AI Demystified: College of Education Faculty Bring the Hour of AI and Coding to Schools in Idaho

K-12 students in Idaho caught the Artificial Intelligence bug earlier this month as faculty from ISU’s College of Education took Code.org’s Hour of AI to classrooms across the southern part of the state. Partnering with the Idaho STEM Action Center, Wendy Ruchti, Ph.D, associate professor of STEM and Science Education, and Kaywin Cottle, clinical instructor, sparked excitement for AI with interactive activities.

The Hour of AI, previously known as the Hour of Code, has been empowering students and educators for over a decade. Computer Science Education Week is a yearly event that takes place during the first full week of December to raise awareness of the rich educational and career opportunities available in Computer Science. The week includes events where teachers sign up for an hour of time when volunteers come to support the use of AI or coding in the classroom. It includes hands-on activities that are built to be easy to follow, opening doors for anyone–no matter what kind of technology background they have.

Ruchti worked with teachers and students at Ellis, Chubbuck, and Tendoy Elementary in Pocatello Chubbuck School District #25 to provide coding activities for third graders. “The local district really embraced the Hour of Code/AI, and we had a lot of teachers who wanted to participate,” she said. “Some classes are experts and some are just beginning.”  Ruchti was able to support classrooms by bringing in Micro:Bits purchased through a Dean’s Excellence Grant. Micro:Bits are pocket-sized, programmable computers designed to teach coding and physical computing. They have LEDs and sensors for students to make interactive games and control robots. Students learn programming through visual block-based editors or Python. It makes the concepts accessible and fun. 

Ruchti also did some AI activities with the students. “I think that many of us are considering how AI can and should be used in K-12 schools,” she said. “In the College of Education, we are currently planning how to better prepare teachers to use AI with their students and also as a transformational tool to make teaching more efficient and effective. Also, preservice teachers in Science Methods are learning basic coding so they can then teach it in their future classrooms.”  One of Idaho’s Computer Science Initiatives (Idaho Code 33-1633, 2016) mandates statewide efforts for Computer Science awareness and access from K-12.  

The initiative is equally important to Cottle, who said, “By participating, I hope to demystify AI for students and show them that these concepts are accessible and relevant to their futures, regardless of their background or career aspirations.” Cottle visited Heyburn Elementary School in the Minidoka School District to bring the Hour of AI to 5th graders. They used a premade module to explore AI concepts through play with Lego. 

The Hour of AI serves as an introduction to the concept and application of AI, but the idea behind it is that resources remain available to teachers from that point forward, allowing them to familiarize themselves and gain exposure to the many facets of AI. “For teachers,” said Cottle, “it provides a low-barrier entry point to integrate cutting-edge topics without needing to become AI experts themselves.”

Both teachers and students alike responded to this initiative with enthusiasm and curiosity. While there are still harbored concerns about the potential of AI to undermine traditional learning, teachers were very engaged and wanted to learn how to teach its responsible use.

The Hour of AI is a global initiative by Computer Science Education Week and the Hour of AI to introduce millions of students to artificial intelligence.