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I like how you’ve used an AI-generated response alongside a reliable source. It’s a really practical activity that gets pupils talking and thinking about whether information is trustworthy instead of just accepting it straight away. The pair work and class discussion are a good fit for 5th and 6th class and give everyone a chance to share their ideas.
I think this is a great way to introduce AI literacy because it shows pupils that AI can be helpful, but it can also make mistakes. It encourages them to question what they read and check information before believing it.
One question I’d ask is: How would you help pupils spot if an AI response is biased, even when the facts seem correct?
As an extension, you could ask pupils to find a second reliable source to check the AI response and explain which source they trust most and why. That would be a nice way to assess their thinking.
From an SSE point of view, activities like this could help track how pupils’ digital literacy and critical thinking skills are developing across the school. It would also give teachers useful evidence of how confidently pupils are using AI in a responsible way.
For this activity, I planned a short AI literacy lesson for a **6th class in a Gaelscoil**. It links with **Literacy and STEM**, with the learning intention of developing **critical thinking and group work**.
I would give the class a short AI-generated article about a topic they already know something about, such as the Giant’s Causeway or the Vikings in Ireland. Working in small groups, the pupils would read the article and highlight anything they think is correct, anything they are unsure about, and anything that doesn’t seem right. After a few minutes, I would tell them that the article was created by AI and we would discuss what they noticed.
The AI concept I want the pupils to explore is that **AI can create convincing content, but it doesn’t always get the facts right**. A question I would ask the class is: **”How can we tell if this information is true?”** This would get them thinking about accuracy and misinformation.
We would also talk about using AI responsibly. I’d explain that AI can be a really useful tool for ideas and learning, but it shouldn’t do all the thinking for us. It’s important to check information using trusted sources and not just believe everything AI says.
To help pupils think critically, I’d give each group a simple checklist with questions like “Can we prove this?”, “Where could we check this?” and “Does this sound believable?” They could compare the AI article with a book or a reliable website and discuss any differences they find.
To gather evidence of learning, each group would share one fact they confirmed and one fact that turned out to be wrong or misleading. I’d finish with a quick exit ticket where pupils write one thing they learned about AI and one way they can check if AI-generated information is accurate.
I really liked your choice of **CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm**. It shows how Minecraft can be used for more than just playing games. Pupils are making decisions, solving problems and thinking about the consequences of their choices, which makes the learning much more engaging. It also supports STEM by helping pupils develop problem-solving, critical thinking and digital skills in a fun way.
A nice link to another curriculum area would be **Oral Language and SPHE**. After completing the world, pupils could work in groups to talk about the choices they made, explain why they made them and come up with their own online safety advice for younger classes. This would help reinforce what they learned while also building their communication skills.
From an SSE point of view, Minecraft Education could be a great way to support digital learning across the school. Teachers could share lessons like this and use them to build pupils’ confidence with technology while also promoting safe and responsible online behaviour. It would be a good way to make online safety more interactive and consistent across different class levels.
**Reply: Exploring the Minecraft Education Demo Lesson – Fantastic Fairgrounds**
I chose the **Fantastic Fairgrounds** demo world. The lesson is all about designing and building a funfair in Minecraft while working together to solve problems and be creative. Pupils build different attractions and test out their ideas, making changes as they go. It looks like a really enjoyable way to develop teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills.
The lesson plan is easy to follow and includes clear learning objectives, teacher notes and discussion ideas. It guides pupils through planning, building, testing and improving their designs. There are also useful resources to support the lesson and encourage pupils to think about why they made certain choices and how they could improve their work.
I think this lesson would work really well with the new Primary Curriculum Framework, especially the Focus of Learning on **Creativity and Innovation**. It also links nicely with Maths and STEM, as pupils have to think about shape, space, measurement and simple engineering ideas while designing their attractions.
As I teach **6th class in a Gaelscoil**, I would use the lesson through Irish as much as possible. Pupils could work in groups to plan their attractions, discuss their ideas in Gaeilge and present their finished fairgrounds to the rest of the class. It would be a great opportunity to build confidence in speaking Irish while working on a fun, hands-on project.
I would use the world, but I would make a few small changes. Before starting, I would get each group to sketch their ideas and decide who is responsible for each job. I’d also stop the class a couple of times during the lesson so groups could share ideas and solve any problems together. At the end, I’d have a short class discussion about what worked well, what they found challenging and what they would do differently next time. I think that would help pupils get even more out of the lesson and make the learning more meaningful.
Apologies, I have no idea why my computer is not allowing me to post properly, hopefully it works now.
Game TypeChaser / Catch-and-Collect Game
Game Link: https://makecode.com/_F5bHzff6137V
Game Title
Catch the Bubble
Curriculum Area and Learning Objective
Curriculum Area: Mathematics and Digital Technologies
Learning Objective:
Pupils will use coding and problem-solving skills to create a simple game where they collect items to score points while avoiding an enemy.Simple Storyboard
Location:
The game takes place underwater.Player:
The player controls a fish.Game Elements:
Fish – controlled by the player.
