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Artificial intelligence (AI), a cutting-edge programming technology, has arrived at Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS).
“I enjoy learning about the new codes, new concepts in AI and how computers can help people,” said Giovanni Baltar, a ninth grader at Southwest High School. school. “I hope I can someday save someone from identity theft by taking this class.”
Baltar is one of the first set of students at five M-DCPS schools who can take classes in AI.
Those schools are Miami Beach Senior High, Miami Springs Senior High, Southridge Senior High, Southwest Senior High and Westland Hialeah Senior High. Two of those schools, Southridge and Southwest, are offering magnet programs in AI.
AI is the development of computers and machines that can perform intelligent tasks that have traditionally been the purview of humans, from decision-making and speech recognition to visual perception (i.e. analyzing X-rays to search for tumors) and translations.
These AI courses taught now at M-DCPS are possible thanks to a partnership with the University of Florida, which developed the curriculum and trained the teachers. The courses were piloted last year in three Florida public school districts with successful results, leading to the program’s expansion to 12 districts beginning this year.
“We’ve been building out this supportive pipeline for AI and data science in the state of Florida with the ultimate goal of infusing AI throughout the state’s public-school curriculum, from kindergarten through 12th grade,” said Dr. Ellen Ruzycki, an associate professor at UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, who helped design the curriculum.
For the past two summers, UF has held summer boot camps in Miami to train M-DCPS teachers to teach the class. M-DCPS’s cutting-edge curriculum is another reason it is your best choice for your child’s education.
Southwest High’s AI magnet, called “Data Science and Machine Learning,” was launched this school year and has 17 students. Teacher Rudy Perez said students currently are learning what AI is and the components that make a computer intelligent (e.g. sensors, cameras, microphones). They also learn about the ethics involved in this programming, and what is the right or wrong thing for the computer to do.
“Right now, self-driving cars pull over if they can’t make a decision,” Perez said. “What do we need to do to make self-driving cars safe? When it’s trying to make a left turn if something goes wrong, can we safely program it to figure out what to do?”
For the second half of the course, students take the course “Applications of AI,” which will introduce students to Python, the programming language used to create intelligent chatbots. At the end of the year students will be able to sit for the AfI Fundamentals Industry Certification exam.
“Students will start using tools to build the software,” Perez said. “One of the things they’ll do is create a program where the chatbox goes on a website and has conversations with people online on how to install a lightbulb or some other step-by-step advice.”
The goal is for students to begin to look at how AI is used in different fields to solve problems and learn to create their own AI systems to address issues they’re passionate about.
Perez explained that the most important thing is for students to learn coding, so they can learn how the computer thinks. That experience will help them to further their studies in college or start a career in information technology or AI.
“My students think AI is cool. I think it’s a little scary,” Perez said. “They can’t wait for the robots to do chores, like the laundry so they don’t have to do it.”
Dr. Lupe F. Diaz, executive director of Career and Technical Education at M-DCPS, said that the AI courses also prepare students for the Microsoft Azure Industry Certification exam.
This qualification will help students thrive in AI college courses will put them on a path toward a career in the field.
“AI is the future. Employers are looking for candidates who have an awareness of AI and many new positions are being created because of AI technology and its use in many industries,” Diaz said.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) already is accepting Magnet program applications for the AI magnet program and hundreds of other programs for the 2024-25 school year. Applications are available at miamimagnets.org through Jan. 15, 2024.
Jorge Bulnes is principal at Miami Southwest High School,
Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
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