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I liked how your lesson gives pupils the opportunity to discover for themselves how AI learns, rather than simply being told how machine learning works. The mystery object challenge is a real strength because it encourages pupils to predict, test and reflect on the results. I think this is a very age-appropriate way of introducing AI literacy, as it shows that AI is not intelligent on its own but relies on the quality and variety of the data it is given.
Like my own activity where pupils compare an AI-generated biography with one from a trusted source. Although our activities are different, they both encourage pupils to question AI outputs instead of accepting them at face value. Your lesson focuses on how the training data affects AI predictions, while mine focuses on checking the accuracy of AI-generated information.
One question I had was whether you would encourage pupils to think about who selected the training data in the first place. Could the AI make unfair decisions if the examples chosen were too limited or didn’t represent enough variety?
One possible extension could be to let pupils retrain their model after the mystery object challenge and compare the results. This would provide a clear way of assessing whether they understand how improving the training data can improve the AI’s performance.
Sixth Class
Curriculum Area and Learning Intention: SPHE (Digital Citizenship) and English (Oral Language) with integration with History.
Pupils will develop the skills to critically evaluate digital information by comparing AI-generated content with information from a trusted source and recognising that not everything generated by AI is accurate.
AI Concept Being Explored:
AI-generated content can appear convincing but may contain inaccuracies, omissions or misinformation. It is important to verify information using reliable sources.Activity Outline:
I would provide pupils with two short accounts of the life of Michael Collins. One account would be AI-generated and would deliberately contain a number of factual inaccuracies, while the other would come from a reputable source. Working in pairs, pupils would compare the two texts, identify any differences and discuss which account they believe is more trustworthy. They would then use evidence from the reputable source to explain why certain information in the AI-generated account was incorrect or misleading. This would be followed by a class discussion on why AI can make mistakes and why we should always think critically about the information we read online.Critical Question:
How can we decide whether information created by AI is accurate and trustworthy?Responsible Use Consideration:
Pupils should understand that AI can be a valuable tool for learning, but they should always look beyond the AI response, consider where the information has come from and verify it using reliable sources. As teachers, we also have a responsibility to ensure the sources we use are accurate, age-appropriate and suitable for our pupils and what AI platforms could be exposing to the children.Supporting Critical Thinking:
Pupils will work collaboratively to compare evidence, justify their decisions and explain why they trust one source over another.Evidence of Learning:
Pupils will complete a reflection explaining one inaccuracy they identified, how they verified it and one thing they will do in future to avoid being exposed to misinformation.I also explored a similar lesson so it was interesting to read your reflection and compare our thoughts on the lesson. I agree that online safety is becoming increasingly important as pupils are using digital technologies more frequently, both in school and at home. I thought the scenarios worked well because they encouraged pupils to think carefully about who they can trust online and reinforced the importance of reporting anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.
I also liked that the lesson is supported by a range of additional resources. The educator guide and follow-up activities would make it much easier to extend the learning beyond the Minecraft world, while the parent letter is a great way of encouraging conversations about online safety at home.
One point you made that I particularly agreed with was the need to differentiate the lesson depending on the class level. As I teach 6th class, I would probably include some discussion around social media, online gaming and group chats, as these are situations that many older pupils are beginning to encounter. This would help make the lesson even more relevant to their everyday lives while reinforcing the key messages about staying safe online.I explored the CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm demo world in Minecraft Education. As I have used Minecraft with pupils before, I was interested to see how it could be used to teach an important topic such as online safety through an engaging and interactive environment.
The world focuses on helping pupils make safe and responsible choices online. Throughout the lesson, pupils complete a series of challenges that explore topics such as protecting personal information, creating secure passwords, recognising phishing attempts and identifying online scams. The activities encourage pupils to stop and think before making decisions online, helping them apply these skills to real-life situations.
The lesson plan provides clear learning objectives, teacher guidance and supporting resources to help facilitate discussions before and after the activity. The aim is to develop pupils’ understanding of digital citizenship while encouraging critical thinking and responsible use of technology.
I think this lesson links particularly well with the SPHE curriculum and the Digital Learning Framework, as pupils are developing the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe online and make informed decisions when using digital technologies.
As I teach 6th class, I would use the world but adapt the follow-up discussion to include more age-appropriate scenarios around social media, group chats and online gaming. I think this would make the learning even more relevant and help pupils transfer what they have learned to their own everyday experiences.I enjoyed trying out your game and thought the magical kingdom theme worked really well. The princess catching flowers is a simple idea, but it makes the game engaging and would definitely appeal to younger pupils. It is nice that the kids can personalise them.
I also created a timed catch/collect game. It is simple but the the coding involved was still a lot.`Pupils can develop computational thinking by designing, testing and debugging their games, while also applying mathematical concepts such as coordinates, scoring, timing and variables. It is a nice example of how coding naturally integrates with other curriculum areas rather than being taught in isolation.
