A Passion for Technology Brings Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the High School Classroom in Brooklyn, New York
Learn more about how teacher and Touro EdTech certification candidate Artur Lashiker is putting AI into the hands of high school students as part of an innovative program that has the potential to revolutionize education.
Artificial intelligence has become an integrated part of daily life – from automated smart lights and appliances to apps that map out the best route to beat the traffic. Now, one innovative certification candidate at Touro College Graduate School of Technology is taking steps to bring it into the classroom, potentially giving teachers a powerful tool in their efforts to prepare students for the real world.
Artur Lashiker is a fulltime math and science high school teacher in Brooklyn, NY, and he’s also pursuing his EdTech certification and master’s degree in Instructional Technology at Touro Graduate School of Technology’s Instructional Technology Teacher Certification program. His interest in technology is what led him to Touro – and to get involved with a project called “Pioneering Integrations of Industry Software into Geometry and Physics ICT Curriculum,” which has the potential to revolutionize the way students learn.
It all started early one morning when Artur walked into work and was asked by his principal how much he knew about artificial intelligence. It turns out the Brooklyn high school was partnering with Long Island University on an ambitious pioneer program to integrate Industry Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Software into the standard school curriculum, and Artur was instantly interested in getting involved.
After a lot of research and preparation, the program is now in the early stages, with teachers being trained on the software. Artur describes it as “quite technical” and suspects it will take time before it’s simple enough to be truly functional in a classroom. “As with most technologies, things are clunky at first,” he explained. “Being in the vanguard of a new system of education is often frustrating as things don’t quite progress as fast as I would like.”
That said, Artur is hopeful that he and his fellow teachers will be working with students by late spring or early next school year. Each student will receive a laptop preloaded with the software, which combines 3D modeling technology with Artificial Intelligence and Simulation Integration to allow users to build 3-dimensional models.
For the sake of the pilot program, students will be tasked with using it to build a fully functional bridge that can support the full weight of New York City rush hour traffic. Applying the knowledge they’ve learned in Geometry and Physics, they’ll work collaboratively to identify the bridge shapes that are more structurally sound, develop the bridge’s shapes and parts, and then simulate and test the weight of their bridge using the simulation software.
This innovative program is one of the earliest efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence and Modeling into the General Education Curriculum, and while it’s still in its infancy, Artur’s excited about what he describes as truly limitless potential. “The ways in which someone could integrate this into almost any classroom really does boggle the mind,” he enthused. “Anything we can physically see or build we would be able to implement in a digital space. It’s frankly staggeringly revolutionary.”
Eventually, students could use the technology via VR goggles to walk inside the arteries of a living heart, design and crash dummy-test their own cars, and much more. In essence, teachers will be able to take a completely innovative and immersive approach that builds practical skills to prepare students for life in the real world.
After the program is complete, Artur and his co-teachers will assess its success – with the hope that this type of technology will completely change teaching for the better. In fact, Artur already experienced that impact for himself. “I’m a teacher, and my main aspiration is to just become a better one. This program has helped immensely with that. It’s given me tools that I believe have made me considerably more effective in the classroom and infinitely more effective remotely.”
If you share Artur’s interest in technology and already have your New York State Teacher Certification, Touro’s GST Teacher Certification track in the Master of Science in Instructional Technology can help you build skills in educational technology to advance your career. GST’s NYSED-approved teacher education program includes both in person and online learning opportunities and will prepare you for a wide range of technology teaching roles, from Computer Lab teacher to Director of Technology. Plus, after earning your certification, you may be eligible for a salary differential. To take the next step in your teaching career, learn more and apply today!
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