[Fionnuala Shannon]

I like this idea and think the children would be fully engaged.

[Fionnuala Shannon]

Part 1: From listening to all the ideas given in this course, I feel I will be able to incorporate AI into my teaching. I’m looking forward to trying various platforms. The first I am looking forward to trying is Diffit which should make differentiation much easier to manage and reduce the workload. Anything that makes planning easier is very welcome! Another I plan to use is Microsoft Reading Coach which seems to have endless possibilities for helping with the reading process. Scratch Junior is another programme I plan to use, so following this is my plan for a 2nd class lesson.

Part 2:

2nd Class Lesson Plan: Introduction to ScratchJr – Make a Moving Story
Class: 2nd Class (7–8 years)
Subject: STEM / Digital Learning
Duration: 60 minutes
Digital Tool: ScratchJr

Curriculum Links (Irish Primary Curriculum)
Mathematics

Develop sequencing and logical thinking.
Solve problems using simple steps.
Language

Create and tell a simple story.
Use oral language to explain ideas.
STEM/Digital Learning

Explore coding through play.
Develop computational thinking by creating simple programs.

Learning Intentions
We are learning to:

Use ScratchJr to create a simple animation.
Sequence commands in the correct order.
Make a character move across the screen.
Share and explain our project.

Success Criteria
I can:

Open ScratchJr and choose a character.
Add a background.
Make my character move using coding blocks.
Test and improve my program.
Show my animation to the class.

Resources
Tablets with ScratchJr installed
Interactive whiteboard
Teacher demonstration tablet

Introduction (10 minutes)
Ask:What is coding?
Where do we see computers following instructions?
What happens if instructions are in the wrong order?
Demonstrate ScratchJr:Open the app.
Add a character.
Add a background.
Drag one motion block.
Press the green flag to start.
Explain that computers only do exactly what we tell them.

Main Activity (35 minutes)
Teacher Demonstration (10 minutes)
Model how to:

Choose a background (park, beach, classroom, etc.)
Choose a character.
Add:Green Flag
Move Right
Jump
Say “Hello!”
Test the code together.

Ask:

What do you think will happen?

Independent Activity (20 minutes)
Children create their own mini-story.

Their project should include:

✅ A background

✅ One character

✅ The Green Flag block

✅ At least three movement blocks

✅ A speech bubble

Challenge early finishers:

Add another character.
Make characters talk.
Change speed.
Make a short beginning, middle and end.
Teacher circulates asking:

What does this block do?
What happens if we change the order?
Can you make your character travel further?

Plenary (15 minutes)
Children work with a partner.

Each child demonstrates their project.

Partners give:

⭐ One thing they liked.

⭐ One idea to improve it.

Finish with class discussion:

What was easy?
What was difficult?
Why is it important to test our code?

Assessment
Teacher Observation
Observe whether pupils can:

Follow instructions.
Use sequencing correctly.
Debug simple mistakes.
Explain what their code does.
Questioning
Ask:

Which block starts your program?
Why didn’t your character move?
What happened when you changed the order?
Self-Assessment
Thumbs:

👍 I can do it myself.
👌 I need a little help.
👎 I need more practice.

Differentiation
Support
Pair less confident pupils with supportive peers.
Provide picture prompt cards showing common ScratchJr blocks.
Give a simplified challenge (move only).
Extension
Add a second character.
Create a conversation.
Use sounds.
Include multiple scenes.

Cross-Curricular Links
English: Storytelling and oral language.
Visual Arts: Designing characters and scenes.
Drama: Act out the story before coding.
SPHE: Work collaboratively and give positive feedback.

Reflection (Teacher)
After the lesson, reflect on:

Were pupils able to sequence commands independently?
Could they identify and fix mistakes in their programs?
Which ScratchJr features require further teaching?
How could the lesson be extended next time (e.g. using multiple scenes or adding sound)?
This lesson introduces coding in an engaging, age-appropriate way while developing creativity, problem-solving, sequencing, and communication skills .

