Global Collaborator
7a
Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning.
7b
Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.
7c
Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.
7d
Students explore local and global issues and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions.
Standard 7
Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.
​
Tool: Curiosity Machine -- Technovation Families
Description
-
Curiosity Machine aims to "create a better world together" through hands-on activities that "develop curiosity, creativity, and confidence." The curriculum teaches families how to use AI to solve a different problems in their communities. Afterwards, families can submit their project to the site and be entered in a global competition for an opportunity to attend the annual Technovation World Summit. The last time the site has been edited is in summer 2020. The site also has many design challenges relating to STEM. ​
​
Opportunities
-
The site emphasizes the importance of including families in the learning process for students. Because this presents an accessibility challenge, the site is simply 100% free for everyone.
-
The site specifically wants students to work on the challenges with their families and communities, and I believe that is a very key and important part to student success and learning. Also, the AI lessons prepare students to solve problems in their community relating to transportation, health, education, safety, and the environment. These are problems that can be thought of as social justice issues for families in less privileged communities. Thus, by providing families with a free program to learn how to solve these problems, students could potentially feel more empowered and enlightened on how technology can be used to help their communities.
Limitations
-
It would be really cool if the challenges or AI lessons could be translated into other languages. I'm thinking about families, like my own, where students don't speak English as their main language with their families at home. In that aspect, this website would create a barrier for English Language Learners.
​
​
Click on the play button to access Curiosity Machine! From there, you can select to learn more about the AI Family Challenge or Design Challenges.
​
These are the 10 lessons that families can work on in order to learn what AI is, how it works, and how they can use it to solve problems in their communities.
​
Note that the lessons address ethical issues, and that's an excellent way to help students become responsible citizens!
These are design challenges that students and their families can work on together. On the left, you can see the diverse range of topics families can select from based on interest.
Reflection
Overall, I believe this website truly embodies the standard 7 from ISTE which states that students should use "digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others in teams locally and globally." This website allows for students to be on teams with their families in order to solve problems in their local communities using AI. It's accessible because it's free, and it also explains to students what AI is AND how it works. So, for students who may have not had the chance to learn about AI, this is the perfect opportunity. I can definitely see how this would play into an inquiry-based learning lesson, and I'd love to incorporate math aspects into it. I've recently heard about a teacher who spends the last 3 weeks of the school year allowing students to work on any math project they feel passionate about. I could use this website as a jumping point and ask students to collaborate on a project with their peers (and/or families) that addresses a problem in the community. They'd not only use AI but also the knowledge they learned in our math class to solve the problem!