CS4NE

This crossover episode discusses using AI-generated video for instructional purposes and student projects. Kimberly and Guy show short AI-generated Revolutionary War news clips, then use them to highlight the importance of strong prompting, historical accuracy, media literacy, and ethical concerns. Key takeaways include that AI videos are currently short, sometimes inaccurate, and can be costly to generate, but they can spark rich classroom conversations about deepfakes, bias, copyright, historical perspective, and responsible AI use.

This CS4NE episode shares unplugged critical-thinking activities that help students practice problem solving beyond coding. Kimberly highlights social deduction puzzles, where students use yes-or-no questions to uncover a hidden story, and rebus puzzles, which challenge students to interpret words and images creatively. The episode emphasizes metacognition, efficient questioning, flexible thinking, and helping students approach problems from new angles.

This CS4NE episode highlights unplugged computer science activities that build problem-solving, creativity, communication, and teamwork without using computers. Kimberly shares a cup-stacking challenge using cups, string, and rubber bands, where students must collaborate under increasing constraints, and an index-card challenge where students figure out how to cut a small card so it can fit over someone’s head. The hosts connect both activities to core computer science ideas, including multiple solutions, iteration, debugging, collaboration, and the broader value of computational thinking beyond simply writing code.

This CS4NE episode explores digital footprints through photo metadata and cybersecurity awareness. Kimberly demonstrates how images can contain hidden EXIF metadata, including device information, timestamps, camera settings, and even exact GPS coordinates, showing how much personal information can travel with a photo. The episode highlights how this lesson can help students think critically about what they share online, while also using metadata as a media literacy tool to investigate where an image came from, when it was created, and whether it may have been altered or misrepresented.

This crossover episode of AI in the Classroom and CS4NE explores how teachers can help students use AI for more than simple search. Kimberly and Guy discuss using AI role-play activities, such as having students “interview” a hexagon, the element mercury, or a historical figure, to make content more interactive and engaging. They emphasize the importance of teacher-created guardrails, structured prompts, and supervised use, especially with younger students. The episode also highlights opportunities to teach students about AI’s strengths, limitations, and appropriate boundaries while using it as a creative learning tool.

In this episode of CS4NE, Kimberly Ingraham-Beck shares engaging classroom activities focused on password security, cyber hygiene, and real-world data breaches. She walks through tools like Security.org’s password checker and HaveIBeenPwned to help students explore password strength and understand the risks of reused or weak passwords. Using hands-on experiments, visualizations, and discussions, Kimberly demonstrates how to help students grasp why length and uniqueness matter more than symbols alone, and how breaches often occur without users doing anything wrong. These activities empower students to protect themselves online and spark meaningful conversations about cybersecurity.

In this episode of CS4NE, Kimberly Ingraham-Beck and Guy Trainin explore fun and engaging ways to teach encryption in the classroom. They showcase a range of hands-on activities, including a murder mystery puzzle using classic ciphers like Pigpen, Polybius Square, Atbash, and Caesar. The episode also highlights Code.org resources and widgets for teaching the Vigenère and random substitution ciphers, encouraging students to both decode and create their own messages. Designed to build foundational cybersecurity and problem-solving skills, these lessons make encryption accessible, meaningful, and fun for all grade levels.

In this episode of CS4NE, Kimberly Ingraham-Beck and Guy Trainin share quick, engaging activities for computer science classrooms—perfect for short class periods or days before school breaks. They discuss a digital escape room from the University of Alabama at Huntsville, a hands-on binary bingo game that reinforces number systems, and the interactive “AI for Oceans” activity from Code.org, which introduces students to machine learning. Each resource is low-prep, highly engaging, and adaptable for various grade levels, promoting computational thinking in creative ways.

In this episode of CS4NE, hosts Guy Trainin and Kimberly Ingraham-Beck speak with retired elementary teacher and UNO instructor Paul Clark about his lifelong passion for integrating technology and robotics into the classroom. Paul reflects on his 40+ years in education, from the early days of Apple II computers to hands-on projects with 3D printers, micro:bits, and custom-designed robots. He shares how creativity, curiosity, and collaboration shaped his teaching philosophy, and how keeping a sense of childlike wonder helped him connect with students. The episode emphasizes the value of experiential learning and empowering students through technology.

In this episode of CS4NE, Kimberly Ingraham-Beck interviews Shaun Young from the Nebraska Department of Education about the state’s efforts to support computer science education. Shaun shares updates on professional development initiatives with CodeHS, the new 6-credit supplemental endorsement for computer science, and upcoming revisions to standards and annual reporting requirements. The conversation highlights the state's progress toward meeting the CS graduation requirement and the resources available to help teachers succeed.