I have my middle school digital literacy class trying it out right now.
They're having a lot of fun & hopefully will provide you some good data.
Feel free to send a form/questions to me if you are looking for specific
feedback from them.
On Fri, Mar 13, 2026, 12:54 PM Lucie deLaBruere <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Caleb I just tried your project. Thanks for sharing it.
>
> Your experience developing this project is in line with this NYT article
> I just read this morning
>
> "Coding after Coders"
> https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/magazine/ai-coding-programming-jobs-claude-chatgpt.html
> I think this is a KEY article that anyone interested in AI. (not just AI
> and CS) might want to read)
>
> The last paragraph really speaks to why we all need to be paying
> attention and why we need AI literacy and also how AI will make it
> necessary for us to take another look at the standards we prioritize and
> the learning progressions we have developed in a world BEFORE AI.
>
> ""How things will shake out for professional coders themselves isn’t yet
> clear. But their mix of exhilaration and anxiety may be a preview for
> workers in other fields. Anywhere a job involves language and information,
> this new combination of skills — part rhetoric, part systems thinking, part
> skepticism about a bot’s output — may become the fabric of white-collar
> work. Skills that seemed the most technical and forbidding can turn out to
> be the ones most easily automated. Social and imaginative ones come to the
> fore. We will produce fewer first drafts and do more judging, while perhaps
> feeling uneasy about how well we can still judge. Abstraction may be coming
> for us all."
>
> Because I knew it was a long article to share, I also asked AI to
> summarize it below-- although I don't think the summary came close to
> identifying the many thoughts I had while reading the article"
>
> from ChatGPT:
>
> Here is a *clear, structured summary* of the New York Times Magazine
> article *“Coding After Coders: The End of Computer Programming as We Know
> It”* by Clive Thompson.
> ------------------------------
> Summary: *“Coding After Coders”* (NYT Magazine, March 2026) 1. The Core
> Argument
>
> The article argues that *AI is fundamentally transforming software
> development*, shifting programming from *writing code manually* to *directing
> AI systems that generate code*.
>
> Instead of typing thousands of lines of code themselves, developers
> increasingly:
>
> -
>
> Describe what they want in *natural language*
> -
>
> Let AI tools generate the code
> -
>
> Review, test, and refine the results
>
> This shift is sometimes called *“AI-assisted programming” or “vibe
> coding.”*
>
> The article suggests we are moving from *“coding” to “orchestrating AI
> that codes.”*
> ------------------------------
> 2. New AI Tools Are Shockingly Capable
>
> The piece highlights rapid improvements in AI coding systems such as:
>
> -
>
> ChatGPT
> -
>
> Claude
> -
>
> GitHub Copilot
> -
>
> Codex
>
> These tools can now:
>
> -
>
> Generate entire programs
> -
>
> Debug complex systems
> -
>
> Read large codebases
> -
>
> Write tests and documentation
> -
>
> Suggest architectural changes
>
> Developers interviewed for the article say *AI can produce huge amounts
> of working code quickly*, sometimes completing projects that once took
> weeks in hours.
> ------------------------------
> 3. Programming Is Becoming a Different Job
>
> The article stresses that *the role of programmers is evolving rather
> than disappearing*.
>
> Future developers will spend more time:
>
> *Less time on*
>
> -
>
> Writing syntax
> -
>
> Routine coding
> -
>
> Boilerplate programming
>
> *More time on*
>
> -
>
> Designing systems
> -
>
> Defining problems
> -
>
> Evaluating AI output
> -
>
> Debugging and validating code
> -
>
> Thinking about architecture and user needs
>
> In other words, programmers increasingly act as *editors, architects, and
> supervisors of AI systems.*
> ------------------------------
> 4. Productivity Is Exploding
>
> AI coding tools can dramatically increase productivity.
>
> Developers report:
>
> -
>
> Building prototypes in hours
> -
>
> Completing “side projects” that once cost hundreds of thousands of
> dollars
> -
>
> Producing far more code with smaller teams
>
> This may lead to a *huge expansion in software creation*, because
> barriers to building software are dropping.