[Fionnuala Shannon]

This sounds great for classes that may only have access to digital devices once a week , they could work on it weekly. Maybe have ideas ready to go and develop their stories each week and perhaps print in some sort of book form at the end of the 6 week session

[Fionnuala Shannon]

The AI application I think I would love to try is Scratch Junior. There is plenty of scope for integration. From what I can see, you can link your iPad to the interactive whiteboard and explain the various concepts to the children.

It is a great introduction to coding for children in a fun interactive way. Terms such as forward, back, left, right etc are a lesson in themselves before ever touching Scratch Junior. The concept of having your characters, setting, changing backgrounds etc are linked with writing. I think I should be able to teach it to a level where children will be able work independently or if less competent they could work in pairs. There is scope for getting children to explain to the class what they have done. I would like children also to question others and be questioned to explain their work. This will help develop  confidence in their own ability to do more challenging work. All levels of ability can be catered for.

[Fionnuala Shannon]

That is something to be considered as financial constraints can be an issue in lots of schools, so I will need to look into this before getting too excited about using some tools!

[Fionnuala Shannon]

Part 1: There were some great practical examples given here in Module 3. One I liked and will use is Microsoft CoPilot Image Creator, the potential for aiding descriptive writing is vast. The examples given for the children trying to get the closest description to the image were great and it sounds like it got quite competitive! Reading coach sounds great too and would be good to use in small group settings with instant feedback, I’m sure the children will like the fact that it’s not just teacher feedback.

Part 2: I think using a variety of those mentioned above like image creator and reading coach, these can only enhance teaching and learning in my class. Diffit also has huge potential in the class , children need to work at their own level for their own confidence . Similar work but differentiated.  It was also good to see the maths story idea, having word problems associated with the subject being covered will help greatly as this has always been a time-consuming part of the lesson preparation for the teacher.

[Fionnuala Shannon]

I completely agree Carol, the availability of laptops/netbooks would also be an issue in my school to use it to the extent suggested. Maybe in the future with AI becoming more prominent,  funding might be provided to assist !!

[Fionnuala Shannon]

I think until listening to all in Module 2 I was unaware of how helpful AI can be in the classroom. I like the idea of creating content to cater for different levels of ability. Obviously we always did this anyway but I think this will generate ideas much faster and more specific to the needs of pupils if the correct prompts are used.

The Immersive Reader looks like something I will definitely try to use, it seems to have endless potential.  We have had a session with Microsoft who introduced us to Dreamspace, it was a fantastic opportunity and the children engaged with it fully, in a fun way but learning lots also. It is something I feel I’ve been reminded to revisit, I wasn’t aware of the RTE addition, so I will use this to get children to think outside the box in a fun, challenging way.

With regard to the Chinese approach, I find this quite disturbing, it is overkill in the extreme! You don’t need a band on a child’s forehead to be able to tell if they are concentrating or engaging in your lesson.

[Fionnuala Shannon]

I felt the same, reluctant to try but I think this course already is helping me feel more confident to try new ways of using it. I like the idea that it gave you linkage to other subjects. Good luck with day 1 in 4th!

[Fionnuala Shannon]

I think AI can reduce administrative workload. I like the idea of generating resources myself with prompts rather than relying on the usual sites to generate them for you. I think I will be able to generate resources specific to my class’s needs. From Module 1, I have been reminded to check and recheck all that the ChatBots generate.       I will use the idea of real vs fake news, I think this will help the children become more critical thinkers and realise how easy it is to be fooled by fake news!                                                                                              About using it for assessment, I think I will need to do a few test runs first before being able to get the best benefits from it, this is step 1 on my journey with AI.             I think it’s important to use it as a tool to assist your teaching and not overly rely on it . AI enhances teaching and learning but it must be used in conjunction with schools digital learning policy, in order to keep in line with schools ethical guidelines.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by Fionnuala Shannon.
• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by Fionnuala Shannon.

[Author]

Posts