There has been a lot of buzz about teachers using generative AI to complete instructional tasks more efficiently. What about getting students to use AI to personalize their learning and empower them to harness AI's capabilities in a safe, controlled environment? We need to build students' capacity to think critically about new technologies, while also developing their ability to design and create using the latest tools. Many AI apps are for a 13+ audience but some are designed for younger audiences and provide elementary students the opportunity to think about and engage with AI. ChatGPT is great, but imagine being able to design your own chat bot for your own curricular purposes, and have students do the same!
Participants will get hands-on experience with a customizable chat bot that requires little to no coding skills and can be easily deployed in a classroom setting with no student login. In addition, participants will learn strategies for teaching elementary students about AI with a hands-on design project.