Storytelling & Coding with Scratch Jr.

As a technology coach and former Grade 1 teacher, I’ve got a few longtime favourite coding apps for young students and the Scratch Jr. app is definitely one of them!  I appreciate that Scratch Jr. offers students the opportunity to learn basic programming while also embracing storytelling.  

Ms. Blair’s Grade 3 & 4 class at Strathclair School has been working on developing coding skills through unplugged activities and programming in Kodable. This class has learned about sequencing, loops, conditions and functions as they complete the coding challenges in Kodable and learn to code the Wonder Workshop Dash robots, so they brought lots of prior knowledge into this activity.

When I visited their class recently, I introduced students to the Scratch Jr. app and then they tried some of the coding activities from the teacher resources on the Scratch Jr. website https://www.scratchjr.org/teach/activities

For our next session, I explained to students that we’d be using our skills in summarizing, sequencing and retelling to write a program that retold a story.  We read “Up, Up, Down” by Robert Munsch.  Pairs of students used a graphic organizer to identify important story elements for the beginning, middle and end of the story.  Learners identified key events, settings, characters and phrases. 

Next, I asked students to use the Scratch Jr. app to program their retelling in 3-4 scenes/slides.  They were asked to include the important characters, events, settings and phrases from the beginning, middle and end of the story. The Scratch Jr. app works so well for this type of learning activity because it offers different characters and settings to choose from and customize.  Learners used the block-based coding to add actions to the story.  They added text or speech bubbles to share important phrases that came from the story.  

The Wild Robot: A Tech-Infused Novel Study with Ms. Lussier's Class

Ms. Jlee Lussier’s Grade 4 class at MPS read The Wild Robot by Peter Brown and they’ve done so many exciting learning activities connected to this awesome novel!  This novel study has become an annual tradition for Ms. Lussier’s class and I was excited to be invited to join in on some of the activities again this year.  I had the chance to visit this class for 3 sessions to help them learn about programming and how technology works!

Ms. Lussier challenged her students to create their own robot designs using recycled materials.  In our first session together, the Grade 4s learned to program the micro:bits.  Each student successfully wrote a program to display an image and a string of text on their micro:bit.  For example, students may have programmed a smiley face to appear when button A is pressed and programmed “Hello my name is ______” when button B is pressed.  Students will attach their micro:bits to their robot designs so viewers can interact with the micro:bits when the robots are put on display in the school.  

The micro:bit has 25 programmable LED lights. 

In our second session, students learned to program the Wonder Workshop robots.  Students completed different programming challenges working with a partner or small group.  They learned that the robots measure distance in centimeters and practiced programming lights, sounds and movement.  

The Dash robots from Wonder Workshop are one of my favourite and most-used tools in my tech kit as a K-12 technology coach. 

Students desiged a map to represent the island which the story took place on.  As a class, they chose key locations that were significant to the story and then students worked together to create a large map in 9 sections that was taped together. 

When the map was completed during our third session together, we photographed it and displayed it on the interactive whiteboard.  Students worked together to measure the distance between key locations on the map and we added these measurements to the map, which remained on display for the next part of our activity.  There was lots of great math practice included in this activity!

Students worked with partners to choose locations on the map and planned the steps (on paper) to program the robot to move around the map, including measurements for how far the robot would need to travel between locations.

Finally, using their planning, students wrote a program to move their robot around the map to their planned locations.  Each team tried out their program and then made adjustments if needed.  Students were all able to successfully program the robot to move along their planned path on the map and we celebrated as each team completed this fun challenge!

Thanks to Ms. Lussier and her class for inviting me to join in this amazing learning experience.  I enjoyed watching students engaged in these fun activities, which allowed them to build important skills like communication, collaboration, persistence and problem solving!

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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.

