this field they can build a career in it as this field has a great scope in the future.

Educating your child about AI will help make your child more active and a participant in the world. In addition, they will have the capability of shaping the world they want. It can create a great opportunity for them. The ability of children to understand AI concepts correlates positively with the extent to which they explore AI concepts through interacting with the activities.

Children need to be properly equipped to enter the workforce of tomorrow, and governments should explore what they can do to provide knowledge, support and funding to students.

Works Cited

¹Artificial Intelligence, ²Machine Learning, ³Critical Thinking Skills, ⁴Parents, ⁵Robot, ⁶School Curriculums, ⁷Computer Vision, ⁸Personalized Learning