Part 3 Beyond the Episode

Looking through CODE.org, I found a few activities that line up well with the skills we push in Earth Science. Especially modeling, problem-solving, and understanding systems. Some of the shorter coding tasks could work as extensions when we cover things like climate models, feedback loops, or even basic data analysis. It’s a solid supplement when I want students thinking more logically about how Earth systems interact.
The experience also pushed me a bit on the AI side. I still prefer sticking more traditional approaches in my class, but I can see the value in using AI tools for simulations or quick demonstrations I’d still like to learn more about setting boundaries so AI supports inquiry.

I explored App Lab for a 10th grade, semester long course on Code.org, where students can design simple web apps using block coding or JavaScript. I found it helpful because it encourages creativity and problem-solving, skills that can be transfer to multiple subject areas and facets of life. For example, students could create a quiz app on essential vitamins and minerals. I would use this tool since it makes learning interactive and student-driven. This also goes to show the value in combining AI with creative projects that let students apply what they learn instead of just asking AI for answers.

I teach Computer Science Principles using Code.org and it is an amazing platform.  Everything is laid out for you and it is basically a step by step instruction websiteI I still explore the Interactive Maps lessons for different classes offered just to look around and see if there is anything I could add to my classes work.  I could see them maybe making classes that interact with each other, or show what sections of your class touches upon a different class.  That might be useful for students taking two classes at once, or wanted to know what they learned pertains too the class they are in now.  This might show them it showcases their math, literacy and technology skills that they have learned in the past.  I also used code.org in the past for grades 7-8 and the way it was set up made the students feel like they were playing a video game, but they were actually learning how to code!  Being my first year using Code.org as my whole teaching platform, I am pleasantly surprised at how nice it is!  Especially when it comes to course progress!  So nice and easy to use, you can just click on each students lessons and see what they are doing, and leave feedback!

Was this resource helpful to your own learning?  Do you think you might use it with your students? Explain.

I choose to investigate AI lesson plan titled "Generative AI for Humanities". While the Code.org lesson was geared towards humanities it offered core principles of understanding and responsibility that could relate to business classes. 

I could picture using this with my Marketing students. Some ways that I could use it would be when we talk about brainstorming and idea generation using AI to create new product ideas and features, when generating taglines and ad copy, social media posts or marketing campaign themes. We could use AI to help with market research and analysis on competitors and industry trends to help better identify our customers demographics and psychographics. 

I could picture using with both my Marketing and Career and Financial Management courses by discussing ethical uses about responsible AI use, bias, intellectual property and most importantly data privacy and how students can protect themselves. 

Have your thoughts changed about using AI in the classroom?  What else might you want to learn about with this topic?

My thoughts about using AI haven't changed I still embrace integrating it into more of my lessons. I'm embracing AI because I know that I need to prepare my students for the future and giving the students practical exposure. I want to learn about more specific AI tools for use in business-related tasks like AI for Marketing (social media content generation, ad copy, email marketing or trend analysis) or AI's impact on future careers and entrepreneurship (new jobs, skills for an AI-driven world, interview scenarios). Project-based learning already exists in my classroom but offering more simulated business scenarios gives my students the opportunity to use AI to solve realistic business problems. 

Exploring Code.org’s curriculum catalog was really helpful for my own learning. The site is easy to navigate and offers a wide range of lessons that fit different grade levels and topics. I found some coding activities that could be a great fit for my students to build their problem-solving and logical thinking skills. I especially like how the lessons are broken down into manageable steps, which would make it easier to use in the classroom.


I do think I could use Code.org with my students because it gives them hands-on experience with technology and helps prepare them for future skills. My thoughts about using AI in the classroom have become more confident , especially after seeing tools that give instant feedback and personalize learning. I’d like to learn more about how AI can help support different types of learners and how to balance tech use with teacher guidance to make sure students stay engaged and confident.

• Was this resource helpful to your own learning?  Do you think you might use it with your students? Explain.

First off. I saw the Minecraft section and had to jump in. This is absolutely an element I would use to hook students. I myself played one of the sections to completion and it was fun with the videos sprinkled in teaching some coding. I think you use this to grab the students attention then hit something more content specific. 

• Have your thoughts changed about using AI in the classroom?  What else might you want to learn about with this topic?

I am not against it. It is here and it is something we need to at least consider. If you do not address it, it will still happen and maybe not in an as productive way. I would want to explore some more math and algebra specific applications. I did a search and watched a video on a "top 6 Math AI tools" and was surprised I was already very familiar with one on the list. Geogebra, which combines algebra and geometry and helps students with visual understanding on topics in both classes.

