We live in a world that is constantly changing. With the rise of technology, our world has turned into a global village in more ways than one. In this fast-paced and tech-centric world, children are growing up surrounded by digital devices. Therefore, it is more important than ever to teach each child healthy concepts of digital use.

In Scout Ahead for beginners, we incorporated different technology to teach young learners what technology is all about and how it affects our lives. Each day we would be presented with a topic that would allow us to learn using various technology devices and platforms. For example, on the subject of trip planning, we learned to use Google Maps for everyday purposes, especially for directions. Through demonstration, we discovered this digital platform could provide us with lots of information about a location we would like to travel to. It would give us multiple transportation routes from point A to point B, so we could choose which one suited us the best. It could also measure distances and estimate arrival time to know how far we were traveling and how long it would take to get to our destination. With an excited heart, we divided ourselves into groups of two. We applied what we learned to make a direction poster for our chosen destination. We wrote a set of precise instructions from which MRT line to take to where we should get off. We even included the time and a drawing of the destination.

On the day of AI Battles, we learned that AI stood for Artificial Intelligence, which meant smart machines that could perform human tasks. To better understand the topic, we watched several videos about how AI works and what types of AI we use in our lives now. We discovered AI could be found almost everywhere, like on our cellphones or cars. Everyone was particularly excited to learn that robot vacuum cleaners were one type of AI. To understand how AI works, we did a small experiment with two different Ais: Siri and Google Assistant. We asked both AIs a series of questions and voted for the best answers. The whole class flavored Google Assistant more because of the friendly and helpful responses. Afterward, we came to an understanding that AI could only work if it gathered enough information. It made us wonder what would happen if it had too much information. Is too much information safe? After watching several important moments in “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” we learned that if we put too much information about ourselves on the Internet, it could be a dangerous thing to do. With this new knowledge in mind, every one of us designed an AI robot that would perform only the things we wanted it to do. There were lots of crazy but creative ideas flying around. We finally put them all down on paper and wrote about what our AI robot could do for us and the world.

There is no stopping the progress of technology. Look at our computers! Look at our phones! 30 years ago, the Internet just started and was only available to a few. Now it’s available everywhere and has forever changed how we view the world. Hello! Hello! by Matthew Cordell is a great book that teaches us to balance nature and technology. Even though we can’t live without technology, we can learn to use it carefully and responsibly.