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Hi Linda,
I really like your choice of Melody Lane. As someone who enjoys music, I think it’s a lovely way to introduce musical concepts through play. I especially like how the lesson teaches Redstone through exploration rather than combat, as it keeps the focus on creativity and learning. I think this supports your learning objective really well and would make the experience enjoyable for pupils who learn best through hands-on activities.
It would also be lovely to hear how the pupils’ melodies turn out at the end of the lesson, as sharing their creations could be a nice way to celebrate their learning and build confidence.
For this assignment, I explored the Minecraft Education-Fantastic Fairgrounds world. I chose this lesson because it immediately caught my attention and looked like a fun and engaging way to develop pupils’ creativity, problem-solving and teamwork. I really enjoyed exploring it myself, as Minecraft is not something I had used before. It gave me a much better understanding of the educational potential of the platform and I can now see how motivating it could be for pupils while supporting meaningful learning in the classroom.
As I currently teach 2nd class, I planned this activity for 3rd class. I would link it to the STEM Education: Technology curriculum, with opportunities to integrate Mathematics through measuring, budgeting and planning, as well as Visual Arts through designing attractions. My learning intention would be for pupils to work collaboratively to design and create a fairground while using digital tools to solve problems and make creative decisions.
The activity would begin with pupils exploring the different attractions and features within the world before working in small groups to design or improve an area of the fairground. They would discuss their ideas, test them and explain the choices they made throughout the activity.
One question I would ask is: “How can we decide if the information or ideas we use to improve our fairground are accurate and reliable?” This would encourage pupils to think critically about checking information rather than accepting everything they see online.
A responsible-use message I would reinforce is the importance of working respectfully online, communicating positively with others and never sharing personal information while using digital platforms.
To support critical thinking, I would encourage pupils to explain their design choices, listen to other groups’ ideas and reflect on how they solved problems during the activity. I would gather evidence of learning through observation, group discussions, pupils’ completed fairground designs and a short reflection where they explain one challenge they overcame and one thing they learned.
Hi Deirdre, I really like your idea of having pupils sort scenarios into Human, Search Engine or AI. I think it’s a very engaging activity that helps children understand that different tools are appropriate for different situations, making AI literacy meaningful and age-appropriate for 3rd and 4th class.
It would also encourage pupils to think carefully before accepting information at face value, especially when discussing accuracy and misinformation. I wonder how pupils could check whether an AI response is accurate before deciding to trust it? I think that could lead to some really interesting discussions.
As I’m currently teaching 2nd class, I planned this activity for 3rd class. I would link it to the STEM Education: Technology curriculum and Media and Digital Wellbeing. My learning intention would be for pupils to recognise that AI is part of everyday life and understand that AI-generated information and images should be questioned rather than automatically trusted. This reflects the message from Module 5 that AI literacy is about understanding, questioning and using technology responsibly.
The AI concept I would explore is accuracy and misinformation. I would begin by asking pupils where they might already come across AI, such as YouTube recommendations, predictive text or voice assistants. I would then show two images of an animal, one real and one AI-generated and ask pupils to work with a partner to decide which they think is genuine and explain their reasoning. This would lead to a discussion about how AI can create realistic images that are not always accurate.
A critical question I would ask is, “How can we check if an image or piece of information is real?” This would encourage pupils to think about the reliability of information instead of believing everything they see online.
A responsible-use message I would reinforce is that pupils should never share personal information with AI tools and should always ask a trusted adult or teacher if they are unsure about something they find online.
To support critical thinking, I would encourage pupils to explain the reasons for their choices, discuss different viewpoints with their classmates and compare AI-generated content with trusted sources such as books or child-friendly websites.
I would gather evidence of learning through class discussion, observation of partner conversations and a simple exit ticket where pupils write one thing they learned about using AI safely and one question they should ask before trusting information online.
Hi Linda,
I completely agree that keeping the game simple is the best approach when you’re starting out. I also really liked how the bones were hidden at first, as it made the game a little more challenging and encouraged the player to keep exploring. The way the dog moved around the screen worked really well too and made the game feel engaging without being overly complicated. I think your learning objective links nicely with Maths, and it’s easy to see how pupils could use the game to practise counting and recording scores while enjoying the activity.
