Alexis Flanders
A look into my MAET experience
Category: CEP 814
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This week, I experimented with training a simple AI model using Code.org’s Oceans activity. The task seemed straightforward. Train the AI to recognize fish based on the examples I provided. I felt confident I had trained it well. And yet it still allowed an apple into the fish category. That moment was eye-opening. It forced…
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After decoding pixel art and recreating it in MakeCode, it was my turn to design both the image and the coding sheet. I created a pixelated solar system using MakeCode Arcade, carefully building the image square by square. But the real challenge was not the artwork. It was generating the binary coding sheet that would…
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This week, I explored pixel art using the CS Unplugged “Pixel Painter” activity. Before touching MakeCode, I printed out the coding sheets and manually color-coded them. Each square represented a pixel, and each number or binary pattern corresponded to a color. At first glance, it felt simple. Just coloring boxes. But it quickly became clear…
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For our final decomposition activity before moving into code, I chose something very real: my dog’s toy bin. Yes, my dog again. I couldn’t help it. At first, it just looks like a chaotic basket of plush, rubber, rope, and squeaky objects. Once I dumped everything out and began sorting, I realized how much decision-making…
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For this activity, I was asked to decompose something familiar. I chose the Macarena. In case it’s been a while, here’s a refresher! At first, it feels almost silly to break down a dance everyone “just knows.” But once I slowed down and wrote out the steps, I realized how structured it actually is. I…
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Starting Unit 3, we focused on decomposition. Not in theory. Not in abstract computer science language. In real life. The task I chose to decompose was simple: packing my dog’s dinner. At first, it feels like one task. Feed the dog. Done. But when I slowed down and listed the subtasks, it quickly became more…
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For our Algorithms Unit, I designed a lesson centered on a simple yet powerful idea: algorithms extend far beyond computer science. My artifact, “Get to Class”, presents students with a realistic problem. A new student has joined our class, but they have never been in the building before. The task is clear: create the perfect…
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After designing a lesson that highlighted computational thinking in geography, I stepped into something completely different: creating a knock-knock joke in MakeCode Arcade. At first, it sounds simple. It is just a joke. But building it in code forces me to think differently. I have to break down the entire interaction into small, logical steps.…
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When I started Computational Thinking for K–12 Educators, I assumed we would jump straight into coding. Instead, my very first artifact was a third-grade geography lesson titled “Where Is Home?” The lesson asks students to use a world map to locate North America and Michigan relative to continents and oceans. At first glance, it looks…
Alexis Flanders 