On December 7, 2025 (Japan) / December 6, 2025 (Seattle), Computer Science in English (a.k.a CS in English) closed out its Season 7 run with a special, high-energy edition built around the global Hour of AI movement. More than a standard coding workshop, the session became a live experiment in creativity—where kids used generative AI tools to compose music, design characters, and choreograph dance, then learned how human taste and judgment make the results truly shine.

A truly hybrid, global classroom

The event ran as a hybrid gathering, connecting online participants with multiple on-site venues across Japan (Kumamoto, Kobe, Ishikawa and Kawasaki). IT professionals and volunteers from the U.S. and Japan — many joining as teaching assistants (TAs) via Zoom — helped keep small-group learning hands-on and supportive.

In total, 160+ participants and staff joined from six countries, spanning Japan as well as the U.S., Canada, China, the Philippines, and Singapore. The scale mattered — not as a statistic, but as a signal of what this kind of learning can be: international, collaborative, and surprisingly personal.

• Kumamoto Venue: Participants 15 / Staff 5

• Kawasaki: Participants 12 / Staff 3

• Kobe: Participants 11 / Staff 1

• Hakui (Ishikawa): Participants 6 / Staff 1

• Suzu (Ishikawa): Participants 8 / Staff 3

• Online: Participants 73 / Staff 25

Learning in the “right” language

CS in English grouped participants by self-selected English levels (L1, L2 and L3) and placed them into small teams (typically 4–6 learners) supported by one or two TAs. The structure wasn’t just operational. It created the psychological safety kids need to interact with TAs as well as other kids.

Special Guests Who Added Real Value

The regular host team — Masa (facilitator), Greg (a Seattle-based Googler leading the main lecture), and Utako (an Amazon Japan software engineer) — were joined by standout guest creators.

One was Kazuma Jinnouchi, a composer recognized for award-winning film work, who returned as a guest for a second year. The other was Yukihiro “Yuki” Kanesaka, a Boston-based music creator who entered playing a Brazilian pandeiro and immediately lifted the room’s energy.

But the most memorable “celebrity moment” wasn’t fame — it was play. From the Kumamoto venue, Yuine Suzuki, a fourth-grader with a girls’ performance unit joined in, and an improvised collaboration with Yuki broke out during introductions: upbeat percussion, big smiles, and kid-led dance moves that turned an online meeting into something closer to a stage.

The day’s core lesson: AI is powerful and  imperfect

Before anyone started generating tracks or moves, the session grounded kids in a key idea: generative AI can create impressive outputs, but it doesn’t “know” what’s true or best.

Greg illustrated this with a deliberately strange example—an AI-generated image of a giraffe with two necks—then emphasized that AI outputs aren’t automatically reliable or correct. Utako reinforced the point with a creator’s mindset: humans must do the final check, and originality comes from adding human imagination and sensibility—not outsourcing it.

Live demos that felt like backstage access

The guest segment shifted from explanation to craft.

Kazuma offered a practical way to think about building music: start with low-end rhythm because it quietly controls the entire feel, then structure a piece around foundational bass patterns. He also joked that when he let AI handle dance too freely, the movement didn’t always match the music’s emotional arc — and that mismatch can be part of the fun, as long as humans refine it.

Yuki’s demo, meanwhile, modeled something kids rarely see in tech education: creative decision-making as a sequence of intentional choices. In dialogue with participants, he selected the dancer’s character and vibe step by step—ultimately landing on a fox in sunglasses—then iterated the music’s style and rhythm (e.g., “wild,” “electro”) as if he were co-creating with the AI in real time.

The takeaway wasn’t “AI makes it easy.” It was: AI makes it possible to iterate quickly—so your taste matters more, not less.

Breakout rooms: where the real learning happened

In small groups, participants built on Code.org’s “Mix & Move with AI” activity and pushed beyond the basics—asking advanced questions like how to create a second piece or increase dance variations. Facilitators responded by revisiting key concepts and testing code blocks alongside the kids, turning confusion into forward motion.

At one point, Yuki even dropped into a breakout room unexpectedly, checking in with learners and fueling the momentum with quick conversation—exactly the kind of moment that makes online learning feel alive.

A quiz with real stakes (and real joy)

Back in the main room, the energy didn’t dip. A Kahoot quiz helped kids review concepts—ranging from the basics (AI, prompts) to trick questions (“Is AI magic—true or false?”) and more technical prompts about what certain blocks enable.

The top three finishers were Haku (1st), Nobuchika (2nd), and Rin (3rd). Their short reflections captured the day’s purpose in kid-sized language: expanding interests, learning to use AI in programming, and feeling moved by AI’s “endless possibilities.”

The finale: kids’ creations—reviewed by pros

After the quiz came a gallery showcase, where selected participant works were played and discussed. A teaching assistant noted there were far too many impressive submissions to feature them all, underscoring how quickly kids had moved from “trying a tool” to “making something.”

