[Ciara OConnell]

I plan to use AI tools in my teaching to create writing prompts and reading activities that align explicitly with what I am teaching rather than having to rely on workbooks that simply become page filling activities rather than meaningful learning activities. AI can absolutely reduce planning time and help support teachers in working smarter not harder. Developing critical thinking is so important for our children and teaching them how to search using AI tools to help support the development of the finished product rather than having the attitude at AI can do it for me.

 
<h1>Senior Infants Coding Lesson – 30 Minutes</h1>
Class: Senior Infants
Age: 5–6 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: STEM / Digital Learning / Mathematics
Topic: Introduction to Coding – Unplugged Activities & Bee-Bots
<h2>Learning Intentions</h2>
We are learning to:

• Understand that coding involves giving instructions.
• Put instructions in the correct order.
• Use directional language: forward, backwards, left, right, stop.
• Program a Bee-Bot to reach a destination.
• Find and fix a mistake in our instructions.

<h2>Success Criteria</h2>
I can:

• Give a clear instruction.
• Follow instructions in sequence.
• Use directional words.
• Program Bee-Bot to reach a target.
• Fix my code if it doesn’t work.

<h2>Key Vocabulary</h2>
code • instruction • sequence • algorithm • forward • backwards • left • right • turn • stop • debug

<hr />

<h2>Lesson Sequence – 30 Minutes</h2>
<h3>1. What is Coding? – 3 minutes</h3>
Gather children on the floor.

Explain:

“Coding means giving instructions to tell something what to do.”

Play “Robot Teacher”.

Give children simple instructions:

• Stand up.
• Sit down.
• Clap twice.
• Turn around.
• Stop.

Ask:

“What happens if I give the instructions in the wrong order?”

Introduce the idea of sequence.

<hr />

<h3>2. Unplugged Coding – Human Robot – 7 minutes</h3>
Choose one child to be the Robot and another to be the Coder.

The Coder gives instructions such as:

➡️ Forward
↪️ Turn right
➡️ Forward
🛑 Stop

Create a simple floor route from START → TARGET.

The children use directional language to guide the Robot.
<h3>Teacher prompts</h3>

• “What should we do first?”
• “What comes next?”
• “Where will the Robot finish?”
• “Can you give me a clearer instruction?”

<hr />

<h3>3. Meet Bee-Bot – 5 minutes</h3>
Introduce the Bee-Bot.

Explain:

“Bee-Bot is a robot. We can give Bee-Bot instructions using the buttons.”

Demonstrate:

Forward → Forward → Right → Forward

Before pressing the buttons, ask:

“Where do you predict Bee-Bot will go?”

Run the sequence and check the prediction.

Briefly introduce debugging:

“If our code doesn’t work, we can find the mistake and fix it. This is called debugging.”

<hr />

<h3>4. Bee-Bot Challenge – 10 minutes</h3>
Place Bee-Bot on a simple grid mat.

Put a target picture on another square.

Children work in pairs.

Partner 1: Plans and says the instructions.
Partner 2: Enters the instructions on Bee-Bot.

Then swap roles.
<h3>Challenge</h3>
START → 🏠

Children must:

1. Look at the grid.
2. Plan the route.
3. Say the instructions.
4. Program Bee-Bot.
5. Test it.
6. Debug if necessary.

For children ready for more challenge:

“Can you find another way to get Bee-Bot to the target?”

<hr />

<h3>5. Plenary – 5 minutes</h3>
Gather children together.

Ask:

What is coding?

“Giving instructions.”

What does Bee-Bot need?

“Instructions/code.”

What does sequence mean?

“The order things happen.”

What do we do when our code doesn’t work?

“Debug it / fix it.”

Finish with children demonstrating the directional actions:

Forward → Backwards → Left → Right → Stop

<hr />

<h1>Curriculum Links</h1>
<h3>Mathematics</h3>

• Position and direction
• Spatial awareness
• Movement
• Sequencing
• Problem-solving

<h3>Oral Language</h3>
Children listen and respond to instructions and use positional and directional vocabulary.
<h3>STEM / Digital Learning</h3>
Children develop early:

• Computational thinking
• Algorithmic thinking
• Sequencing
• Logical reasoning
• Debugging
• Problem-solving

<h3>Social Development</h3>

• Turn-taking
• Cooperation
• Listening
• Working collaboratively
• Perseverance

<hr />

<h1>Assessment</h1>
Teacher observes whether children can:

☐ Follow a simple instruction.
☐ Give a clear instruction.
☐ Use directional vocabulary.
☐ Sequence instructions.
☐ Predict Bee-Bot’s movement.
☐ Program Bee-Bot.
☐ Identify and correct an error.
☐ Work cooperatively with a partner.
<h3>Evidence of Learning</h3>
Children successfully plan, program and test a Bee-Bot route, using appropriate directional language and beginning to recognise that mistakes can be debugged and corrected.

<hr />

<h1>Differentiation</h1>
Support:

• Use a smaller grid.
• Begin with 1–2 commands.
• Use visual arrow cards.
• Adult models the route.

