Why Code?
Turning consuming into creating...
Do I know how to write code? Nope! Do I let that stop me from giving the kids opportunities to learn? No way! There are so many great apps and websites which support students in learning code. I'm slowly learning but the kids are amazing at how quickly they pick up the fundamentals and then use the power of search engines and each other to problem solve. All they need is the opportunity to try, to play. They very quickly become hooked. Whether it's creating a game to teach kids their times tables or to help learn Maori words, girls and boys alike, are quickly absorbed in the process and feeding off each other's knowledge and skills. It's a learning environment that fizzes.
Computational Thinking
What is computational thinking?
Decomposition: Breaking down a complex problem or system into smaller, manageable parts
Pattern Recognition: Looking for similarities among & within problems
Abstraction: Focusing on the important information only, ignoring irrelevant detail
Algorithms: Developing a step-by-step solution to the problem, or the rules to follow to solve the problem.
It's about understanding a problem in order to be able to develop possible solutions.
(Thanks to Meridith Ebbs)
Decomposition: Breaking down a complex problem or system into smaller, manageable parts
Pattern Recognition: Looking for similarities among & within problems
Abstraction: Focusing on the important information only, ignoring irrelevant detail
Algorithms: Developing a step-by-step solution to the problem, or the rules to follow to solve the problem.
It's about understanding a problem in order to be able to develop possible solutions.
(Thanks to Meridith Ebbs)
Code.Org
Code.org is a fantastic website and a great place to start in the classroom.
A great place to start is with the Angry Birds tutorial which kids can work through at their own pace. If you want to, you can easily sign up your class and keep track of how they're progressing. Tapping into the latest trend is also the Frozen tutorial.
A great place to start is with the Angry Birds tutorial which kids can work through at their own pace. If you want to, you can easily sign up your class and keep track of how they're progressing. Tapping into the latest trend is also the Frozen tutorial.
Hopscotch
This app just keeps getting better and better. It is completely designed for the classroom and is accessible to all ages. It can be used on the iPhone and on the iPad. Android versions are being planned for the future.
Check out my guide to Hopscotch and teaching resources here.
Check out my guide to Hopscotch and teaching resources here.
Scratch
This site is fully supported with tutorials and print-outs. Students can share their games in the global community. They get really excited when they get feedback from other students about their work.
There are many sites which teachers can use to help students self-guide as well:
learnscratch.org/
http://projects.codeclubworld.org/en-GB/
There are many sites which teachers can use to help students self-guide as well:
learnscratch.org/
http://projects.codeclubworld.org/en-GB/
GamePress
This app is pretty intuitive and the kids don't have access to it for long before being able to create some of their own games. They enjoy the quality of the graphics. Some of the examples from the slideshow above are from this app.
Code Combat
Students learn concepts in code by playing the game and working their way through the levels. The 'gaming' style is engaging for kids. Click here for the teacher info.
Pencil Code
And more...
http://www.codecademy.com
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/coding-apps-and-websites
madewithcode.org
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/coding-apps-and-websites
madewithcode.org
Great site...
It was awesome to listen to Meridith Ebbs (@imerinet) at the EduTechAu Conference. She has developed the following website to support teachers with computational thinking:
http://kodeklubbers.weebly.com
http://kodeklubbers.weebly.com
Self-guided tutorials for students (and for you):
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/apps - app making (3 levels)
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/games - game making (3 levels)
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/physical-computing - robotics programming (3 levels)
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/websites - using code to create websites (3 levels)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-6Hx9uqY8pOiZR1M5OK09A - Youtube channel for the Hopscotch app
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/games - game making (3 levels)
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/physical-computing - robotics programming (3 levels)
http://makethingsdostuff.co.uk/make-things/websites - using code to create websites (3 levels)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-6Hx9uqY8pOiZR1M5OK09A - Youtube channel for the Hopscotch app