From ChatGPT to AI art generators, AI (especially generative AI) is becoming more ubiquitous in today’s world. We speak to educators from two top international schools about what this means for schools, and how it affects our children’s learning.
Remember the ChatGPT hype earlier this year? The chatbot, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), made headlines due to its many capabilities. It could answer questions, craft itineraries, and even write short paragraphs for you. This got people talking about the power of AI and how it’s shaping the future as we speak. More specifically, many are discussing how AI will affect the future of jobs.
So what does this mean for parents with children who would be growing up in an increasingly AI-dominated world? Is it necessary to equip them with AI skills, and if so, how do we go about that?
We discussed this hot topic with the principal of Dover Court International School, Richard Dyer; and two teachers from Singapore American School (SAS), Dr. David Knuffke and Paul Welsh at our recent HoneyKids webinar. Our webinar covered the importance of developing AI skills in children and what schools are doing to equip students with just that. Most importantly, our expert panellists also covered topics on safeguarding children from the dark side of AI, as well as the best practices of using it.
Watch the recorded webinar, and read on for the top insights and answers (provided by our experts themselves!) to the most popular questions from the webinar.
Got a particular topic you’re interested in? Jump to the video section that’s relevant to you!
Speaker introductions – 3.33
What is AI, and why is it such a hot topic now? – 6.04
Why should our children learn about AI? – 10.14
How are schools equipping students with AI skills and knowledge? – 13.06
How can we protect our children from the negative aspects of AI? – 17.40
Using AI ethically and responsibly: what are schools doing and how can parents impart this? – 23.50
Best practices when it comes to using AI for academic and personal growth purposes – 29.20
Final thoughts from panellists – 33.48
Q & A – 41.27
The importance of AI skills for children: TOP INSIGHTS FROM THE EXPERTS
1. “AI literacy is quickly becoming a digital skill that’s central for both educators and students.”
– Dr. David Knuffke (SAS)
There’s no doubt that AI is here to stay, and it’s gradually integrating into our educational landscape. A dual approach is required to tackle this:
- Acquiring digital fluency to leverage AI technology effectively.
- Using the acquired digital fluency to engage in critical reflection around the implications of AI technology.
This way, we can ensure that our children (who are young learners) are not only adept at using AI tools, but are also mindful of the ethical, social, and personal impacts. Emphasising this balance prepares our children for a future where AI is ubiquitous, making sure they become responsible and capable citizens who are also deep thinkers.
2. “Equipping children with AI skills allows them to harness these powerful tools to bring about positive change for humankind and our planet.”
– Richard Dyer (Dover Court)
The more we dig into what’s actually happening in the world of AI and ask ourselves, “What does it actually do?”, the more we get to recognise how special human intelligence is. As such, we should use this as an opportunity to reinforce the aspects of education that develop our uniquely human skills and attributes. Doing so enables our children and young people to harness the phenomenally powerful tools that AI is providing for the good and betterment of humankind and our planet.
3. “The struggle to catch up with AI helps us rethink what it means to be human in our rapidly digitalised world.”
– Paul Welsh (SAS)
Modern societies are awash in AI. What’s noteworthy is the speed with which a new form of AI (generative AI) is dominating public discourse due to its links to creativity. Like the rest of society, schools will struggle with these new forms of technology initially, before adopting widespread practices and policies regarding its use. But what’s challenging is that these new forms of AI evolve very quickly, outstripping schools’ abilities to get a handle on best practices before they change. However, it’s these same struggles that help us rethink what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world.
Top questions about AI skills for children – ANSWERED!
1. Is it really important, or is it necessary to equip children with AI skills from a young age?
It’s definitely necessary and important; and I would say it is essential. We should be mindful of the age restrictions on tools such as ChatGPT, of course. There are skills that can and should be developed which will enable children to engage positively with the tools when the time is right. These include a critical, curious, and questioning approach to information; a fine-tuned appreciation of language; the need for precision; and a well-developed sense of integrity.
