Techsperience Week

As educators, it has become clear that for the first time in history, we are teaching for a future that we cannot predict. Technology is advancing so fast, and in so many different directions, that it is impossible to predict what the world will look like when the pupils we are teaching now reach adulthood. We do not know what information will be considered important and what will be considered useless. We do not know what skills will be valued. We do not know what the criteria for success will look like for them throughout their lives. 

For some, this is scary, but here at the Nursery, we find this exciting! Here, we are choosing to embrace the challenge and support our pupils in achieving their best possible future! We are proud to say that, while we may not know what the future will look like, we are preparing our pupils to face it, no matter what it brings.

The idea of Techsperience Week was built on this foundational idea. The intent behind Techsperience Week was to create a spark of interest in the pupils and inspire them to embrace technology in ways that are healthy and supportive of their development. Here, at this critical time in our pupils' development, we want them to be confident in themselves and in how they interact with technology, and, more importantly, to embrace it as the tool it is. 

We do not want pupils who ignore the world around them and use technology only, nor do we want them to push away technology, as neither attitude will prepare them for the future. We aim to help pupils learn to use, like, and respect technology while also respecting themselves.

For Techsperience Week in the Nursery at Hiba Academy Hangzhou, we had a wide range of activities throughout the week, but the most visible was the robot dog that came to visit us. This robot spent several days in the Nursery, with the pupils playing with it both outside and in their classrooms. This was much more than just a gimmick; it was a way for us to introduce the pupils to the future that they will live in. By now, everyone has encountered robots, from those delivering food in hotels to those cleaning shopping malls. Even something as simple as a robot cleaning our homes is becoming more common. And while we do not know what the future will look like, we can be sure that robots will be a large part of it.

Having the robot in our Nursery was not about letting the pupils play with a new toy; it was introducing them to their future assistants, or maybe even colleagues. We wanted to support the children in developing empathy for robots and seeing them as more than just machines. And we were astounded by how well the children did this! We had pupils asking amazing questions such as "Can robots have feelings?" and "Do they dream like we do?" These questions show that the pupils are aware that robots are different to us, but also that they are similar to us in many ways. Another very common question was "What is his name?" We even had pupils insisting that we make a bed for the robot dog, so that it could "have a nap". We are thrilled to see how kind and empathetic the pupils are. Even now, we have pupils asking when the robot will come back. This empathy and connection to robots will help the pupils work with and alongside them in the future.

Another core element of our Techsperience Week was the Beebots. These are small, programmable robots that we use to teach the pupils the basics of coding. While they look like simple toys, they have a strong educational purpose, teaching the pupils about coding. This is a skill that will be crucial for the pupils as they grow up, as while AI can be used to write code, it still needs people to implement it and ensure it functions correctly. While some people say that learning to code is pointless, here at Hiba Academy Hangzhou, we believe it will be even more important than ever in the future. Supporting pupils to be confident in coding will ensure they have the ability to work in any field or industry and be successful.

The pupils had a lot of fun exploring coding with the Beebots. They very quickly learned how to use the Beebots, using their developing coding skills to tell them to drive forward and backwards, turn corners, and move around obstacles. They also showed a fantastic interest in how they worked, talking about how they were "driving" around, while others said that they thought the Beebots were walking. This sort of hands-on learning is how we support our pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding of robots and coding, which we are sure will be particularly important throughout their lives.

Our final part of Techsperience Week was using AI in the classrooms, especially in EY4, where the pupils created an exhibition of their AI artwork. Although the topic of AI artwork can be controversial, as some people do not consider it real art, the purpose of this was much more than just creating pictures. The true purpose of this is to teach pupils how to engage with AI and create what they want. As AI use becomes increasingly common over the following years and decades, pupils will use it daily as they grow. Our aim for now is to teach the pupils how to use it effectively and successfully, so they can get the results they want from it. This is the difference between making a picture of a car and creating the car of their dreams.

Another important part of our AI use is teaching pupils to use AI ethically. It is easy for pupils now to use AI for everything, but without learning the ideas and skills behind it, the pupils are limited in how much they can grow. By teaching them how to use it properly as a tool to support their own learning and growth, we are helping pupils learn more. This, in turn, will help them have the skills to further themselves and their careers throughout their lives. Again, while we do not know what the future will look like, we can be sure that AI will be a big part of it.

We are constantly seeing the pupils find new ways to express themselves through technology, and AI will be the tip of the iceberg in this. 

While we worked hard to make Techsperience Week fun and engaging for the pupils, the intent was to inspire them to take an interest in technology, while also being themselves. We are proud of what we have seen in this, as the pupils are now asking questions about what it means to use technology and why they do it. We are excited to see the pupils develop this spark of interest and hope to see them take it further as they grow and learn more. And most of all, we are excited to prepare the pupils for the future, no matter what it holds.