There is so much information to explore at code.org.  I clicked on lesson plan. It was very complete.  This is where I would continue if I were to explore more on ways AI can be beneficial in the classroom.  Here, the plans reiterate all the new "technical" AI terms needed in the lesson.  Guides to three LLM: ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Copilot are also connected. In fact, I still feel like I need to click on all the tutorials still! There is a button to set up a classroom plus, Clever and even delve into Google classroom. It is all right there to continue to explore. As for being ready to use in the classroom?  Well, at this moment, I'd like to explore the planning aspect and rubric making. This is where I will delve in. I personally I'm not ready to assume that I can teach AI to anybody. I have much more to know about AI. Usually I take quite a pragmatic approach to using any technology in the classroom. I would love to know how more world language teachers have approached this particularly regarding the instant translations. It is a big issue in writing assignments for sure. I can't stress that, because of the nature of the LLM not being able to really nuance meaning, it is so easy to have issues with context in translation. But I have hope. There are better translators out there now and I am sure this will continue to advance too. Finally, the question of data safety is also important. How these platforms, that use AI,  decide to use your activity while using their product should be a concern.  Overall, I think I would say that my opinion of AI has changed throughout this five badge process. At first it was really jaw dropping to see how easy it is to create a nearly perfect simple essay in French.  It was amazing how quickly a lesson plan could be produced and modified to include rubrics and short completion answers, multiple choice questions and projects just by modifying the prompts. Once I got over the wow factor, and began to take a much close look however, I did begin to see the flaws in the process and the outcomes. One thing is for sure is that I'm sure I need more time to play around with the suggested AI tools. Plus, saving time by using AI?  I'm not so sure as everything it produced must be read over and checked for accuracy.  Not sure there is much time saving there. Personally, I'm not "scared" by it per say but as history has shown, with every advancement there is both good and bad, ethical use and unethical. I think we will all struggle with this. What is valid, true, real, reliable.The most interesting of the takeaways for me is to remember that AI is not really intelligence and it is not really human. Knowledge, understanding and personal connections remain part of the human condition. As an educator, with or without AI tools used in instruction, it would be prudent to keep those aspects front and center when developing any activities for learning in the classroom.(And, PS. as an aside, I thought about using AI to answer the badge questions, just as a student might, just to see what would happen but, in the end decided not to try. Once I started to prepare an answer, it felt like it would interfere in my thought process. However, I wonder if anyone else will.)

1. I explored Code.org, which I've never been to or heard of before. It was nice to be able to filter by what I wanted to search for, etc. in their catalogue. So I filtered by grade and by topic. I searched for 11th grade and the following topics... Art and Design, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy (no results), and Games and Animations. It seemed like a lot of the games, etc. were geared more towards elementary and middle school students, not high school. There was one such game involving, "choose your team and make a basketball game." The one's that seemed most age-appropriate were involving AI... AI and Machine Learning, Coding with AI, Focus on Data, Focus on Impact in Society, How AI Works, and Our AI Code of Ethics. Also, the AI Lab sounded interesting. Being able to explore how computers learn from data to make decisions, then develop projects around real-world data, and designing solutions to solve a personally or societal relevant problem.

2. My general thoughts have definitely come around with AI technology. I was pretty apprehensive and hesitant at first (as one can imagine), especially when trying to learn and to incorporate something new (like AI technology) in education and in my social studies classroom. But I'm definitely starting to see the benefits of AI... Using ChatGPT to differentiate reading levels and to help ENL students; using AI to provide instant feedback, personalized learning, or data that shows trends in student learning; creating and refreshing lessons, assignments, activities, and assessments; and using AI as a "teaching assistant" in my classroom. Like I've said before, the possibilities are endless... And like Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker (Spider-Man), "With great power comes great responsibility." It's our job as educators to harness, practice, model, and teach these best practices to our students, so that they're indeed ready for the future!

• Was this resource helpful to your own learning?  Do you think you might use it with your students? Explain.

I explored the Coding Interactive Maps lessons.  I could see this as a interdisciplinary project for students that would allow them to showcase their math, literacy, social studies and technology skills.  I would probably use this as a culminating project for the coordinate plane unit in Grade 5.  After students have learned about coordinate planes, they could apply that knowledge to create locations on a map, 

• Have your thoughts changed about using AI in the classroom?  What else might you want to learn about with this topic?

I just think the use of AI in the classroom can be such an effective tool if we can find some ways to start incorporating it into our daily lessons and projects.  I would love to learn ways that I can use platforms like the one that was showcased in this video in my own teaching.  I would love to work with our awesome tech coaches on brainstorming some ways to incorporate this into my practice.