Coding in the Classroom

In my ICT adventures this month, I spent lots of time working on coding with students and teachers around Park West School Division.   December kicked off with Computer Science Education Week.  Across the globe, thousands of people took part in Hour of Code and the staff and students in PWSD were among those participants!   During CSED week, I supported three schools in offering whole school coding events, where every student got to participate in coding activities!  I also joined many other classrooms for coding activities throughout the month.  Some classes paired up with other grade levels for their programming activities and some classes worked on their own. Whether it was single-grade or multi-grade, whole-school or single-class coding activities, I loved being part of the learning and excitement around coding in our schools this month!

Inspired by the great work I witnessed this month, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on coding in the classroom.  I created some images to share my ideas with you!

Why teach coding? 

My 5 Favourite Tools for Teaching Coding & Computational Thinking

I've tried plenty of tools and activities over the last few years and I've developed some favourites that are my "go-to" tools when teaching coding and computational thinking.   The numerical list is not intended as a ranking system, I just have 5 things I use more than anything else!

Regardless of age, I always start with unplugged coding activities.   I like to use these activities to build a basic understanding of coding concepts before we work with technology.  I've developed lessons to teach students about sequencing, conditions, loops and more.   It really helps to include some unplugged lessons to ensure students understand the programs they are writing with technology!

Code.org has so much to offer.   They have a variety of activities for different ages, including both one-hour tutorials and full courses.   Spend some time digging around on their website and you're sure to find something suitable for your class!

Kodable was a favourite in my Grade 1 and 2 classes and it has been very popular in K-4 classrooms around the division.  The free content is a great start, plus they offer paid content if you'd like to offer more coding activities for your students. 

Thanks to Kids Code Jeunesse, our schools now have micro:bit sets for teaching programming!  It's awesome when students can see their programs run on an external device and I'm excited about the possibilities for these pocket-sized computers!

I have two of each of these robots in my ICT kit and they've traveled with me all over PWSD for the last several months!  

Coding in the Classroom: Student Perspectives

As the LwICT Teacher Leader, something that I have supported in classrooms this year is coding.  Many PWSD students have had the opportunity to learn basic programming skills using student-friendly tools.   One such class is Mrs. Fransila's Grade 7/8 class in Inglis.   During my monthly school visits, the grade 7/8s have been learning to code using Wonder Workshop Dash robots.   We have done some "unplugged" coding activities with no technology and some mini-lessons on different topics.   The students are working their way through the Wonder Workshop challenge cards, which include a variety of programming tasks. 

The students recently reflected on their experiences with learning to code and I noticed their reflections posted in the classroom last time I visited their class.   I think it is really important to seek student feedback about teaching and learning, so I was eager to read what these students had to say!   I think the students shared some valuable insight, so (with their permission) I am sharing their ideas below:

Ready, Set, Go!
"Meet Dash, our classroom robot!  Dash has been with us since December.  We have had lots of fun programming and coding its instructions.  We had cards with steps and instructions so that we could give Dash specific commands.  We learned how to safely operate and care for Dash.  Sometimes, before we had a completed outcome, we had to practice getting the measurements and the steps just right.  In the introduction to coding, we learned how to sequence the steps in the order that it said on the cards.   After leveling up, we started learning about loops and conditions where we needed different materials, like obstacles, cups and bulldozer attachments.   After learning more and more about coding, more practice and adjustments were needed.  My group got to level C.  I like coding.  It is fun, sometimes a bit frustrating, but it is mostly enjoyable.  All I had to do was input different blocks into the iPad and press "go" when I was ready.  I can't imagine how hard it would be to code the Blockly app!  I think that coding is fun, I can't wait to finish the cards!"

The Adventures of Coding
"In December 2017, Mrs. Obach came to our classroom with robots to introduce us to coding.  Mrs. Obach taught us how to care for our robots.  We did some practice cards where we had to follow all the steps in proper sequence to get the desired outcome, but sometimes we had to adjust the conditions to get it right.  We learned that some cards needed materials like tape, cups, or the bulldozer blade.  We learned about loops and if/then [statements] and we had lots of fun."

Coding Dash

"In December, Mrs. Obach came and did an introduction on coding robots.  We learned how to take care of Dash (Dash is the robot).  We couldn't pick it up by its head when moving it and [we] also learned how to use the cards we were given to help it execute conditions and loops.  When using the cards, you would use the steps that are given to code Dash.  Sometimes we have to adjust the course so that Dash wouldn't hit anything.  The materials we used were tape, cups and bulldozer clips.  When we used the tape, it marked where Dash started and where to place the cups if they moved.  Dash sometimes went around the cups and sometimes pushed them into the tape that was a square.  The bulldozer clips are used to push the cups around.  In order to get a good sequence, you have to follow the cards step by step.  If you don't follow the order, then everything will be a big flop and would have to restart and go through the steps again.  To get a positive outcome, you have to have lots of practice.  When I was doing my last card, I had to keep redoing it because the cups weren't in the right spot or Dash wasn't in the right starting position.  It was an amazing experience.  I am thankful that I was able to learn about coding with Dash."

