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Hey Niamh,
I really like this idea, especially for a younger class. Connecting the different icons and sounds to feelings gives the coding a really clear purpose, and I could see children having great fun choosing what makes them happy and then deciding how they want to represent that through an image and a tune.
You have also spotted a lovely debugging opportunity in your own project. The issue with the music is that the music block is not connected to the rest of the code. In MakeCode, the blocks should snap together almost like jigsaw pieces. When the music block is connected properly, it should retain its colour. If it appears yellow and greyed out, that means MakeCode does not know when it should run because it is not connected to an event or another part of the program.
That actually gives you a great example to use with the children too, because they can see that debugging is simply noticing something is not working as expected, finding the reason and making a change.
Really lovely idea, and I think the feelings connection would work brilliantly with younger pupils.
Hey Niamh,
I really like this idea, especially for a younger class. Connecting the different icons and sounds to feelings gives the coding a really clear purpose, and I could see children having great fun choosing what makes them happy and then deciding how they want to represent that through an image and a tune.
You have also spotted a lovely debugging opportunity in your own project. The issue with the music is that the music block is not connected to the rest of the code. In MakeCode, the blocks should snap together almost like jigsaw pieces. When the music block is connected properly, it should retain its colour. If it appears yellow and greyed out, that means MakeCode does not know when it should run because it is not connected to an event or another part of the program.
That actually gives you a great example to use with the children too, because they can see that debugging is simply noticing something is not working as expected, finding the reason and making a change.
Really lovely idea, and I think the feelings connection would work brilliantly with younger pupils.
Hey Emily,
This is such a positive reflection, especially the realisation that computational thinking was already happening in your classroom even though you might not have been calling it that. The bridge building and triangle activities are great examples of children planning, testing, noticing what works and improving their ideas, which is exactly the kind of thinking we have been exploring throughout the module.
I really like your plan to make the six computational thinking processes more explicit for the children. Giving them that shared language could help them recognise the strategies they are already using and begin to choose those strategies more independently when they meet a new problem.
Bringing this back to the staffroom is a fantastic next step too. A shared bank of unplugged activities could make computational thinking feel much more accessible across the school, particularly for colleagues who may also feel that digital learning has to begin with technology.
It might be interesting to start by introducing just one or two of the processes across the school and seeing where teachers notice them already happening in different subjects. I think you may find there is far more computational thinking taking place than people realise!
Really looking forward to seeing where you take this.
Hey Eoghan,
I absolutely love this one. Fuel Dash is such a fun idea and you have managed to bring together coding, Maths and Geography in a way that feels really natural rather than forced.
Your explanation of the algorithm design is particularly strong. Breaking the spawning system down into clear steps, then using the overlap event to control the score, sound and disappearance of the fuel can, shows really clearly how much computational thinking is happening behind what looks like a simple game.
I also really like the potential for the energy discussion afterwards. You could have pupils look back at what they were collecting and question whether constantly collecting more fuel is actually the best solution, then use that as a springboard into renewable and non-renewable energy sources. That could open up some brilliant conversations.
Most of all, it is great to hear how much you enjoyed making it yourself. That enthusiasm will absolutely come across when you bring it into the classroom, and I can’t wait to see how it lands in September!
Really well done.
Hey Aoife,
This is a really strong activity. I particularly like that the AI element grows naturally out of the Science learning. Pupils first build their understanding of ecosystems and biodiversity, then explore where technology might genuinely help. That keeps the focus on the learning rather than using AI for the sake of it.
The machine learning activity is very well thought through too. Collecting, labelling, training, testing and then improving the model gives pupils a practical way to see how the quality of the data can affect what an AI system produces. Your focus on checking the images, questioning the results and reminding pupils that AI should support rather than replace other sources of information fits really well with developing responsible AI literacy.
The posters showing the steps used to ‘teach AI’ are a lovely assessment idea as well, particularly alongside the discussions and reflection notes.
One question I would be interested to explore with the pupils is: if the model performs well on the leaves it was trained with but struggles with a new type of leaf, what might that tell us about the training data?
Really well planned, there is a great balance here between Science, Technology and critical thinking.
Hey Fiona,
This is a brilliant game idea. Star Catcher is simple enough for pupils to understand quickly, but there is still plenty of learning happening underneath it. I really like how clearly you have broken the game into manageable parts, and your explanation of decomposition shows exactly how computational thinking supported the design process.
