AI for Kids, and the Teachers Who Got There First

AI Sharing #3 ran on 23 December 2024, and it came in two halves.

The first was for teachers. Custom GPTs built for language learning and test preparation, replacing work that had been done by hand for years. Setting question banks, generating practice material, adapting the same content for different levels. None of it glamorous, all of it hours.

The second half was for the children, and it was closer to a games session. They learned to spot AI-generated content, and how an AI actually arrives at a decision.

That order turned out to be the right one. Adults tend to arrive at AI asking what it can do for them. Children arrive asking how it works, and whether it can be fooled. The second question is the more useful one, and it is the one that produces people who can tell when the output is wrong.

Teaching kids to recognise AI content is not a defensive skill any more. It is basic reading.

Our AI Sharing sessions run regularly and are free or free for members - dates are on the events page. For educators, there is a page on what AI can do in the classroom at For Teachers.