> ------------------------------
> 5. But There Are Risks
>
> The article highlights several concerns:
> Reliability
>
> AI can still:
>
> -
>
> hallucinate
> -
>
> produce insecure code
> -
>
> introduce subtle bugs
>
> Developers must verify everything.
> Skill atrophy
>
> Some worry that younger engineers may *rely on AI without learning
> fundamentals*.
> Job structure changes
>
> Entry-level programming jobs may decline because AI performs many basic
> coding tasks.
> ------------------------------
> 6. A Historical Perspective
>
> The article frames AI coding as *another step in the long evolution of
> programming tools*:
> Era How software was created
> 1950s Punch cards and machine code
> 1970s–90s High-level programming languages
> 2000s Frameworks and libraries
> 2010s Open-source reuse
> 2020s *AI generating code*
>
> Each step *raised the abstraction level*, letting humans focus on
> higher-level thinking.
>
> AI may simply be the next layer.
> ------------------------------
> 7. The Big Question: Who Builds Software Now?
>
> One major implication discussed in the article:
>
> *Many more people may become software creators.*
>
> If AI handles the coding, then:
>
> -
>
> designers
> -
>
> scientists
> -
>
> entrepreneurs
> -
>
> teachers
> -
>
> students
>
> may be able to *build software directly by describing what they want.*
>
> Programming becomes closer to *problem-solving and system design*, not
> just syntax.
> ------------------------------
> 8. The Paradox: More AI Could Mean More Programmers
>
> Some developers argue that AI could actually *increase demand for
> software developers*.
>
> Reason:
> When software becomes cheaper to create, *people build more of it*.
>
> This phenomenon is sometimes described as a *Jevons-style productivity
> paradox*: greater efficiency increases total demand.
> ------------------------------
> One-Sentence Takeaway
>
> *AI isn’t ending programming—it’s transforming programmers into designers
> and supervisors of AI systems that write code.*
>
> On Fri, Mar 13, 2026 at 9:30 AM Caleb Clark <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Wow...Claude helped me make my "Learning by Teaching" DumBot, now called
>> https://www.nonothin.com/ <http://NoNothing.com>, open to teachers and
>> students with no account, login, tracking, or cost!!
>>
>> Use at will! Feedback desired.
>>
>> A very rough draft of the teacher guide is below.
>>
>> NoNothin.com - Teacher & Adult Guide
>>
>> ROUGH DRAFT By Caleb Clark | March 13, 2026
>>
>>
>> “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it
>> yourself.”
>>
>> — Attributed to Albert Einstein
>>
>> About
>>
>> NoNothinBot (nonothin.com) is a free “Learning by Teaching” web app.
>> Students teach it—instead of being tested. It asks questions, draws simple
>> pictures of what it’s being taught, and generates a report when the lesson
>> is done. Then it forgets everything. There is no login, no tracking, no
>> cost.
>>
>> Just go to nonothin.com and start teaching it something, or just type
>> “Hi.”
>> QuickStart Lesson Plan
>>
>> 1.
>>
>> Go to nonothin.com. It is built to be used anonymously and be easily
>> accessible, so there’s no login, no accounts needed, and no tracking or
>> cost.
>> 2.
>>
>> Try it yourself. Just start teaching it something—anything. Or just
>> type “Hi” and it will help you learn to use it! It will ask questions, try
>> to draw what is being explained to it, and then create a temporary
>> anonymous report for copying before forgetting everything.
>> 3.
>>
>> Challenge your student/child. Ask them to teach NoNothinBot a topic
>> you want to see how well they know.
>> 4.
>>
>> Copy the report. Make sure they share the report NoNothinBot creates
>> when they are done. See Assessment below.
>> 5.
>>
>> Wipe memory. Have them click “New Session” and NoNothinBot forgets
>> everything, including the report—which you cannot get back—and starts fresh.