The debugging piece is another real strength. Testing movement, scoring and collisions as you built the game is a great example of how pupils can learn that getting something wrong is part of the process and gives them something useful to improve.
The space theme works really well too. It makes the game feel fun and accessible, and I could see pupils being very motivated to keep replaying it and trying to beat their previous score.
A nice next step could be to build the Maths element even further, perhaps by making different stars worth different amounts or asking pupils to calculate how many more points they need to beat a target score.
Really well done, this feels like a game that could work very nicely in a classroom.
Hey Sinead,
I think you have made a really fair point about the age range here. There can be a big difference between what works for an 11-year-old and an 18-year-old, so adapting the discussion, vocabulary and level of support would be important.
I also completely understand your point about the Minecraft interface. It can feel quite busy if it is not something you use yourself. One thing that can work in its favour though is that many pupils, particularly in the older primary classes, are already extremely familiar and confident with Minecraft. In some cases, they may actually need much less support navigating the world than we expect, which allows the teacher to focus more on the learning and discussion around it.
Your SPHE link is a strong one too, especially around decision-making, influence and personal responsibility.
It would be interesting to see whether trying a lesson with pupils who are already confident Minecraft users would change how you feel about using it as a classroom tool.
Hi Maire,
I really like how thoughtfully you have considered how this would actually work with a class. Your point about using it with senior pupils, potentially over more than one session, makes a lot of sense. There is quite a bit of new language and thinking involved, so giving pupils time to get comfortable with the ideas before jumping fully into the activity could make a big difference.
Pair work could work really well too, particularly because it gives pupils a chance to talk through decisions and explain what the in-game narrative is showcasing.
I also really like your idea of linking this with Safer Internet Week. The focus on human oversight could open up a wider conversation about when we should trust technology, when we need to question it and why people still need to make the final decision.
One thing I would be interested to know is whether you would introduce some of the AI vocabulary before the Minecraft activity, or let pupils encounter the ideas through the game first and unpack the terminology afterwards.
Looking forward to seeing what you explore next.
Hey Danielle,
I really like the shift you are aiming for from mainly teacher-led use of technology towards giving the children more opportunities to use it themselves. For 1st Class, keeping those activities simple and purposeful, like drawing, recording their voice or completing a short task, feels very achievable.
Your actions are also nicely measurable. Having a weekly pupil-led activity and then keeping examples of their work each term should give you a good picture of how their confidence and independence develop over time.
One thing I would be interested to see is which type of pupil-led activity helps the children become independent most quickly. That could be a useful focus when you look back at their work later in the term.
Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the rest of the course.
Hi Irene,
You can really feel your enthusiasm for this one. Bad Connection is a brilliant starting point and you have picked up exactly what makes it work. It opens up honest discussion about online behaviour without feeling like a lecture which is so important with this kind of content.
Your instinct to start with the game before saying too much is great. Letting pupils react first gives you their genuine thinking to work with and pausing after each act to talk through what happened is a really thoughtful way to use the world. I also love the idea of creating a class internet safety agreement and involving parents because that connection between school and home can really strengthen the message.
One important thing worth knowing for your planning is that Bad Connection is pitched at ages 11 and up. It also moves into some heavier content, including harassment and some threat and blackmail-style language in the final act. You mention using it with younger classes, so it would be worth reading the facilitation protocol in the Educator Guide first and thinking carefully about whether the content is suitable for the age group you have in mind.
For younger pupils, Home Sweet Hmm covers similar online safety themes and is designed for ages 7 to 12. You would need access to a Minecraft Education licence to use it though as it is not one of the current demo worlds.
Breaking the activity across a few days is a lovely idea too. It gives the children time to process each part and gives the discussion space to breathe.
Hi Orlaith,
This is a lovely reflection to read. A clear strength is how purposefully you already use digital resources. I like that you draw on a real range, including Scoilnet, interactive sites and AI for quizzes and differentiated activities. Using these tools to support different abilities shows that the technology is being chosen with the learning in mind.
Your area for development is a really thoughtful one too. Moving pupils from consuming information to creating something of their own can lead to much deeper learning because they have to process what they know and decide how best to communicate it.
Your plan to include one digital creation activity in each SESE unit feels realistic and manageable. Linking it to units you are already teaching means it becomes part of the learning instead of another thing to fit in. Using presentations, posters and digital stories across the year will also give pupils a nice variety of ways to show their understanding.