Kahootの熱戦の後、参加者が提出した作品をギャラリーで鑑賞する時間です。

The professional feedback was specific, generous, and craft-oriented—praise for structure, smart contrasts between character expression and musical mood, and suggestions about arrangement (like moving an arpeggio or repeating a favorite section). For participants, it was a rare experience: not just being told “good job,” but hearing why something worked—and how it could grow.

Projects created by (from top left): Hakuto, Aoit, Haruto, Isstu, Aira, Haruki

You can run and view their dance/music projects from links below: 

• Aira: https://studio.code.org/projects/music_dance_ai/OvNzqY0_8uprFuQg5TlBuLYrGpQ5oxMkOP4LgmzxYkI

• Hakuto https://studio.code.org/projects/music_dance_ai/8PAjHvXpkLU_f4GDB-n-EGQjlwj_4xstvCZyemCOgnY

• Aaoit https://studio.code.org/projects/music_dance_ai/x0KdopZtK1-8e14Zunwgev66EKMZeJ9k1sGv9rFdfQ

• Haruki https://studio.code.org/projects/music_dance_ai/HsH7mbBAWYOohIqtvOYf3HCzXHQjmI_8cC_CBT6z2A8

• Isstu https://studio.code.org/projects/music_dance_ai/WRRuBxiSxR3gIVPRp3avAsjFm8dyPXsXnKhg8Btpjo4

• Haruto https://studio.code.org/projects/music_dance_ai/ckjIuySwNjfr1XvALZNOe7zehr6eHqBDCk8-22fLCns

Why this event mattered

Season finales often look backward. This one looked forward—toward a world where children don’t merely “use” AI, but learn to direct it, question it, and shape it with human intent. It was the final session of Season 7, but the project continues, with Season 8 planned to begin in March 2026. 

If the “Hour of AI” is meant to introduce students to artificial intelligence, CS in English’s version offered something richer: a glimpse of what happens when AI becomes a creative partner—and kids become the ones in charge of the collaboration.

☆☆Thank You Teachers!☆☆

Anjyu, Charles, Giyoul, Greg, Hatsune, Jing, Kaishang, Karthic, Kazuma, Kenji, Li, Luis, Masaki, Masataka, Molly, Near, Pinjaiyos, Riona, Silvia, Tomoko, Utako, Yifan, YUKI

☆☆CS in English Project Team☆☆

Seattle Team： Seattle IT Japanese Professionals
Kumamoto Team： 特定非営利活動法人くまもと L R ネット

Post-Event Survey Highlights

We are pleased to share some feedback collected from our participants—children, parents, and Teaching Assistants (TAs)—following the recent Hybrid (Zoom) event.

🌟 Children's Feedback

Q: Please share things that were good, happy, or fun!

• "At first, I couldn't understand because there were only English words and English boards, but after that, it was really fun. It was very easy to understand because we rarely get to learn the process of making music, and we were taught the meaning of the English in the prompts and the meaning of the musical elements in English."

• "It was fun to make music and dance using AI."

• "Kahoot was very fun! I was also happy to see my own created character dancing to the music I made. I want to participate again next time. 😊"

• "Making some custom drumming sounds and so much more music sounds."

• "It was fun because I could do it somewhat even if I couldn't read the English."

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents' Feedback

Q: Please share things that made you happy/satisfied in this event, any change in your own feelings, or episodes with your child.

• "I felt that my child had grown because, for the AI homework assignment, they usually would have been satisfied with creating something quickly and carelessly, but this time they created a piece, found areas lacking based on the lecture content, and then further refined it after the lecture."

• "I thought my child wasn't interested in music, but they spent time and concentrated on the music creation homework. It was good to realize that there's another way to develop interest, not just by starting with an instrument, but through AI like this."

• "I had met Jinnai-san before, but Kamichale-san was new to me, and I was overwhelmed by his wonderful smile and passion. My son also cheered enthusiastically."

• "I was happy when my child said, 'I feel like I can somehow understand the English talks just from the atmosphere of the room.' Seeing the professionals enjoying their discussion, explaining music by playing the piano right there, and witnessing 'doing what you love for a living,' made me realize once again that I want my child to grow up with dreams."

👩‍💻 TA Feedback

Q: What were the things that went well at the event?

• "Ice-breaking activities for kids (dancing); Hosting events onsite in multiple locations; Special guests playing music."

• "Students used the tool and created really amazing dance and songs!"

• "It was very educational to see the two musicians creating a song using the materials provided to them."

• "The children seemed to enjoy the explanations and demonstrations by special guests Jinnai-san and YUKI-san, which were closely tailored to the children."

Additional General Feedback (From previous request)

• Overall Satisfaction: Very Satisfied

• Reason for Participation: Introduced by a friend, and had been interested for a long time.

• Best Aspect: The talks by the speakers were very interesting, and I felt I could apply them to my own work.

• Area for Improvement: It would have been better if there had been a little more time for networking.

• Free Comment: I learned a lot. I'm very excited about the next event. The staff were very helpful.

• Free Comment: The venue was good, but the A/C was a little cold. Maybe you could check the temperature next time?

• Free Comment: The food was delicious! Thank you so much for a great event!