In this discussion-based camp, students will learn how emerging technologies are impacting our world. They will have a chance to explore some of the latest ideas in computer science and see how their own ideas could contribute to the evolution of society. There will be conversations about the ethical implications of new software paradigms, the philosophies behind various innovations, and the technological future that lies ahead.
Videos for this camp are available here.
This camp is a lot different than other Hy-Tech Camps - it is completely non-technical, with much more of a focus on "soft" science. There are a few possible ways to present the material; one is outlined here. For another option, including one longer and more in-depth lecture with a lot of room for discussion, check here.
Overall, the camp should be flexible - if students seem to latch onto a certain topic, and want to continue discussing it, there is no need to continue onto the next "scheduled" portion of the workshop - just go with the flow, and try to make it student-driven as much as possible.
There are some videos going over the Lecture and both Post-Break Discussion options available here.
For the icebreaker, have each student follow these instructions. They will create a profile picture using NightCafé.
- Introduce the activity, and go through an example so they can see the steps in action
- Give them 3-5 minutes to create their profile pictures, and share them via this google form
- Go through each response for the given room in this spreadsheet
- Have each student share a bit about themselves (name, grade, school) along with any interesting notes about what they made
Present the Computers & Society (Base) PowerPoint. This presentation is shorter and is not designed for in-depth discussion - there should still be interactivity, but it is meant to be brief. Be sure to read through the notes in the slides
Facilitate the Blooket game/quiz. You must have a Blooket account in order to host the game. There are several game options - see if the students have a preference, and set the time limit based on how much time is remaining in the session (~10 minutes is probably a good duration in general, but could go up or down depending).
After the break, students can have a choice of what they would like to discuss. Follow the Extensions Slides to guide the conversations. Present the options and allow them to vote:
This option is on slides 2-5.
- History of artificial intelligence
- Philosophy of artificial intelligence
- Current state of artificial intelligence: YouTube, facial recognition, self-driving cars
- Deepfakes
- Future of artificial intelligence: government by algorithm, A.I.-generated films, the singularity
This option is on slides 6 and 7.
- Definitions of XR
- Some current applications and potential future applications
- Brain-computer interface
- Simulation hypothesis (are we living in a simulation)?
Poll the students to see what they would like to do next; they can go through the slides from the other option, or move onto the self-paced work. Depending on time, it may be necessary to skip any self-paced work. If students are interested, it may also be an option to play Blooket again.
If there is time, direct the students to the Self-Paced Work after the discussion(s). They will have a few different options to get creative and dive deeper into some of the topics covered by the lecture/discussions. Make sure to go over what they should do - read through the outline, open up the form, and fill it out.
Students are welcome to form groups and work together if they would like!
They should work on the project through this form. Results will be available via this sheet.
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Icebreaker | 15m |
| Lecture | 30m |
| Formative Assessment | 15m |
| Break | 5m |
| Discussion | 30m |
| Self-Paced Work | 15m |
| Sharing Work | 10m |
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