See it working
Everything students use already exists and runs.
The 30-minute flow
Short build cycles with a visible result in each block.
Why a portfolio
I show the finished sample page and explain how universities and programs look at what students have built, not just their grades.
AI as a co-writer
Students tell me about themselves, and I prompt an AI tool live on the projector to draft an "about me" section and suggest a page design. They learn to give clear instructions and to edit the AI's output instead of accepting it as is.
The AI tool runs only on my screen, so students don't need their own AI accounts.
Make it yours
Students copy the ready-made template on GitHub and customize it in the browser: their name, interests, colours, and one thing they're proud of. Numbered markers in the file show exactly what to change. No installs needed.
Go live
They publish the site with GitHub Pages and share the link with the group.
What's next
What we'll add over the coming sessions: a first app, a project write-up, and awards or activities.
Same workshop, three levels
Every age group makes a page about themselves. What changes is who does the technical steps and how much is explained. GitHub accounts require age 13+, so younger students never need one.
"All about me" page
Play first, technology second. Students design; I build.
- AI idea
- "AI is a helper that has read lots of examples and guesses what comes next." We play Bossy Robot: kids give me instructions to draw a smiley face, and I follow them literally. Vague instructions give funny results, which teaches why clear prompts matter.
- Make it
- Each child fills in a paper card: first name, a favourite emoji, three favourite things, one proud moment. They pick their colour from swatches.
- Go live
- I type their cards into the template on the projector and publish one class gallery page. Each child sees their own page appear.
- Accounts
- None.
Guided build
Students do the editing; I handle the parts that need an account.
- AI idea
- Students suggest prompts, and we compare two AI answers to spot what's wrong or made up.
- Make it
- Students edit their own page on a classroom laptop, changing only the words between the labels.
- Go live
- Pages go live under a TRNT classroom account, one link per student.
- Accounts
- None for students.
Full flow
Students own every step, and the repository is theirs to keep.
- AI idea
- Prompt design, editing AI drafts, and why you never trust output you haven't checked.
- Make it
- Their own copy of the template, edited in the browser.
- Go live
- Their own GitHub Pages link, ready for applications.
- Accounts
- A GitHub account, created beforehand with parental consent.
Plain-language words I use with younger students
| Real term | What I say |
|---|---|
| Repository | A folder that lives on the internet |
| Commit | Save, with a note about what you changed |
| GitHub Pages | The button that turns your folder into a real website |
| HTML tags | Labels that tell the computer "this is a title" or "this is a list" |
| Prompt | The instructions you give the AI helper |
| Template | A colouring page: the outline is done, you add the colour |
What's needed
Students bring
- A laptop with a web browser
- Ages 13+: a GitHub account, created beforehand with parental consent. I send a one-page setup guide.
I prepare
- The portfolio template and a step-by-step handout (already done)
- A short parent note explaining the tools and accounts (draft below)
- Paper "About me" cards and a classroom account for students under 13
GitHub account setup guide (ages 13+, at home with a parent)
- Go to github.com and click Sign up.
- Use a parent-approved email address.
- Pick a username that isn't your full name, for example alex-builds. It appears in your website link.
- Choose the free plan and confirm your email.
- Bring your username and password to the workshop.
Ideas for the next sessions
Each one adds a project to the student's portfolio. The last ones lead into the mentor sessions. The featured project, Build Your Own Jarvis, and the rest are in the AI Lab.
🧮 Grade average calculator
Enter marks, see the average and the gap to a target. A first look at inputs, logic, and outputs.
⏳ Countdown to a big day
Days left until an exam, a deadline, or a birthday. Very visual and easy to personalize.
🤖 Teach a computer to see
Train an image model with Google's Teachable Machine (for example rock, paper, scissors) and add it to the portfolio. It's a real AI feature with no accounts or keys needed.
📚 AI-built study quiz
Students use AI to write quiz questions on a subject, check them for mistakes, and publish an interactive quiz page.
📝 Project write-up
The problem, what they built, and what they learned. This is the format admissions essays and interviews ask for.
🏅 Activities & awards
A section for clubs, volunteering, and competitions, so the portfolio becomes a living activity list.
🎤 Two-minute pitch
Students pitch one project to a visiting mentor and get feedback. This fits the mentor sessions you mentioned.
Safety note: AI is used to help build the pages, never wired into them. Public pages never hold passwords or API keys.
Running a trial session
A checklist for the first run with a small group of 4–8 students.
One week before
- Agree on date, room, age group, and group size
- Send the parent note and the GitHub setup guide (ages 13+)
- Check that the room's Wi-Fi allows github.com and *.github.io (some school networks block them)
- Set up the TRNT classroom GitHub account for students under 13
Two days before
- Confirm students have created accounts; collect usernames
- Run the full student flow myself on a fresh test account, from copying the template to a live link
- Print the handout and the "About me" cards
On the day (arrive 20 minutes early)
- Test the projector and the AI tool, and open the sample page
- Write the Wi-Fi password and the template link on the board
- Have a backup: if a student can't log in, they pair with a neighbour or use the classroom account
- Remind everyone of the first-name-only rule before they start typing
During the session
- Keep to the five time blocks and use a visible timer
- GitHub Pages can take 1–5 minutes to go live, so start publishing at minute 22, not later
- Note where students get stuck; that becomes next session's fixes
Afterwards
- Collect every student's live link
- Ask three questions: What did you make? What was hardest? What do you want to build next?
- Send TRNT a one-page summary: attendance, links published, feedback, and changes for the next run
Draft parent note
Short, plain, and covers the questions parents usually ask.
Dear parent or guardian,
In our first AI & Innovation session, your child will build a simple personal website and publish it online. It will become a portfolio where they collect the projects they make with us, which they can later use in university and program applications.
Tools: GitHub, a free website used by professional software developers, and an AI writing tool that only the instructor uses, on the classroom screen.
Accounts: students aged 13 and over need a free GitHub account, created at home with you (setup guide attached). Students under 13 do not need any account; the instructor publishes their page.
Privacy: the website is public, so students use their first name only. We do not include last names, school names, photos, or contact details. You can ask us to take a page down at any time.
Questions are welcome at any time.
TRNT Educational Institute