Answered by: Richard Dyer (Dover Court)
2. What are some AI tools that students will come in contact with or have opportunity to use?
Students are likely to have already used several of the more widely promoted and discussed generative AIs. These include:
- The text-based ChatGPT, which has both a free and paid version.
- Bard, the Google product that is slowly making inroads into document creation and email.
- DALL-E and Midjourney are some of the art-generating AI tools that students are also likely to experience.
Besides these, there are many other AI tools that operate behind the scenes of systems that students use daily. These are AIs that make suggestions based on previous choices (eg. book and movie titles), AIs that monitor spending and suggest ways we can save more, and AIs that monitor and route traffic. These types of AIs are actually algorithms that call on a wide variety of inputs to put focused information out in front of users, many of them with commercial interests.
Answered by: Paul Welsh (SAS)
3. In what ways do AI skills add value and complement the learning and development of 21st century skills for students? And in what ways do they become obstacles or impediments to students developing these skills?
AI skills add value to 21st century learning in several ways:
- It enables students to access tailored learning experiences that cater to their individual needs and pace, while supporting the development of their thinking.
- AI is a force multiplier for creative work.
However, AI also presents challenges. Just as they can be a force of multiplier for creative work, uncritical and unethical approaches to the tools can serve to remove the onus of original creative thought from the user. There’s potential that this could reinforce a passive style of information consumption and propagation. This is to say nothing of issues around equity of access, referred to as the “digital divide”, that may be exacerbated by these technologies.
There’s no doubt that AI brings transformative potential to education. However, if our goal is to prepare students to be participatory members of the society in which they live, it’s crucial to consider all impacts of this technology and model best practices.
Answered by: Dr. David Knuffke (SAS)
A big thank you to our panellists, Richard Dyer from Dover Court; and Dr. David Knuffke and Paul Welsh from SAS…
Richard Dyer
Principal of Dover Court International School
Richard is an experienced international school Principal, having held leadership positions in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hungary, and Singapore. He has served as Deputy Head or Deputy Principal in two international schools and Principal or Headteacher in three other international schools. Dover Court International School is his fourth international headship. He has presented on many education topics at international conferences. Recent presentations and workshops include: technological tensions and digital dilemmas at the IB World Heads Conference; effective senior meetings at the FOBISIA Leaders Conference; the future of education technology at EduTech Asia. He has consulted on value-added assessment data in India, on school inspection in the UAE and has inspected schools as a Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate in Asia, Europe, and Africa. He enjoys various forays into well-being and presented at the 9th European Conference on Positive Psychology on approaches to developing organisational well-being. He has been a Fellow Member of the Chartered College of Teaching (UK) since 2012.
Fun fact: Richard’s first job was at the Programming Research Group of Oxford University and he wrote his first (and last) artificial intelligence code in 1979!
Dr. David Knuffke
High School Science teacher at Singapore American School
David Knuffke is a science teacher and instructional coach at Singapore American School (SAS). Before this, he was a science teacher and Curriculum Associate in Deer Park, New York. He has been an educator for two decades, and is passionate about using technology to improve learning outcomes. He holds dual Masters Degrees in Teaching and Technological Systems Management, along with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. He is particularly interested in the ethical uses of educational technology to support learning and the work of being an educator.
Paul Welsh
Technology and Innovations Coordinator at Singapore American School
Paul has been with SAS as the Technology and Innovations Coordinator since 2014. Before that, he held a similar position at the American Cooperative School of Tunis and taught design and biology classes. He’s earned the title of Apple Distinguished Educator and has a history as a Google Certified Teacher and Trainer. In his current role, Paul oversees several digital learning platforms, provides training, and actively participates in a task force studying aspects and crafting policies around AI at SAS.
Fun fact: Both of SAS’ speakers’ bios were written with the help of ChatGPT3.5 and Bard.
This post is in partnership with Dover Court International School and Singapore American School.