Crazy Coding
"In December, Mrs. Obach brought 2 robots into our classroom so we could learn coding.  There were instructions on cards that showed the steps you needed.  The introduction was learning how to sequence and adjust the commands when something wasn't working with the card outcome.  There were different materials you could use under different conditions.  There were different blocks you could use like go forward, go left __ degrees, loop and others.  We had practice and learned rules on how to care for the robots." 

While reading and re-reading the student reflections, a couple of key points stood out to me:

Try, Try Again:  The students refer to making multiple attempts at completing a given coding challenge/task.  One student mentions that they encountered some frustration.   The important thing I noticed is that, despite setbacks, all of these students persisted in their work.   I have shared my opinion that developing tenacity is one of the reasons that I think learning to code is valuable and this student feedback validated that for me.   Students learning to code often have to work through complex tasks and make multiple attempts to succeed.

How Technology Works:  Students mentioned learning to sequence commands, program loops and use conditions.   One student even comments on the relative simplicity of block coding versus the actual programming that might be required to build the Blockly app they've been using.   Although not all students will need to know how to program a computer, it is likely that most students will use technology in school and in their future.   Teaching students basic programming gives students an understanding of how technology works.   I think it is beneficial to develop this understanding of the basics since we so often rely on technology!

If you are interested in coding, check out my post on getting started with coding in the classroom.

Coding Club: Exploring Robotics thanks to ManACE!

This post is part of a series of entries documenting the startup of our Kids Who Code Coding Club at Hamiota Elementary. 

The Kids Who Code project at Hamiota Elementary School focuses on introducing computer science and coding to young learners in engaging and meaningful ways.  Using student-friendly coding tools, students and teachers are learning how to code and exploring ways to build important 21^st century skills through coding.  This year, a noon hour coding club for grades 2-5 students is being offered.  In one of their initial club meetings, students set goals and shared their interests related to computer science and coding.  One common goal that students identified was to explore robotics.  Many students expressed a strong desire to code robots and build robots.  Thanks to a ManACE Seed Grant, students can now act on those desires!

Since learning about robotics was a student-identified goal, students have been involved in the decision making for this project.  The first step was to decide which robotics products to purchase, so coding club members worked together to research different options for educational robotics.  Students were asked to identify pros, cons, features and pricing for a variety of products, including  BeeBots, Dash & Dot robots, Sphero and Cubelets.   Once students had completed their research, each club member voted on their top two choices.  Students felt that the Sphero robots and Cubelets would be best for the club.  

The Cubelets and Sphero robots have now arrived, so students are exploring all that is possible with these exciting new tools! Students will be reviewing their robotics purchases to inform other students and schools, so be sure to check back for more information in the coming months.  Our reviews will be posted on this blog and shared on Twitter (@LeahO77). 

Coding Club: Exploring TouchDevelop

This post is part of a series of entries documenting the startup of our Kids Who Code Coding Club at Hamiota Elementary.  

When we resumed coding club meetings after Christmas, I offered to introduce a new coding tool to any Grade 5 students who were interested in trying something more challenging.  I had heard a lot of good things about how middle years students were using TouchDevelop to complete tutorials and create games and I felt the Grade 5s would be successful with the added difficulty.  Unfortunately, with dozens of other students in the gym, I didn’t have a lot of time to spend directly teaching students how to get started.  I helped them get to touchdevelop.com and then suggested they begin a tutorial and try following the steps.  They were able to get started, but they had a lot of questions and needed more support from me, so we decided to have a small-group meeting on an alternate day to get them started.   The following week, the small group met on Monday and I was able to better support them in completing levels of their chosen TouchDevelop tutorial.  During our regular club meeting on Wednesday, many students chose to continue working on their tutorials (which went much better now that they’d had some support to get started.) 

The following Monday, I was surprised to see grade 5s start arriving in my classroom at lunchtime.  The first one asked “Are we working on TouchDevelop with you again today?” to which I replied “I hadn’t planned on it… did you want to work on TouchDevelop today?”  I got a firm “Yes!” Apparently, the students involved had been discussing it all morning and were eager to get back to work on their tutorials.  During this second (somewhat impromptu) meeting, I was able to help students login so that their progress would be saved and we also learned how to rename tutorials so we could keep track of who the work belonged to even though we were sharing a login.  One student even completed and published his first project!  It was exciting to see a finished project and to share it online!  Again that Wednesday, most of the students chose to continue their tutorials during our regular coding club meeting.  Another group was able to publish their finished work.  I think we’ve started something big here.   Many students joined coding club with the idea of creating games or apps and I think that TouchDevelop has the capabilities to help us meet that goal!