>> 6.
>>
>> Reflect together on the report.
>> 7.
>>
>> Repeat with new topics. Offer as an alternative assessment.
>>
>> Example Starter Prompts
>>
>> -
>>
>> Confused or impatient students can just type “Hi” and NoNothinBot
>> will help them get started and clarify that they are the teacher.
>> -
>>
>> Younger students can just type statements of what they want to teach,
>> like “2 + 2 = 4.”
>> -
>>
>> Older students can use full sentences like:
>> -
>>
>> “I am going to teach you about the water cycle on Earth.”
>> -
>>
>> “I am going to teach you what a sentence is.”
>> -
>>
>> “I am going to teach you what the U.S. Constitution is.”
>> -
>>
>> “I am going to teach you how to divide 360 by 8.”
>>
>> Intended Ages and Focus:
>>
>> -
>>
>> Age 13 to end of high school: Assess knowledge, deepen learning,
>> identify gaps, concept checks, explanation practice, discussion starters.
>> -
>>
>> Post high school: Class preparation, tutorial-style learning, and
>> metacognitive practice.
>> -
>>
>> Out of school: Useful for self-directed learners who want to test the
>> depth of their understanding beyond surface-level familiarity—teaching a
>> concept in plain language quickly reveals what you actually know vs. what
>> you’ve memorized as jargon. And it’s fun!
>>
>> Troubleshooting & Facilitation Moves
>>
>> -
>>
>> If it asks too many questions: Say, “Move on” or “Ask fewer questions
>> so I can finish the core idea.”
>> -
>>
>> If it seems wrong: Treat it as a prompt for discussion; ask students
>> to identify the issue and correct it.
>> -
>>
>> If behavior is odd: Ask, “Explain what you are doing and why,” then
>> redirect with a clearer request.
>>
>> Report issues to: [log in to unmask]
>> Learning Theory
>>
>> NoNothinBot acts like it is learning from the student during
>> conversations (which it forgets after each session), thereby revealing
>> student knowledge and deepening learning. It challenges students to teach
>> it to see what the student knows, and thereby shows the student and their
>> teachers/parents what they know through text and very simple line drawings
>> that mirror what it’s being taught.
>>
>> NoNothinBot builds on these established educational ideas:
>>
>> -
>>
>> Learning by teaching, an approach in which students consolidate
>> knowledge by explaining, answering follow-up questions, and repairing gaps
>> in their reasoning.
>> -
>>
>> The protégé effect—greater effort and deeper learning when a student
>> expects to teach.
>> -
>>
>> The Socratic tradition, where progress is driven by probing questions
>> and clarifications that help learners articulate assumptions, define terms,
>> and connect steps in an argument.
>> -
>>
>> Visual learning through simple drawings. During each session,
>> NoNothinBot draws simple SVG line drawings of what it’s being taught. These
>> aren’t decorative—they’re a feedback mechanism. If the bot’s picture
>> doesn’t match what the student meant, that gap becomes a teaching moment.
>> This approach draws on dual coding theory: learners who process information
>> through both words and images build stronger, more retrievable memories
>> than through words alone (Clark & Paivio, 1991; Mayer, 2009).
>> -
>>
>> The Feynman Technique (see below).
>>
>> The Feynman Technique
>>
>> Richard Feynman (1918–1988) was a Nobel Prize–winning physicist and one
>> of the most celebrated science teachers of the 20th century. He was famous
>> for his ability to explain deeply complex ideas in plain, vivid
>> language—and for insisting that if you couldn’t explain something simply,
>> you didn’t truly understand it. His approach to learning has been distilled
>> into four steps:
>>
>> 1.
>>
>> Choose a Concept and Study It: Write the topic on a blank page and
>> write down everything you know about it.
>> 2.
>>
>> Explain It to a Child: Explain the concept in simple, non-technical
>> language as if teaching it to a 12-year-old.
>> 3.