One idea that came to mind was introducing flowers worth different numbers of points or perhaps adding an obstacle that players need to avoid. This could encourage pupils to think more strategically while also making the game a little more challenging. I also wondered if you considered adding sound effects when flowers are collected or when the game ends, as this could make the experience feel even more interactive.
Great job at making the game!
For this activity, I created a timed catch game called “Bey vs Tay.” I really enjoyed this task as it gave me the opportunity to be creative and make the game personal. Although I didn’t have access to a device while completing the activity, it was still great to design and test the game on the laptop.
The game could be integrated across a number of curriculum areas. It links particularly well with STEM and Digital Learning, with the learning objective of enabling pupils to design, create, test and debug a simple game while developing computational thinking and problem-solving skills. It also provides meaningful links with Mathematics, as pupils apply logic, use coordinates to position sprites, work with variables such as score and time, and test their games by recording and comparing results.
I actually remembered bringing my own class to Microsoft DreamSpace for a coding workshop where they created arcade games like this. The pupils absolutely loved it, but at the time I had very little understanding of how the games were made. It was really satisfying to complete this activity myself and gain a better understanding of the coding behind it.
Throughout the task I used several computational thinking skills, particularly decomposition and debugging. I broke the game into smaller parts, such as creating the player, adding the timer and setting the scoring system. I also had to debug my code several times to fix issues and make sure everything worked as intended.
The “Rock Paper Scissors” tutorial sounds like a really good example of how a simple Micro:bit activity can be developed into a wider STEM learning experience. I don’t currently have access to the devices, so I would love the opportunity to try this activity out with the Micro:bits in practice and see how pupils would engage with it.
I like how the use of the shake function makes the activity interactive and gives pupils an immediate connection between their code and the outcome on the device. The link to probability and data collection is also a great idea, as pupils could record multiple results, create graphs and discuss whether the outcomes are what they expected.
I think this would also be a useful activity for developing computational thinking skills, as pupils could explore how inputs, outputs and algorithms work. The idea of allowing pupils to adapt the game by adding extra options or creating a scoring system would encourage creativity and problem-solving.
This tutorial highlights how even a straightforward coding activity can be extended across different areas of STEM while keeping pupils engaged through collaboration, experimentation and designing their own solutions.
I explored a number of the tutorials, and the first one I tried was the flashing heart I felt this is such a great starting point as it introduced the basics of coding in a very accessible way. The tutorial was simple to follow and not overwhelming, while still giving a clear understanding of how a set of instructions can create an outcome on a device.
The code creates a flashing heart image on the Microbit by using a sequence of commands that turn the LEDs on and off. Although it is a simple programme, it introduces important computational thinking concepts such as sequencing, patterns and repetition. It also demonstrates to pupils that changing the code can change what happens on the screen. This would be very useful for infant classes which I would have only thought could interact with things more simple like Beebots.
I think this tutorial could be developed into a meaningful integrated STEM learning experience in an infant classroom by linking it to learning about the human body and the heart. Pupils could explore how the heart works, investigate their own pulse before and after exercise, and make connections between the real heartbeat and the digital representation they have created. They could then adapt the code by changing the heart pattern, timing or adding their own ideas.
I really like how you identified the importance of making digital learning activities purposeful rather than just using technology for the sake of it. It really links with the revised curriculum’s emphasis on meaningful learning experiences. I also liked reading about your use of Google Classroom and collaborative projects. Like yourself, I have spent the last number of years teaching senior classes, so I could really relate to what you said about building pupils’ digital skills over time.
Reintroducing digital portfolios feels like a very realistic action because it is something you have already used successfully in the past. We use the Seesaw app in our school as a digital portfolio, and I think it gives pupils a great opportunity to reflect on their learning and take ownership of their progress. It is something I would like to make more use of myself alongside developing computational thinking and unplugged activities next year.
One thing I would be interested to know is how you might adapt the digital portfolios for the different class levels in your multi-grade classroom. It would be interesting to see how pupils in Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class engage with them in different ways.
Digital Learning Framework – Teaching and Learning
One strength in my current practice is that I provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities to engage with digital technologies. In my last five years in Sixth Class, I have been eager about teaching and engaging with coding, encouraging pupils to critically evaluate the reliability of online sources when researching, and have begun exploring age-appropriate uses of AI to develop digital literacy, critical thinking and responsible use of technology.
One area I would like to develop is my teaching of computational thinking through unplugged learning experiences. Reflecting on this module, I realise that I often move quickly to digital tools and coding activities. I would like to place greater emphasis on developing the underlying computational thinking skills of decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithm design etc. before introducing technology. This will be particularly important as I move to Third Class next year, where pupils will really need to develop learning and the computational thinking skills through hands-on, reflective and also collaborative activities.
To develop my practice, I will: plan and teach at least one unplugged computational thinking activity every couple of weeks during the first term. I will teach and reinforce the elements of computational thinking during STEM and digital learning lessons. I will also use pupil observations and reflections to evaluate the effectiveness of these activities and adapt future planning to ensure the most effective practices to develop digital learning and particularly computational thinking.