Integrating AI and Coding in Early STEM Education

I wanted to write this short article as I have had a few experiences in learning myself and teaching others STEM concepts. But what programs would help us teach them the most?

The STEM job market is rapidly expanding but has become increasingly competitive with the rise of artificial intelligence. Integrating AI into education at an early stage can equip students with essential skills like problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking. By introducing these concepts early, students—whether they pursue computer science or not—can learn to harness technology effectively in their everyday lives, preparing them for a tech-driven future.

Here are four tools that I have come across to teach these topics in an engaging and accessible way. Contains a low learning curve for all ages

1. Scratch

   • Visual block-based programming platform developed by MIT
   • Allows for the creation of games, animations, and stories
   • Easy to use to teach complex algorithms

2. Blockly

   • Visual block-based programming platform developed by Google
   • Offers integration with Javascript, Python, and other programming languages
   • Translates block to text

3. Google Teachable Machine

   • Artificial Intelligence training platform used to create models using different types of data
   • Does not require knowledge of programming
   • Interactive with immediate feedback

4. LEGO SPIKE Prime

   • Visual block-based programming platform
   • Requires Lego kits
   • Provides lesson plans

What exactly do these tools teach?

• Scratch teaches concepts of loops, conditionals, and event-driven programming
• Blockly teaches you how to program using several programming languages and its syntax, similar to scratch but with a text-based structure
• Google Teachable Machine teaches basics on machine learning with data-driven decisions based on given patterns
• **LEGO Spike Prime teaches robotics through problem-solving and sensor integration, simulating how machines use data to interact with its surroundings

References:
Scratch
Blockly
Google Teachable Machine
LEGO Spike Prime

1 Lesson plan starters for each tool, this is how I usually make lessons if not given

1. Scratch

   • Objective: Simple animation using loops and conditionals
   • Questions: Would you ever want your art to come to life on screen? Want to explore the creative world of programming?
   • Demo: Introduce Scratch's interface and make an animation demonstrating the objective
   • DIY: Allow students time to make their animations, helping others who need help doing what they want in the animation Go around the room and check on each project

2. Blockly

   • Objective: Create a counter program with loops and conditionals
   • Questions: What are ways we can repeat an action multiple times? How can we check for a condition? What if we change the condition?
   • Demo: Create a program in C++ that counts from 1 to 10 and checks if a number is prime or not
   • DIY: Try switching up the language, change the numbers, or change the condition. Feel free to be creative and add more to the code

3. Google Teachable Machine

   • Objective: Train a model to classify images into categories
   • Questions: How can we teach a computer to recognize images? What kind of data do you think is most useful for training a model in the general market?
   • Demo: Show how to collect and upload images into categories (e.g., "cat" and "dog"). Demonstrate training the model and testing it with new images.
   • DIY: Students will collect and upload their images into categories and train the model to classify them. Check in each project for assistance. Students can explore other tools in the application if they want.

4. LEGO Spike Prime

   • Objective: Build a robot to avoid obstacles using sensors
   • Questions: Have you played with legos before?
   • Demo: Introduce the LEGO SPIKE Prime kit and demonstrate building a simple robot that can move forward and stop when it detects an obstacle using the distance sensor.
   • DIY: Let students build their robots with the sensors, programming them to avoid obstacles. Go around the room and check on each project, helping troubleshoot and guiding the students to complete their tasks.

Conclusion

As the STEM job market continues to expand, it becomes essential to integrate technology and AI into education at an early stage. Tools like Scratch, Blockly, Google Teachable Machine, and LEGO SPIKE Prime provide students with hands-on experience and foster skills in programming, problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking. These skills are not only useful for aspiring computer scientists but also for anyone who wants to navigate a tech-driven world effectively.

By using these tools in engaging and interactive ways, we can ensure that students are well-prepared for the future, regardless of whether they pursue a technical career. Introducing them to concepts like loops, conditionals, AI, and robotics builds a strong foundation for understanding the technology that shapes our everyday lives.

Let’s equip the next generation with the tools and knowledge to thrive in a tech-powered world!