Reflection 10

WHAT?

I went to the website called Education World and looked up the Tech Lesson of the Week. The assignment is for students to research a historical figure and create a chat bot representing that figure. A chat bot is a simple web-based program that allows users to type in questions and get replies. So students are to test and check their knowledge of Abraham Lincoln by chatting with an AI (artificial intelligence) “chat bot." They then research another historical figure and use the information they discover to create their own chat bots.

SO WHAT?

What an interesting way for students to get an upclose and “personal” experience with the historical figure. I know for me as a student, history was always difficult for me. Everything seemed so far in the past, that it was hard for me to grasp any idea of history. This chat bot gives students an idea of what it would have been like to talk with Ab Lincoln and other historical figures.

NOW WHAT?

However, not only does it give the students a tangible way to understand the historical figures that seem so far off, it also requires the students to fully grasp the character of their own researched historical figure. The student must know enough about the figure’s character to create a chat bot from scratch. This seemed like a great tool to use during a history unit to get children excited about the past, while still looking toward the future.