Year 9 Cyber First Day

On Thursday 9 January, 30 Year 9 Computer Science students visited the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) as part of a CyberFirst enrichment visit. The experience gave us valuable insight into cyber security and artificial intelligence, and into the future digital careers pathways available in these rapidly developing fields. It helped us understand how the skills we learn in Computer Science can lead to real-world opportunities.

During the visit, we learned how cyber security protects systems, data, and people, while artificial intelligence is used to analyse information, automate processes, and solve complex problems. An interactive AI Kahoot quiz encouraged us to apply our knowledge and think critically about how these technologies are shaping society and the workplace.

We took part in a range of hands-on workshops. In an AI ethics discussion, we considered the responsibilities involved in designing and using intelligent systems. We also participated in an AI prompt-engineering challenge, exploring how humans and AI can work together effectively. In another session, we became Digital Detectives, using data analysis and open-source intelligence to investigate digital clues and understand how cyber professionals identify and respond to threats.

One of the highlights of the day was programming Sphero robots using block coding, which demonstrated how logical thinking and precision underpin both AI development and cyber security.

Overall, the visit was informative and inspiring, and it helped us see how studying Computer Science can lead to exciting opportunities in cyber security, artificial intelligence, and the wider technology sector.