Blog posts

content/blog/ai-course/index.md

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+---
+title: Callysto launches AI and Data Science course
+date: 2023-09-06
+---
+<p>A mere decade ago, the term “artificial intelligence” (AI) evoked visions of futuristic battlegrounds pitting humans against sentient time-travelling robots. Fast forward to today, we're moving beyond sensationalism and diving headfirst into a reality where AI is integrated into everyday life. With the recent explosion of “generative AI” tools, it is crucial we learn how these technologies operate, and how they can be used to benefit us.</p>
+<p>In light of this, the Callysto team has developed a <a href="https://github.com/callysto/data-science-and-artificial-intelligence/tree/9abc72be47ff3a5d71fdbed4a6568319e733388b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">course</a> to introduce K-12 teachers and students to AI and data science. We’ve included data science because the two subjects are very much intertwined. We also believe, as our world becomes increasingly data-driven, the ability to analyze, visualize, and draw insights from large and complex datasets will be an essential skill for everyone in the workforce. Also, data science can provide you with the tools to make better decisions and solve complex problems.</p>
+<p>Designed to introduce learners to the foundational concepts and techniques of data science, the course illustrates how data science intersects with the expansive field of AI. It encompasses a broad spectrum of subjects, including elementary data manipulation, statistical operations, AI algorithm training, data visualization, and data analysis.</p>
+<p>The course has been written to be easy to understand, making it ideal for Grades 5 - 9 teachers, as well as high school students. Its 12 notebooks incorporate illustrative examples and practice exercises to solidify the learner’s grasp of the fundamental concepts.</p>
+<p>Key course topics include:</p>
+<ul>
+<li>Data collection and manipulation</li>
+<li>Data visualization through various types of graphs</li>
+<li>Statistical operations</li>
+<li>Text formatting in Jupyter otebook</li>
+<li>Data analysis of Pokémon and Spotify data</li>
+<li>Discriminative AI: natural language processing</li>
+<li>Generative AI: creating images, stories, essays, code, and music</li>
+<li>AI issues and ethics</li>
+<li>Training an AI system to recognize images of cats or dogs</li>
+</ul>
+<p>All lessons and exercises are run in Jupyter notebooks, mirroring real-world data science practices. Throughout the course, learners will become acquainted with Python’s robust code libraries — pandas, Plotly, NLTK — dedicated to data science and artificial intelligence applications. For ease of use, these notebooks can be run for free on our browser-based platform, the Callysto Hub.</p>
+<p>As Pedro Domingo wrote in The Master Algorithm: "It's not man versus machine; it's man with machine versus man without. Data and intuition are like horse and rider, and you don't try to outrun a horse; you ride it." Callysto’s course aims to equip K-12 teachers and students with the skills, insights, and perspectives they’ll need to thrive in an increasingly datafied world.</p>
+<p>To access the course, visit: <a href="https://bit.ly/callysto-ds-ai-course" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Callysto AI and data science</strong></a> course. Also feel free to reach out to Callysto (contact@callysto.ca) if you'd like more information.</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p><em>Image courtesy: <a href="https://docs.midjourney.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Midjourney</a></em></p>

content/blog/calm-resources/index.md

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+---
+title: Interactive Career and Life Management (CALM) course
+date: 2023-12-06
+---
+<p>Callysto has released an interactive course based on Alberta's CALM (Career and Life Management) curriculum. CALM is not only a graduation requirement for an Alberta High School Diploma, but also a vital component of comprehensive school health education, as it focuses on students' knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, competencies, and values. This emphasis on self-understanding is essential for making good choices, fostering positive interactions, managing resources effectively, and pursuing a successful career. The program also helps students improve their problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-reflection skills.</p>
+<p>Callysto’s CALM course aligns with three general outcomes in the <a href="https://education.alberta.ca/media/160199/calm.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alberta Program of Studies</a>:</p>
+<p><strong>General Outcome 1:</strong> Personal Choices • Students will apply an understanding of the emotional/psychological, intellectual, social, spiritual and physical dimensions of health — and the dynamic interplay of these factors — in managing personal well-being.</p>
+<p><strong>General Outcome 2:</strong> Resource Choices • Students will make responsible decisions in the use of finances and other resources that reflect personal values and goals and demonstrate commitment to self and others.</p>
+<p><strong>General Outcome 3:</strong> Career and Life Choices • Students will develop and apply processes for managing personal, lifelong career development</p>
+<p><strong>Callysto CALM notebooks: Moving Out project incorporating data science</strong></p>
+<p>Callysto’s nine CALM Jupyter Notebooks serve as a valuable resource for high school students preparing for life after graduation, and align with specific CALM outcomes in the Alberta Program of Studies. These notebooks offer interactive, personalized guidance and real-life scenario simulations, aiding students in developing practical skills related to budgeting, housing, and personal life choices. (We recently enhanced these notebooks by integrating data analysis and financial planning.)</p>
+<p>These notebooks provide students with access to current datasets such as rent prices and job wages, to enhance their comprehension and preparedness. This feature sets them apart from other similar resources. The online-accessible notebooks support self-paced learning and are valuable, current teaching aids for educators. In the end, they equip students with the knowledge and confidence needed for a successful transition to independent living after high school.</p>
+<p>One of the notebooks in the CALM notebook series looks at income, specifically income related to an occupation, and taxation based on employment income. The user is shown a list of different occupations, giving them insight into future employment opportunities they may not have known about. One section of the notebook highlights how the user can research different branches of a general occupation by filtering based on the name of the occupation. For example, by inputting “engineer”, the user can both see different types of engineering jobs and the average employment salary of the given job.</p>
+<p><iframe loading="lazy" id="igraph" class="post-img-shadow" style="border: none;" src="https://callysto.github.io/data-files/Health/CALM/HTML_figs/occupation.html" width="100%" height="800 " scrolling="no" seamless="seamless"></iframe></p>
+
+<p>After researching occupation information, the user is then able to see how tax can affect their income. This is broken down into federal income tax, provincial income tax, and other government fees. This breakdown can be visualized in several ways, such as the chart below, where the hourly wage is on the x-axis, and income is on the y-axis.</p>
+<p><iframe loading="lazy" id="igraph" class="post-img-shadow" style="border: none;" src="https://callysto.github.io/data-files/Health/CALM/HTML_figs/net_vs_hourly.html" width="100%" height="800 " scrolling="no" seamless="seamless"></iframe></p>
+
+<p>Check out the <a href="https://hub.callysto.ca/jupyter/hub/user-redirect/git-pull?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fcallysto%2Fcurriculum-notebooks&amp;branch=master&amp;subPath=Health/CALM/CALM-moving-out-1.ipynb&amp;depth=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first</a> notebook which links to the other notebooks in the CALM Callysto course.&nbsp;If you are a teacher who has utilized our CALM resources, we eagerly welcome any feedback and suggestions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact us at <a href="mailto:contact@callysto.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact@callysto.ca</a>.</p>
+<p><strong>Relevant links</strong></p>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="https://education.alberta.ca/media/160199/calm.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alberta CALM Program of Studies</a></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/highschool_calm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High school career and life management overview</a></li>
+<li><a href="https://teachers-ab.libguides.com/calm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alberta Teacher's Association guide to support CALM</a></li>