Today’s Love of Learning theme was Cyber Day – at first glance, maybe not the day our pupils were looking forward to the most this week... Sitting between a trip to the We the Curious and tomorrow’s Failand Fun Day, Cyber Day had a lot to live up to.
One session today was intriguingly named “I’m only human after all” which had pupils curious as to what they would be exploring. In our fast-paced world, it is unsurprising that our pupils are familiar with AI chatbots and no doubt benefit from the ease that they bring. But is convenience really all it’s cracked up to be?
Inspired by prompts such as “imagine a voyage across a sea of strange things” pupils were asked to create a piece of art. Some took the form of a creative writing piece, some created a collage using newspaper cut outs and some practiced music pieces, collaboratively working together and having fun in the process. After a flurry of drumbeats, newspaper cuttings and vocabulary suggestions, pupils then fed the same prompt into an AI generator to see what was produced in comparison to their own works.
Pupils then spent time reflecting on the session: on their own art making and also the experience of feeding the prompt into the AI generator. “How did you feel whilst making your art? Do you feel proud of the work that the AI created?”
Pupils responded with insightful reflections: “I was always told that learning is like exercise for your brain. Using the AI didn’t feel like exercise or learning”. One pupil said that the hard work needed for their own art was the reason that they were proud of their piece: “I didn’t have to try very hard for the AI response. It took one second. Typing in a prompt doesn’t mean it was my own effort”.
After other sessions such as online safety and online identity, one pupil also commented, “Today has really made me think about how I use apps. These thoughts will stay with me, and I will be more aware of what I’m doing”.
Today has undoubtedly left our Year 7s thinking about their online lives but also how this impacts their lives offline. There were lots of conversations afterwards about what they have learnt, and it was clear to see that exploring these topics for themselves was more rewarding and enjoyable than letting a computer do all the work (and have all the fun!).
p.s. We asked an AI chatbot for their review of today's Cyber Day session and here's what it had to say - made-up quotations included!
Year 7 pupils recently took part in a creative workshop exploring the differences between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Using the prompt “voyage across a sea of strange things”, pupils created original pieces through art, music, or creative writing.
The session encouraged pupils to experiment, take creative risks, and express their own ideas. After completing their work, pupils asked AI to respond to the same prompt and compared the results.
This led to thoughtful discussions about creativity, effort, and emotion. Pupils reflected on questions such as: Am I proud of my work? How did creating it make me feel? Although many were impressed by the speed and quality of the AI-generated responses, they also recognised the value of making something themselves.
One pupil said, “The AI picture looked cool, but mine felt more important because I made it.” Another reflected, “You remember all the ideas and mistakes when you create something yourself.”
The workshop helped pupils think critically about AI while celebrating imagination, individuality, and the importance of human creativity.