If AI can write code, why should kids still learn to code? Dr. Bob Hutchins and Dr. Jessica White welcome Ed Kim, vice president of education and training at Code Ninjas, to explore how building games can help children become more curious, independent thinkers.

Ed explains why coding is about more than learning a programming language. It gives students practice breaking down problems, testing ideas, and working through frustration. He shares how instructors help children see a mistake as a "not yet" moment and why knowing when to step back can matter as much as knowing the answer.

The conversation also examines AI's role in learning, including age-appropriate guidance, the importance of human teachers, and the difference between helping students think and handing them a solution. Bob, Jessica, and Ed discuss what meaningful growth looks like when students move from watching content to researching questions and creating things of their own.

For educators and parents, Ed offers practical ways to encourage curiosity, make room for productive struggle, and start more open conversations about AI. The episode also addresses access to coding education and the challenges schools face when budgets are limited.

Learn more about Code Ninjas, explore school partnerships, or find a nearby center at codeninjas.com.

In this episode of Future-Proof Education, Dr. Bob Hutchins and Dr. Jessica White welcome Timothy Howes, Deputy Executive Director of ACES, for a conversation about the concerns shaping AI adoption in education.

Together, they explore screen time, environmental impact, creative ownership, and the importance of using AI with purpose. Jessica shares how the ACES K–12 AI literacy curriculum introduces younger students to critical thinking, verification, and analysis through screen-free, play-based activities. Tim discusses how AI can help educators and administrators reduce routine work and explore new approaches to teaching and leadership.

The conversation also previews the upcoming ACES AI conference on September 25, 2026, in Bristol, Connecticut.

In This Episode

The questions educators and parents are raising about AI.

How AI literacy can begin with building blocks, drawing, and collaboration.

Why purpose and intentionality should guide classroom technology use.

Helping students question, verify, and think critically.

How AI can support lesson planning and give teachers more time with students.

Opportunities for creativity and efficiency in school administration.

Environmental concerns and more deliberate AI use.

What to expect at the upcoming ACES AI conference.

Join Us: ACES AI Conference

Date: September 25, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Location: DoubleTree in Bristol, Connecticut
Information and registration: ACES PDSI

The conference brings together perspectives from industry, district leadership, school leadership, and students, with four tracks:

Designing Systems

Designing Learning

Designing Human Agency

Designing Intelligent Tools

Sessions will explore vibe coding, differentiation, creative arts, and AI policy and governance. Bob and Jessica will lead a vibe coding session, and the ACES Center for AI will showcase tools developed to support educators. Attendees can also meet SparkE, a robot from Garner Holt.

Joanne Mumley jumped on AI as soon as it opened up, mostly to stay in step with her middle schoolers. What she found changed how she thinks about assessment. If an AI system can produce the final product from a single prompt, the product no longer proves the learning happened.

In this episode, Joanne explains how her district curriculum team stress-tests performance tasks for AI durability, running old assignments through AI systems to see what survives, then rebuilding the ones that fail so the productive struggle stays with the student. She describes why she opens the school year by asking students how to make good decisions in a world where information is easy to create and difficult to evaluate. And she tells the story of Jimothy, a short-spined raccoon from Seattle's Ballard neighborhood whose real-or-fake Reddit debate became her first source evaluation lesson of the fall.

We get into her state-level run in the Presidential AI Challenge, where judges asked her to defend why she built with Claude instead of Gemini, and the painting the internet trashed as AI slop. It was a real Monet.

Joanne closes with advice for department heads tempted to write policy before they understand the tools. And she names what she hopes Wolcott graduates carry out the door: the habit of looking for evidence before forming an opinion, and the freedom to change their minds when the evidence changes.

Joanne Mumley is the ELA Curriculum Coordinator and High School English Department Head for Wolcott Public Schools. With over 20 years of classroom experience, she works with educators to design curriculum and develop AI-literate classrooms. Joanne is the 2026 Connecticut State Winner of the Presidential AI Challenge and has presented at state and national conferences, including NEATE and CTCTE, on AI literacy, curriculum design, and assessment in the age of artificial intelligence.