"AI & Connection: Bridging Hearts & Minds"

7th, 6th, 8th Grades

Project
1 week

"AI & Connection: Bridging Hearts & Minds"

Jenn Charlot

Phenomenon

In your school, some students seem to have many friends and are always included in activities, while others often sit alone or are not invited to join. What factors contribute to these differences in social engagement, and how can technology like AI help identify and support those who may feel isolated?

The Challenge

In an era where artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into daily life, the challenge lies in ensuring that technology enhances rather than diminishes human connection. The risk of social isolation among students is heightened, necessitating innovative approaches to foster engagement and belonging. How can we develop a school-wide initiative that uses AI to identify students who may feel isolated and implement strategies to improve their social engagement?

Standards

Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

What You Will Learn And Do

Investigate how AI can identify students who may feel isolated by analyzing data patterns and discussing potential ethical considerations with experts from a local tech company. Explore existing AI tools and strategies that enhance social engagement, evaluating their effectiveness and potential impact on school culture. Design and test a school-wide initiative that utilizes AI to foster connection, refining the approach based on peer and mentor feedback. Present your initiative to policymakers, clearly articulating your findings, proposed solutions, and the anticipated benefits for student well-being.

The Learning Journey

Phases	Learning Outcome
Discover	I can explore how AI impacts human connection by interviewing peers about their social experiences and analyzing patterns with AI tools, sparking curiosity and identifying the root causes of social isolation in our school community.
Examine	I can investigate how AI is currently used in schools and its impact on student interactions. I can analyze data on student engagement to identify patterns of isolation. I can explore ethical considerations of AI in education by consulting with experts from Google's New York office. I can collaborate with peers to brainstorm innovative solutions for enhancing social connections among students. I can evaluate the effectiveness of various AI tools in fostering a supportive school environment.
Engineer	I can develop a proposal for a school-wide initiative by collaborating in teams to design a prototype AI tool that identifies students who may feel isolated, incorporating input from Google's New York office to ensure ethical use and effectiveness.
Do	I can collaborate with classmates to use AI tools to identify students who may feel isolated, analyze the data collected, and propose strategies to improve their social engagement, presenting findings to policymakers and tech experts from Google's New York office.
Share	I can share our AI-driven school initiative by presenting our findings and proposed strategies to local policymakers and representatives from Google's New York office, showcasing how we can ethically use AI to enhance student social engagement and foster stronger human connections.

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2
Activities	Introduction to AI and Social Engagement - Students will discuss the phenomenon of social engagement differences in their school and brainstorm how AI could help address these issues, aligning with Common Core standards on collaborative discussions (40 min) Peer Interviews - Students will conduct interviews with classmates to gather insights on their social experiences and feelings of isolation, sparking curiosity and initial data collection (50 min) AI Tools Exploration - Students will explore existing AI tools that analyze social patterns and consider their potential applications in the school setting (60 min) Ethical Considerations Discussion - Students will discuss ethical considerations of using AI in education, guided by expert insights, to ensure responsible tool usage (50 min) Data Pattern Analysis - Using collected interview data, students will identify patterns of social engagement and isolation, preparing for further investigation (50 min) Reflection and Sharing - Students will share their interview findings and reflections on the potential of AI to support social engagement (50 min)	AI School-wide Initiative Brainstorming - In groups, students will brainstorm ideas for a school-wide initiative using AI to enhance student social engagement (60 min) Prototype Design - Students will begin designing a prototype AI tool or initiative, incorporating feedback from Google's New York office for ethical use (70 min) Prototype Feedback Session - Students will present their prototype ideas to peers for feedback and make necessary refinements (50 min) Strategy Development - Students will develop specific strategies and action plans for implementing their AI initiative in the school (60 min) Rubric Creation - Students will collaboratively create an assessment rubric to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of their initiative (30 min) Presentation Preparation - Students will prepare to present their initiative to policymakers and tech experts, focusing on clear articulation of findings and proposed solutions (30 min)
Deliverables	1. Completed peer interview dataset 2. Analysis report on patterns of social isolation 3. AI-driven strategy proposal 4. Presentation for policymakers and tech experts
Preparation	1. Secure permission slips for student interviews. 2. Arrange virtual meeting with Google's New York office. 3. Prepare AI tools and software for data analysis. 4. Gather resources on AI ethics and educational tools.