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<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>I agree that Fantastic Fairgrounds is a great example of purposeful game-based learning. I like how pupils are using Minecraft to apply maths in a practical context rather than just completing written exercises. Designing and building the fairground encourages problem-solving, collaboration and creativity while also developing STEM skills.</p>
<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>A meaningful link could be to Visual Arts, as pupils could plan the appearance of their fairground, make creative design choices and then explain why they chose particular layouts or features. This would allow them to combine their mathematical thinking with creativity.</p>
I also think Minecraft could support SSE by giving teachers an opportunity to observe how pupils collaborate, solve problems and apply their learning independently. Their discussions and presentations could provide useful evidence of pupils’ confidence and progress in both digital learning and STEM.CyberSafe: Bad Connection
For this activity, I explored the CyberSafe: Bad Connection demo world. I chose this world because online safety is such an important issue for children today and is something that can arise in everyday school life. The world gives students opportunities to recognise potentially unsafe online interactions and make decisions about who they can trust. It encourages them to spot warning signs, think carefully before sharing personal information, ask questions to verify who they are communicating with, and understand when and how to report or block suspicious behaviour.
The lesson objectives focus on helping students recognise unsafe online interactions, identify red flags, build confidence in reporting concerns and supporting others, and understand that online actions can have lasting consequences through their digital footprint. The game also provides useful opportunities for discussion and reflection, allowing teachers to explore pupils’ understanding and experiences.
I think this would link well with the Irish SPHE/Wellbeing curriculum, particularly around personal safety, relationships and knowing who to trust. There is a strong connection with the Stay Safe programme, where children learn to recognise trusted adults and understand that people may not always be who they appear to be. These skills are equally important in an online environment.
I would use the world as it is but I would slow the pacing for my students and pause after each section for discussion. I would encourage them to explain their choices and discuss why reporting unsafe behaviour is important. I would also follow the activity with a class internet safety agreement. As we also do one at the start of the year, it would be interesting to see if the students would add anything else after completing this demo.
<p class=”PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer” data-start=”0″ data-end=”367″>I really like the idea of using a local river as the setting for the game. The bubble-collecting feature is particularly effective because it gives the player a clear purpose while linking directly to the idea of what fish need to survive. It also provides a good opportunity to discuss the importance of clean water and the impact of pollution on local habitats.</p>
<p data-start=”369″ data-end=”834″ data-is-last-node=”” data-is-only-node=””>As an extension, could you add different obstacles representing pollution, such as rubbish or dirty water, which the fish would have to avoid? This could strengthen the Geography link and encourage the children to think about how human activity affects the local environment. Pupils could use their local river research to identify an environmental issue and then design a game to raise awareness of it.</p>Game type: Timed catch/collect
Game title: Catch the Stars
Curriculum area and objective:
Mathematics – The student will collect, record and compare scores, using addition and subtraction to calculate their final score.Simple storyboard:
Location: The game takes place in space.
Player: The player controls a small spaceship at the bottom of the screen.
Game elements: Stars fall from the top of the screen and the player moves the spaceship left and right to catch them.The aim of the game is to catch as many stars as possible within 30 seconds. Each star caught earns one point. The player must try to achieve the highest score before the timer reaches zero.
Computational thinking:
I used debugging while creating the game. I tested the game in the simulator and checked that the spaceship moved correctly, the stars were collected when touched, points were added and the timer worked. When something didn’t work as expected, I changed the code and tested it again.I think this would be a simple but engaging game for students and would give them an opportunity to practise coding, problem-solving and debugging.
Here is the link to my game-
https://makecode.com/_cHE5dEYH1Hmo<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>I really liked your idea of bringing the younger classes into your classroom and giving the older students the opportunity to teach them the Flashing Heart tutorial. We collaborate quite a lot with the younger classes in our school, and I find that these activities really engage the sixth-class pupils. Teaching the coding would also help them develop computational thinking, as they would need to understand the process themselves and then break it down into clear, simple steps for younger children.</p>
<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>To strengthen the STEM link, the older students could explore the science behind heart rate by measuring their pulse before and after exercise and then considering how they could represent this using the micro.</p>
For a possible extension, you could have the older students work in pairs and take turns teaching and observing. They could give each other feedback on how clearly the coding process was explained. I think this would be a great way to develop both their coding skills and their ability to communicate their learning.I completed the ‘Flashing Heart’ tutorial on the MakeCode micro platform. I chose this tutorial after attempting the Rock, Paper, Scissors tutorial and finding it a little more challenging to get started with. The Flashing Heart tutorial was a more accessible introduction to the micro, but I could also see how the basic idea could be developed into a much more challenging STEM activity for older students.
The code displays a heart on the micro and uses a pause between two images to create the effect of a flashing or beating heart.
MakeCode link to my project:
https://makecode.microbit.org/S63822-40847-77286-79607For a senior class, I would use this tutorial as a starting point and challenge students to investigate how changing the timing of the pauses affects the perceived rate of the heartbeat. They could collect real-world data by measuring their pulse at rest and after exercise, and then program the micro to represent different heart rates. This would create meaningful links between science, mathematics and computing, as students would be collecting, comparing and representing data rather than simply observing an animation.
As an engineering challenge, students could redesign the program so that the display represents different stages, such as resting, exercising and recovering. They could test their designs against the data they collected and refine their programs to make the representation more accurate.
Although the Flashing Heart tutorial is very simple, I think it demonstrates how a straightforward introduction to coding can develop into a more integrated STEM learning experience through experimentation, data collection, problem-solving and programming.
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I really like the focus you have placed on learner experiences within the Digital Learning Framework. A clear strength in your reflection is the emphasis you place on using technology to support meaningful, active learning rather than using it simply as an extra resource. </span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I think your action of introducing one cross-curricular lesson every fortnight that develops computational thinking is realistic and well focused. It is a manageable target that allows you to gradually embed these skills across different subjects rather than limiting them to STEM lessons. </span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>One suggestion could be asking pupils to identify where they use computational thinking in their everyday learning. This could help them recognise that these skills are transferable across different subjects.</span>
One area of the Digital Learning Framework that I would like to focus on is developing pupils’ problem-solving and reflective skills through the effective use of digital technologies. While I use iPads regularly in my classroom, I have realised that I tend to use them mainly for research activities. The children have benefited greatly from this and, over the course of the year, I have seen a huge improvement in their ability to find reliable information and use AI appropriately. They are beginning to understand that AI is a useful tool to support their thinking rather than something that simply gives them the answers.
If I’m honest, I don’t feel that I am using digital technology to its full potential. I have a lot to learn myself and would like to become more confident in using digital tools to promote deeper thinking and pupil reflection. I am also keen to include more unplugged activities, as I have found that some of the best learning happens when pupils are discussing ideas, making mistakes and working together to solve problems.An area I would like to develop is helping children to become more resilient learners who can evaluate their thinking and adapt their approach when faced with a challenge.
My specific, measurable actions are:
Incorporate at least one unplugged problem-solving activity each week that encourages pupils to think critically and re-evaluate their strategies.
Use Padlet once a month as a self-assessment tool to allow pupils to reflect on their learning and set goals.
Provide opportunities for pupils to explain how they have used AI or digital tools during research tasks and discuss what they found useful or challenging.
I hope that by making these small changes, I can help my pupils become more independent, reflective learners while continuing to develop my own digital teaching practice.