Seaweed – collect it to score points.
Shark – chases the fish.
Score – goes up each time the fish catches the seaweed.How to Play:
Move the fish around the screen and collect as much seaweed as you can. Each piece of seaweed gives you a point. At the same time, you have to stay away from the shark. If the shark catches the fish, the game is over.Computational Thinking
Debugging
I used debugging while making this game. I tested it as I went along to make sure the fish moved properly, the shark followed the fish, and the score increased when the seaweed was collected. If something didn’t work, I changed the code and tested it again until everything worked the way I wanted.
I really liked that you included rotten fruit as something the player has to avoid. It makes the game more fun because you have to pay attention instead of just catching everything. It also fits well with your Maths objective as pupils can compare their scores and think about how their choices affected the result.
One idea you could try is making the fruit fall a little faster as the game goes on. That would make it more challenging and encourage players to keep trying to beat their best score.
I think a game like this could also support School Self-Evaluation (SSE), especially when looking at learner experiences and using digital technology in the classroom. Pupils could create their own games, test each other’s ideas and talk about what worked well and what they would change.
One question I’d ask is whether you thought about giving different fruits different point values. That could add another Maths element and make players think a bit more about which fruit they should try to catch.
I really like how you’ve taken a simple coding activity and linked it with Maths and PE. Recording the results with tally marks is a great way to get children thinking about patterns and predictions, while also showing them that coding can be used to investigate and solve problems.
One way you could strengthen the STEM link even more would be to have the children design a simple board game that uses the micro:bit as the dice. They could then play each other’s games and make changes based on what worked well. It would bring in a bit more creativity and problem-solving.
As an extension or assessment idea, you could ask the children to make one small change to the code themselves, like changing the picture that appears or adding a sound when the micro:bit is shaken. It’s a simple way to check that they understand how changing the code changes what the micro:bit does.
From an SSE point of view, activities like this are a nice way to build computational thinking across the school. Teachers could share ideas like this, and pupils’ ability to predict, test and improve their code could be used as evidence of progress in digital learning.
Smiley Buttons Adrian
https://makecode.microbit.org/_UkyEvjY4UdVsMy code uses the A and B buttons on the micro:bit to show different faces on the LED display. When I press button A, a happy face appears. When I press button B, a sad face appears. This helped me learn about inputs (pressing a button) and outputs (the image shown on the screen).
I could turn this into a STEM lesson for my 6th class by getting the pupils to create their own emotion display using the micro:bit. They could programme different buttons to show different faces or messages in Irish.
This activity would include:
- Science: Talking about emotions and how technology responds to inputs.
- Technology: Writing and testing code in MakeCode.
- Engineering: Making a stand or case for the micro:bit using Lego or recycled materials.
- Mathematics: Looking at patterns and using the 5 × 5 LED grid to create designs.
Because I teach in a Gaelscoil, the pupils could use Irish throughout the lesson by programming and naming the emotions in Irish, such as sásta, brónach, and feargach. This would help develop their coding, problem-solving and Irish language skills at the same time.
I really liked your focus on meeting each pupil where they are through differentiation. I think that’s a real strength because it helps create positive learning experiences for all children and makes it easier to introduce new ideas in a way that suits their needs.
I also think your idea of using computational thinking language during activities you’re already doing is very realistic. It doesn’t add extra work but instead builds on what is already happening in the classroom, making it easier for both teachers and pupils to develop confidence with the language over time.
One suggestion would be to use a short staff or pupil survey as part of the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process. The Digital Learning Framework tools from Module 1 could help you gather a baseline and then measure how confident everyone feels using computational thinking language later in the year.
I was just wondering if you could also create a shared bank of unplugged computational thinking activities that staff could add to as they try new ideas. It could be a great way to support a whole-school approach.
One strength in my current practice is that I regularly integrate digital technologies into my teaching in meaningful ways. As a primary school teacher, I use tools such as Minecraft Education, Scratch, Book Creator, Kahoot, and Chromebooks to promote engagement, creativity, and collaboration. These tools have been especially effective in supporting pupils with additional learning needs, helping them to demonstrate their understanding in different ways and build confidence.
An area I would like to develop is increasing the opportunities for pupils to take greater ownership of their learning through digital technologies. While I use a range of digital resources, I would like students to have more choice in selecting the tools they use and to engage more frequently in self-assessment and peer feedback using digital platforms.
To support this goal, I will:
Introduce at least one student-led digital project each month, where pupils choose the digital tool they use to present their learning.
Use digital self-assessment or peer-feedback tools (such as Microsoft Forms or Book Creator reflections) in at least one lesson each week.
Review pupil engagement and gather student feedback at the end of each term to evaluate the impact of these changes and inform my future planning.I believe these actions will help to develop greater learner agency while continuing to use digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning in an inclusive and engaging way.