Kids Who Code: Get Started with Coding in the Classroom

For the last few years, I have supported my early years students in planning a special Code-a-thon event for Computer Science Education Week.  This year, my week looks a little different.  Since I'm currently acting as the LwICT Teacher Leader for Park West School Division, I get to work with dozens of classes on coding and computer science this December!   I kicked off the week with a coding workshop for teachers and I'm scheduled to work on coding with many classes this week.  For those interested in getting started with coding in the classroom, I would suggest trying one or more of the following:

Unplugged Coding
I typically introduce students to unplugged coding first.  For middle years and high school students, I have modified this Grid Paper Programming Lesson from code.org.  For younger learners, I prefer to start working on the 100 grid of a learning carpet or a smaller 4X4 grid taped on the floor.   I use arrows printed on cardstock and demonstrate how we can "program" a stuffed toy to move around the grid using left, right, up and down arrows.  Students can then work with a partner using a paper copy of the grid and a smaller manipulative to practice "programming" the manipulative to move around the grid.  

unplugged coding for early years

Hour of Code(TM)
Signing up for Hour of Code is great way to get started with coding in the classroom.  There are TONS of great tutorials available from code.org with different options for different grade levels.  You might want to try one of the tutorials yourself and then share it with your students or just jump right in and learn alongside them.  

Code-a-thon
Using a project-based learning model, I've guided my class in planning and hosting three Code-a-thon events.  Each year involved different tools, partners and activities, but each event was a great success!  Check out my Kids Who Code Code-a-thon guide below for tips on planning your own event.

Kids Who Code: 2016 Code-a-thon

We had a minor setback this year as our scheduled Code-a-thon kickoff date ended up being a snow day due to a severe blizzard. This meant that we had to postpone our collaborative coding session with the OLCS Kindergartens until after our Christmas concerts. Although we were disappointed, we still had other Hour of Code sessions to lead! Once we were back at school, the grade 1s led coding sessions for the Grade 7/8 and Kindergarten students who were here during our no-bus day on the second day of the blizzard.  The weather settled down later in the week and we continued with our planned Hour of Code sessions at HES.  The grade 1s led sessions for all 30 of the grade 4 students and our 20 grade 2 neighbours.   It was awesome to see such great cooperation and collaboration between students!

We finally got to work with our OLCS Kindergarten buddies on the final day of school before Christmas break. Our class taught them how to code using Kodable and Tynker. Their class taught us to code with The Foos. It was a really fun way to spend our final morning of school before the holidays!  In total, the 22 grade 1s worked with over 70 other students to learn about coding!  I also led coding sessions for our HES Coding Club.  That means over 100 of us completed the Hour of Code this year!


Check out the video of the 2016 Kids Who Code Code-a-thon

Kids Who Code: Planning the 2016 Code-a-thon

It has become an annual tradition for my class to plan and host an event for Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week.  In our inaugural year, my grade 2 class co-planned the first ever Kids Who Code Code-a-thon with Mrs. Caldwell's Kindergarten class.  Last year, my grade 1s planned the 2015 Code-a-thon event and invited students from our school and surrounding schools.  This year, my grade 1s collaborated with our partner class, the OLCS Kindergartens, to plan the 2016 Kids Who Code Code-a-thon. 

When we are working on a project with another class, we often use a to do list to guide us.  The to do list changes as we work together to complete the project.  We typically meet via video call to stay on track with our event planning.  This system of collaborative project-based learning worked well for us as we prepared for our big event!

One of our jobs for this project was writing instructions for our selected coding tools.  We saved them as PDFs to print out and we created a video version with narration.  This was a great opportunity to introduce procedural writing to my grade 1s and it always adds motivation to write for an authentic audience.  Check out our final shared writing projects below:

Kids Who Code: Starting a Coding Club - What Next?

This fall, I started a Grades 2-5 coding club at our school (which you can read about here).  I'm sharing our experiences in hopes of helping others wanting to start a coding club and also to document this aspect of the Kids Who Code project.

