Computer Science in M5: Solving Real-World Problems with AI and Vibe-Coding
This term in Computer Science, our MYP5 students are taking on a remarkably ambitious unit on “vibe-coding,” where they will design and build real software systems using modern AI tools.
In the previous unit, students coded impressive Python programs from scratch and learned what a single programmer can achieve in a few weeks—but they also discovered the limits of coding alone. This new AI-powered unit goes far beyond what most humans could build independently. Students are now learning to think like software architects, creating systems that would have been unthinkable in a secondary-school setting even two years ago.
For example, some students are building a networked version of Pong, allowing two players to join and compete in real time across the web. Others are training an AI system to integrate with industry-standard customer-support platforms and automatically generate responses to real customer queries. Not only will they train the AI on the operational rules of a real business, but they will also connect it to tools such as HubSpot or Zendesk—the same platforms used by leading companies around the world.
To model this process, I’ll be learning alongside the students as I explore how AI might automate routine tasks at the school—moving information from spreadsheets or web pages into an AI that can process it with human-level understanding—so that more of our collective energy can stay centred on students.
There is no doubt that AI is reshaping software development. Our goal now is to give students the chance to create something meaningful while gaining cutting-edge skills that are already in high demand in today’s fast-changing job market. Perhaps our role now—as teachers and as parents—is to encourage them to think bigger and set goals far beyond what any of us previously thought possible.
Sam Altman, the founder of ChatGPT, predicts that the world’s first one-person billion-dollar startup will be created with the help of AI. So why couldn’t that founder come from H-FARM?
I can’t wait to see what our students build. More importantly, I can’t wait to see what they dare to imagine next—because in the era of AI, imagination isn’t just the beginning of innovation; it’s everything.
Brian Duffy
MYP Computer Science teacher at H-FARM International School
