What should an AI-for-kids class teach an 11-year-old before asking them to create a chatbot account or upload their own schoolwork?
My 11-year-old keeps seeing AI classes advertised alongside coding and robotics. I'm curious, but some descriptions seem to jump straight into making pictures or asking a bot for answers. What would you want covered before signing up for a fall class?
I'd ask which tools they'll use, how they check age requirements, and whether children need individual accounts. I would not agree to using a false birth date just to get through registration. Those details should be settled before the first lesson.
For me, the interesting part would be checking an answer rather than producing one quickly. I'd want a sample activity where children notice a mistake, compare it with a reliable source and explain what they found.
Ask what children can do without entering personal information. I don't want my kid's schoolwork, photos or details about classmates becoming the default material for a demonstration. A made-up example should be enough for a beginner lesson.
Keep school rules separate from a private course's promises. NYCPS's current guidance places a moratorium on student-facing generative AI in grades 2K–8. A private class advertising AI skills doesn't make a tool approved for schoolwork: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/policies/guidance-on-artificial-intelligence
I'd ask how much of the session is children thinking and making decisions versus following prompts from a slide. If they can't describe the learning without naming a chatbot, I'd keep looking.