>>
>> Identify Gaps and Go Back to Source Material: Review your explanation
>> to find areas where you struggled or relied on jargon. Return to your notes
>> or textbook to fill those gaps.
>> 4.
>>
>> Simplify and Review: Organize, refine, and simplify your notes into a
>> clear narrative to ensure complete understanding.
>>
>> How NoNothinBot Uses Drawings
>>
>> NoNothinBot draws simple SVG pictures throughout each session to show
>> what it thinks it’s learning. These drawings serve several purposes:
>>
>> -
>>
>> Instant visual feedback. When a student teaches the bot about the
>> water cycle, it might draw arrows going from a cloud down to the ground. If
>> the student hasn’t explained evaporation yet, the picture will be
>> incomplete—and the student can see exactly what’s missing.
>> -
>>
>> A mirror, not a test. The drawings reflect the student’s teaching,
>> not the bot’s knowledge. If the drawing is wrong, that’s a signal the
>> explanation needs work—a low-stakes way to notice gaps.
>> -
>>
>> Final session drawing. At the end of a session, the bot creates a
>> slightly larger summary drawing that appears in the report. This gives
>> teachers and parents a quick visual snapshot of what was taught.
>>
>> The drawings are intentionally simple—basic shapes, lines, and labels.
>> This keeps the focus on the student’s explanation, not on the art.
>> Assessment
>>
>> NoNothinBot can be a good option for people who hate tests.
>>
>> NoNothinBot changes how assessment feels for some learners. Instead of
>> feeling directly tested, students are asked to help a confused beginner,
>> which for some can lower anxiety and make it easier for them to explain
>> what they know, notice gaps, and try again. The bot’s drawings add another
>> layer—students can see whether the bot “got it” visually, which often
>> prompts them to clarify or correct their teaching without being told to.
>>
>> Students can even joke about the bot for being “dumb” as they try to
>> teach it. In the process, they also get to feel their own knowledge
>> gaps—hopefully with more of a curious sensation of wonder and realization
>> about their own understanding.
>> Related Traditions, Sayings, and Quotes
>>
>> Famous quotes have referred to the idea of learning by teaching, such as:
>>
>> Seneca: “While we teach, we learn” (Docendo discimus).
>>
>> Savitribai Phule (India, 1831–1897): India’s first female teacher and a
>> pioneering social reformer. Phule’s educational philosophy emphasized that
>> students should immediately share what they learned with their families—a
>> practice of “learning-by-sharing” that reinforced understanding through
>> teaching. (From historical accounts of her educational work in Pune; see
>> Mani & Sardar, 1988.)
>>
>> The Upanishads (Ancient India): The concept of
>> Shravana-Manana-Nididhyasana—learning happens in three stages: hearing (
>> Shravana), reflecting/internalizing (Manana), and meditating/mastering (
>> Nididhyasana). Mastery requires the deep reflection needed to explain it
>> to others.
>>
>> Japanese Proverb: “Manabu ni oshieru” (To learn is to teach)—the acts of
>> learning and teaching are two sides of the same coin; explaining a concept
>> to someone else is what actually solidifies your own understanding.
>>
>> Joseph Joubert: “To teach is to learn twice.”
>> Lightweight Rubric (Adapt as Needed)
>>
>> Criterion
>>
>> Description
>>
>> Accuracy
>>
>> Explanation is correct and uses appropriate vocabulary.
>>
>> Coherence
>>
>> Ideas are organized; steps follow logically.
>>
>> Responsiveness
>>
>> Student answers follow-up questions, revises unclear parts, and corrects
>> inaccurate responses or drawings.
>>
>> Evidence of Reasoning
>>
>> Student explains “why,” not only “what.”
>>
>> Reflection
>>
>> Student notes at least one confusion point and how they resolved it.