One question to help you focus. When you gather pupil feedback each term, would it help to ask the same question about how confident they feel creating with technology? This would give you something consistent to compare across the year and provide clear evidence for SSE.
Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the rest of the course. 🙂
Hi Catriona,
No apology needed at all. That was a completely fair assumption given what others had posted and you are far from the only one who read it that way. Thanks for going back and having another look. Bad Connection is a lovely choice.
This is a really thoughtful reflection. What stands out is how naturally you have connected the world to what you already teach. Running the Stay Safe lessons first, then using Bad Connection to reinforce the same messages through a more current and familiar setting, makes a lot of sense.
The Webwise link is a natural fit too and I like your point that the game could open up follow-up discussion where pupils share their own gaming experiences. Those conversations can be really valuable because children are connecting the learning to situations they recognise from their own lives.
One thing worth knowing for your planning is that Bad Connection is pitched at ages 11 and up, so it may be a little mature for 4th Class. It also moves into some heavier content, including harassment and threat or blackmail-style language. Given the age of your pupils, it would be worth reading through the Educator Guide and facilitation protocol carefully before deciding whether it is the right fit for your class. The guide also recommends checking your school’s reporting procedures and letting families know in advance.
One small thought to build on your discussion idea. You could have a few sentence starters ready, such as “I felt uncomfortable when…” or “I would tell an adult if…”, to give quieter pupils an easier way into the conversation.
Hi Danielle,
There is some lovely thinking in this reflection. Pausing at key decision points so pupils can talk through why a choice is safe or unsafe is exactly right for this kind of content, as so much of the learning comes through the discussion. Your follow-up idea of creating a poster or set of online safety rules is a lovely way to capture what they have taken from the activity too.
One thing worth knowing is that CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm is a Minecraft Education lesson, but it is not part of the current demo library. The demo set available in the app currently includes four worlds: Bad Connection, Hour of AI: The First Night, Fantastic Fairgrounds and Generation AI. Home Sweet Hmm sits in the wider lesson library which requires a Minecraft Education licence, so it is not one you can play through using the demo for this assignment.
For the task, it would be worth going into the app and playing one of those four demo worlds, then building your reflection around what you actually experienced there. Your ideas around pausing for discussion and reinforcing the learning with a follow-up activity are really strong, so they will transfer well to whichever world you choose.
Looking forward to hearing which one you go with.
Hi Ciara,
Lovely choice and it is clear that you really thought about how you could use it with the children. The Coin Flip is a great fit for probability because the true or false output maps neatly onto heads or tails. Using the shake gesture to mimic tossing a coin is a lovely touch too.
Your fairness investigation is the standout for me. Asking whether the micro:bit coin toss is fair, getting pupils to make a prediction first, then carrying out 20 or 30 tosses and recording the results in a tally chart turns a simple piece of code into real data work. Making the prediction before testing is especially useful because it gives pupils something to compare their results with and opens up lovely discussion about why the results might not be an exact 50/50 split.
Comparing the micro:bit with a real coin adds another interesting layer. It gives pupils a chance to see that both can produce uneven results over a small number of tosses, even though each outcome has an equal chance.
One small idea to build on this would be to combine everyone’s results into one class total. With a much larger number of tosses, pupils could see whether the results begin to move closer to 50/50. That would be a lovely way to introduce the idea that larger samples can give us a clearer picture.
Hi Catriona,
This is a really thoughtful reflection and I like how you have connected it to your Seven Steps approach. Introducing the world at the collaborative stage of narrative writing, once pupils already understand the genre, is really well judged. Planning the characters, setting and storyline on a template before anyone starts building is also a great way to keep the focus on the writing. I really like the follow-on into persuasive writing through a movie poster and trailer too.
One thing worth knowing is that Movie Build Challenge is a Minecraft Education resource, but it is not part of the current demo library. The demo set available in the app currently includes four worlds: Bad Connection, Hour of AI: The First Night, Fantastic Fairgrounds and Generation AI. Movie Build Challenge sits in the wider lesson library which requires a Minecraft Education licence, so it is not one you can access through the demo for this assignment.
For the task, it would be worth going into the app and playing one of those four demo worlds, then building a short reflection around what you actually experienced there. Your planning ideas are really strong, so they will transfer well to whichever world you choose.
Definitely hold onto the Movie Build Challenge idea though. It is a lovely fit for narrative writing and well worth exploring if your school has access to a Minecraft Education licence.
Looking forward to hearing which world you choose.
