Students in a new Ste. Genevieve Middle School Dragon Group recently took their questions about artificial intelligence beyond the classroom — and received some national recognition in return.
Students in history teacher Mrs. Rachel McDaniel’s “AI Tips and Tricks” Dragon Group submitted questions to “The Headlines,” a podcast from The New York Times, for a special episode answering listeners’ questions about AI.
When the episode aired Sept. 29, students discovered that several of their questions had been selected for discussion. The group even received a shoutout for one particularly specific question: “Can AI hack into the self-driving capabilities of a Tesla?” Another student question featured in the episode asked, “Can AI be unplugged?”
This is the first year SGMS has offered AI Tips and Tricks as a Dragon Group selection. Students began by taking a survey to gauge their collective understanding of AI, identify questions they wanted to explore and consider ways they might use AI in their personal lives or at school.
Throughout the group, students learn more about what artificial intelligence is and how it works while building practical skills for using AI tools. They practice writing and refining prompts, primarily using Google Gemini, then experiment with different tasks both individually and in groups to see how their instructions affect the results they receive.
The experience gives students an opportunity to explore a rapidly developing technology while asking questions, testing ideas and learning to use AI more thoughtfully and effectively.