>> Ways to Describe NoNothinBot to Students
>>
>> Sometimes you need a quick phrase to explain the idea. Here are some that
>> work:
>>
>> -
>>
>> For test haters
>> -
>>
>> The bot that needs to be taught
>> -
>>
>> The bot that forgot
>> -
>>
>> The Anti-AI—it knows nothing
>> -
>>
>> Test the bot, not the student
>>
>> ReferencesPrimary Sources for the Feynman Technique
>>
>> The technique is a synthesis of Richard Feynman’s learning philosophy as
>> described in James Gleick’s biography Genius: The Life and Science of
>> Richard Feynman and Feynman’s own book Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!
>> Modern interpretations are often credited to Farnam Street (fs.blog).
>>
>> Gleick, James. Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman.
>> (Biography describing Feynman’s “Notebook of Things I Don’t Know About”—the
>> origin of the technique.)
>>
>> Feynman, Richard. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Feynman’s own
>> account of his teaching and simplification mentality.)
>>
>> Farnam Street. “The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything.”
>> https://fs.blog/feynman-technique/
>> Practitioner Resources
>>
>> Li, James. “What Is the Feynman Technique and Why Does It Work So Well?” The
>> Stuyvesant Spectator, Issue 6, Volume 113.
>> https://stuyspec.com/article/what-is-the-feynman-technique-and-why-does-it-work-so-well
>>
>> Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation). “The Benefits of Having
>> High School Students Learn by Teaching.”
>> https://www.edutopia.org/article/having-students-learn-teaching/
>>
>> Todoist. “Beginner’s Guide to the Feynman Technique” (YouTube video).
>> https://youtu.be/XdM0k6EL7Dw
>> <https://youtu.be/XdM0k6EL7Dw?si=Bjuc3eRZabt3JYQX>
>>
>> Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Socratic method.”
>> https://www.britannica.com/topic/Socratic-method
>>
>> InnerDrive. “What Is the Protégé Effect, and How Does It Work?” By the
>> InnerDrive team, edited by Bradley Busch.
>> https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/what-is-the-protege-effect/
>>
>> Wikipedia. “Learning by teaching,” “Socratic method,” “Pedagogical agent.”
>> Academic & Peer-Reviewed Sources
>>
>> Chase, C. C., Chin, D. B., Oppezzo, M. A., & Schwartz, D. L. (2009).
>> Teachable agents and the protégé effect: Increasing the effort towards
>> learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(4), 334–352.
>> https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10956-009-9180-4
>>
>> Kobayashi, K. (2019). Interactivity: A potential determinant of learning
>> by preparing to teach and teaching. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2755.
>> https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6336728/
>>
>> Kobayashi, K. (2019). Learning by preparing-to-teach and teaching: A
>> meta-analysis. Japanese Psychological Research, 61(3), 192–203.
>> https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.12221
>>
>> Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. “Formative and summative
>> assessments.”
>> https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/teaching/teaching-resource-library/formative-summative-assessments
>>
>> Hudesman, J., et al. “Using formative assessment and metacognition to
>> improve student achievement.” ERIC.
>> https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1067283.pdf
>> Visual Learning & Dual Coding
>>
>> Clark, J. M. & Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational
>> Psychology Review, 3(3), 149–170.
>>
>> Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University
>> Press. DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511811678
>>
>> Wikipedia. “Dual-coding theory.”
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-coding_theory (An accessible overview
>> of Allan Paivio’s theory that the mind processes verbal and visual
>> information through separate channels, and that combining both strengthens
>> memory and comprehension.)
>>
>>
>> --
>> Best,
>> Caleb Clark
>> wsesu.org
>> BUHS/BAMS/WRCC IT Support Specialist
>> [log in to unmask]
>> Office: 802-451-3942
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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>>
>> Manage <http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=SCHOOL-IT&A=1> your
>> Subscription to SCHOOL-IT
>>
>
>
> --
> Lucie deLaBruere (she/her)
> www.CreateMakeLearn.org
>
> Google Voice * (802) 404-1640*
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> --------------------------------------
> Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.
> - James M. Barrie
> ---------------------------------------
> Google Certified Educator / Google for Education Certified Trainer,
> Raspberry Pi Certified Educator
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
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