I created a Timed Catch/Collect game called Apple Picker Forest.
MakeCode Share Link: https://arcade.makecode.com/S99545-14346-00604-19125
For this game, the player controls a basket that moves left and right across the bottom of the screen. Apples fall from the top, and each apple caught scores one point. The game lasts for 15 seconds, and the aim is to collect as many apples as possible before the timer runs out.
I chose to link this game with Science (Living Things) and SPHE (Healthy Eating). A learning objective for the lesson would be: Pupils will identify healthy foods while developing problem-solving skills and an understanding of simple coding concepts through play.
Location: An orchard where apples are falling from the trees.
Player: A basket controlled using the arrow keys.
Game Elements: Falling apples, a score counter and a 15-second countdown timer.
Goal: Catch as many apples as possible before the timer finishes. Each apple collected earns one point.While creating, I had to think about the order that each instruction should happen, such as creating the player first, making the apples appear and fall, and then increasing the score whenever an apple was collected. Although it was a simple game, it helped me understand how coding is built up from a sequence of instructions, and I actually really enjoyed making it once I saw everything come together. As a 2nd-Class teacher, I would use a game like this as a fun introduction to computational thinking, linking it to a topic the children are already learning about. I could also extend the activity by asking pupils to record their scores and compare the results in Maths, helping to integrate STEM learning across the curriculum.
Hi Jennifer,
I really liked reading your reflection. One strength in your practice is that you use digital technology with a clear purpose rather than simply because it is available. I think this helps make learning more meaningful and keeps pupils engaged. Your goal of exploring a wider range of digital tools to encourage collaboration and creativity also feels realistic because you are already using technology confidently in your lessons and are looking to build on that. Have you come across any collaborative tools yet that you’re hoping to try with your class? I’d be interested to hear which ones you think would work best in the primary classroom.
I really enjoyed reading your post. One of the strengths in your plan is how you have made clear links between all four STEM areas, showing that coding can support learning across the curriculum rather than being taught as a separate subject. I also think your Maths activity is very realistic, as collecting data using tally charts and pictograms is something that can easily be adapted for different class levels. It gives pupils an opportunity to develop computational thinking while also reinforcing important mathematical skills. I like how your lesson encourages investigation, problem-solving and active learning in a meaningful way.
I completed the Smiley Buttons tutorial on MakeCode for micro:bit. I found it to be a great introduction to block coding as it was simple to follow while introducing important coding concepts. The program uses the A and B buttons on the micro:bit to display different smiley faces on the LED screen. Pressing Button A displays a happy face, while Button B displays a sad face. This helped me understand how inputs and events work, and how the micro:bit responds to different commands.
Link: https://makecode.microbit.org/_FpaUU8c2Rex2
I think this tutorial is a lovely way to introduce children to computational thinking in a meaningful context. It combines coding with creativity and wellbeing while showing that technology can be used to communicate ideas. Although I would use teacher-led demonstrations with my current class, it has given me more confidence to begin introducing coding concepts in an age-appropriate way. This would also support our School Self-Evaluation by developing pupils’ digital literacy, problem-solving skills and confidence with technology across the curriculum.
One area from the Digital Learning Framework that I feel is a strength in my practice is creating engaging learning experiences where pupils actively participate and work collaboratively. In my 2nd Class, I try to use hands-on activities across the curriculum that encourage children to think, discuss and solve problems together rather than simply finding the correct answer. This links well with the ideas in this module around computational thinking and STEM learning through practical experiences.
An area I would like to continue developing is my confidence in integrating STEM and digital technologies more regularly into my classroom. Before completing this module, I associated STEM mainly with coding, but I now realise that computational thinking can begin through simple unplugged activities that are suitable for younger pupils.
Over the coming year, I have set myself three actions. Firstly, I will introduce one unplugged computational thinking activity each fortnight. Secondly, I will include at least one simple STEM challenge each month that links to our current SESE or Maths topic. Finally, I will reflect on these lessons with my pupils to gather their feedback and use it to improve future activities.
I think these actions are realistic and will also support our School Self-Evaluation process by helping to develop pupils’ problem-solving, collaboration and digital learning skills in a meaningful and age-appropriate way.