Extension:

• Use 4–6 commands.
• Include turns.
• Create an obstacle.
• Find two different routes.
• Find the shortest route.

[Ciara OConnell]

I agree Anne, can’t wait to use it with my Senior Infants.

 

[Ciara OConnell]

Having taught Third Class for years I loved this too and it’s uses are endless especially across the SESE curriculum. Developing critical thinking is key to the curriculum but it can be difficult to think up meaningful ways of providing opportunities for this. Using AI to generate texts with differing bias and comparing to school text books is a great way to do this.

[Ciara OConnell]

As a teacher of Senior Infants Scratch Jr is probably the most realistic starting point where the children are hands on and active.

I would start with unplugged activities to support the teaching of directional language.

I would then use Beebots to develop this understanding. We have 6 beebots and a set of mats to support their use.

Then I would introduce Scratch Jr on our Ipads. I think I would probably look at linking up with an older class and do some peer tutoring to support the Infants learning.

Mathsplayground has some very simple coding activities that might be manageable by the end of the year.

Code.org is a fantastic resource for teaching coding and I have used that in third class with great success

In a previous module the example was given about inputting information on the novel Charlottes Web to create an image. This is definitely an activity that could be adapted for Senior Infants when doing creative writing and encouraging sentence development. As a class we could input the description and generate an image and the follow up could be the class writing about what they see.

[Ciara OConnell]

First of all congratulations on a very practical module full of resources and ideas for use in all primary classrooms.

I really like the microsoft search coach for the senior classes and I will be sharing that with colleagues.

With regard to my own class of Senior Infants Diffit is the exact rexource I have been needing all year. We are implementing UFLI in our school but I was finding their reading passages too difficult for emerging readers. I logged into Diffit and saw their phonics decodable reader generator and it is amazing. It essentially created the weeks written and reading activities for the UFLI lesson. Absolute game changer and time saver. I have been spending hours trawling through teachers pay teachers to buy the resources I’ve needed and now I can make my own in under 2 minutes.

Gamma powerpoint generator looks good too.

Twee looked very interesting. I don’t know if it was my device but the page that I think was explaining how to generate questions from a you tube video had no sound and no video on the slide.

Magic school looked super too. I  was particularly interested in the maths problem generator. But need to spend some time exploring that particular tool.

[Ciara OConnell]

I also teach Senior Infants Barbara ad was thinking along the same lines as you.

Creating images specific to the phonics that are being taught will be a real game changer for developing writing skills The emergent writer will have ready made ideas on the board and can concentrate solely on the function of writing. I have found that the biggest hurdle for the emergent writer is often what to write.

[Ciara OConnell]

There’s no doubt that this module has been very informative in showing me the array of AI tools out there. However, I still feel very unclear as to ‘how’ to use it in my classroom of 30 Senior Infants in September.
I can use it to create differentiated and individualised resources and I can absolutely see how it will help me with my planning and monthly reports. I also can see how I will have more confidence in moving away from workbooks and create more meaningful and relevant activities based on my lessons using CoPilot of Chat GPT or Gemini.
But looking at other responses I feel like I am missing something more from this module, I’m just not sure what it is.

Immersive Reader looks incredible and I look forward to sharing it with parents and my SET colleagues.
Dream Space TV on rte.ie/learn also looks great and will also share that with my colleagues teaching more senior classes.
Mash.plus is great to give ideas and show what can be generated and I will also share that with my colleagues.

The obvious challenges are the lack of resources in our primary schools and the increasing demands that are being put on our already stretched teachers.
Children are also spending huge amounts of time on devices outside of school (I am not critising here, it is part of their lives now) but with this in mind we also as educators have be mindful of not increasing this screen time unnecessarily.

[Ciara OConnell]

I totally agree Carol and am relieved to see your post as I felt I was missing something from this module seeing the gushing responses from other participants. Yes AI could transform a child’s learning but in a class of 30 with only 30mins access to ipads a day I’m not sure how impactful it can practically be?

[Ciara OConnell]

There is no doubt that the use of AI knows no bounds and that in my experience it’s biggest hinderance is the ability of teachers to use it meaningfully.
I am very excited to see how I an use it to enhance my own teaching and I see the potential to streamline resources specifically to what I am teaching as a real winner. Workbooks have really become redundant with the ever changing curriculums so learning how to generate my on worksheets specific to my lessons, specifically phonics is very exciting.
It does however make me a little nervous that people will forget that teacher’s knowledge of the curriculum, learning outcomes etc is central to what we are creating for our classrooms with AI. Potentially there will be all these amazing resources and images ad videos created but will we remember to actually teach the content! AI is amazing and exciting resource but a good teacher is still the most important resource we have.
I’m surely showing my age with this response!

[Ciara OConnell]

I too liked the comparison to a teaching assistant. We are so time poor and the demands are so high now, not to mention the pressure we put on ourselves.

I have enjoyed exploring the differences between the 3 chat bots and feel like I will now have a slightly better understanding of what the younger staff are referring to.

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