Gaming & Computational Thinking
This week’s focus on computational thinking and gaming initially felt like stepping outside of my usual comfort zone for sure, but I did realize how closely coding, artificial intelligence, storytelling and narrative are all connected. Computational thinking is fundamentally about breaking down complicated problems into smaller, more manageable steps. In English, this is something we do every time we read a novel, outline an essay, or analyze a character’s story arc, etc.
Coding Flappy Bird
Image Credit: Flappy Bird Game, Created via Code.Org
For my hands-on activity, I used Code.org to program and create my own version of Flappy Bird using The Hour of AI. The process was an eye-opener for me into the idea of “event-based” logic. I had to code exactly what happens when an event occurs, like telling the computer that when the screen is clicked, the bird must flap, or when it hits an obstacle, the game ends.
My Version of Flappy Bird – Click Here 🙂
Sitting down to actually code Flappy Bird was more repetitive than I expected. Even with the block coding, there’s this weirdly frustrating but satisfying loop of hitting “run”, watching the bird immediately nosedive because I put the gravity too high, and then going back to change a single number.
It forced me to be super accurate and precise, because if I forgot one block for a sound effect or underestimated the distance between pipes, the whole thing wouldn’t work.
It was interesting to see how many small steps go into a game, even one that seems so simple on the surface. It also was incredibly satisfying when I finally got the bird to stay in the air and the directions worked and made sense.
Coding & ELA
While I do think that coding and artificial intelligence are often associated with math or computer science, understanding the basic concepts of A.I. is quickly becoming important for everyone to know and understand, particularly in terms of modern media literacy. Exploring how machine learning models are trained to recognise patterns is reflected in how we teach students to recognise themes, biases, and structures in literature. As I prepare to begin my 6-week practicum in a Grade 8 English classroom, I see immense value in helping young students understand how algorithms and artificial intelligence shape and impact the digital narratives they use and consume on a daily basis.
Video Credit: Twinkl Teaching Resources – United States via YouTube
However, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, these tools and technologies require critical reflection and active discussion when it comes to equity and privacy. Platforms like Code.org are located in the USA, which means student data is subject to the US Patriot Act. To bring this into a classroom securely, using anonymous accounts and establishing clear boundaries around digital footprints is important.
Video Credit: Common Sense Education via YouTube
Exploring the educational games this week, specifically GetBadNews, made me think of several ideas for how to encourage classroom discussions around AI use and the inherent biases in digital narratives and storytelling. I think that this game would be particularly effective in a classroom lesson plan because it shifts students from passive consumers to active participants; by taking on the role of a disinformation architect, they gain a firsthand understanding of how “fake news” uses emotion, polarization, and impersonation to gain traction: all important learning points and topics.
Image Credit: Screenshot via GetBadNews
Overall, this week’s topics showed me that computational thinking and gaming are much more than just technical skills; they are required knowledge in today’s modern classroom. Whether we are deconstructing the logic behind a simple game or analyzing the mechanics of a disinformation speech, we are teaching students to move from being passive consumers to active, informed, critical participants in a digital society.