In our first coding club meetings, students worked in multi-age teams to complete Scratch Jr. challenges using activities from their website.  After the first couple of meetings, students were able to work fairly independently in Scratch Jr, so I started working with small groups to introduce other coding tools.  Since I didn’t want to take whole teams away from their Scratch Jr. challenges, I chose a grade to work with each week while the other students continued with Scratch Jr.  I picked different tools to introduce to each grade so that, as a collective club, we had experience with a variety of tools.  For example, I introduced Lightbot to our Grade 5 members and set up Kodable accounts for the Grade 2s.  This system of “small group instruction” works well, since teaching 50 kids at a time seems a bit overwhelming to me.   

There were a few little “housekeeping” tasks that came up for us as a new coding club.  If you're thinking of starting a club, they are things to consider when you're planning!

Clean up – On the first day, I didn’t even think about the fact that there isn’t a garbage can in the gym, so we had to make a habit of bringing one in from my classroom.  I also realized that we needed to sweep the gym floor after our meetings since we were eating our lunches in there, so I asked for student volunteers and was very pleased to have more than enough students offer to help.  (I actually turn down students every week because so many of them volunteer to help – what a great bunch of kids I work with!).  So basically, whichever 3-4 kids volunteer first stay for a few minutes after our meeting and I give them the brooms to clean up – easy!   

Attendance – I felt it was important to have a record of which students were meeting with me each week, so I made a simple “class list” of club members.  Older students volunteer to check off all members in attendance or I carry my clipboard with me as I circulate during meetings and mark down attendance as I work with students.   

Membership – I’m still working on this one.  Over 60 students signed up to try coding club.  Most of them attended our first few meetings to see what it was like.  Now that we have been running for several weeks, a few students have decided not to attend.  I’ve been doing lots of thinking about this… is it okay to “let” them quit?  Should their parents sign off on it since their parents signed the form for them to participate?  Is it important that students commit to attending every meeting or is it okay for them to choose their usual lunchtime routine and outdoor play after an initial trial period?  I’m leaning towards the latter – for several reasons.  Coding club is an extracurricular activity.  Sure, we are learning a lot, but it’s meant to be fun.  I don’t want to force kids to attend.  I also think that it was great for students to sign up and “give it a try”.  When I sign up for a new exercise class or activity, I expect to have a choice about whether or not I continue with it – and I think our students deserve that same choice.  That said, I may still create a simple note to go home so that parents are aware that their child is no longer attending.   In future years, I would discuss this aspect with students and come to an agreement about membership in our club.  

On the whole, our coding club start-up has run very smoothly and I really enjoy working with the students each week.  It's nice to reconnect with my former students and get to know some students I didn't teach.  If you're thinking of starting a coding club, I'd certainly encourage you to give it a try!

  

Hack the Classroom: An Inspiring Event

Yesterday was one of those incredible days that I'll remember for a long time.  I was inspired.  Excited. Energized.  Motivated.  Proud.  Empowered.  Being invited to be part of Microsoft's Hack the Classroom was awesome! 

I was invited to this education event to share the story of how my students are learning to code.  Microsoft in Education filmed this video featuring our class and it was shared during the event.

I also had the privilege to be in the studio to hear messages from a group of passionate presenters, including Dale Dougherty, Rafranz Davis and Hadi Partovi.  We were also joined by fellow educator, Jeff Kash, whose classroom was also featured at the event.  

Hadi Partovi is the founder of code.org and he spoke about the need for schools to teach computer science.  An increasing number of jobs require people trained in computer science, but very few schools prepare students to enter post-secondary programs in this area.  Hadi shared about the growing Hour of Code movement and the need for us to teach coding as a basic skill.   Listening to his message live at #hacktheclassroom was SO inspiring and being invited on stage with him was a huge honour for me!

Dale Dougherty is founder and Executive Chairman of Maker Media, Inc. which launched Make: magazine and Maker Faire. He shared his passion for the maker movement and encouraged everyone to discover the joyful process of making.  Maker Faires are hosted all over the world and many schools have created a makerspace for students.  Education resources are available at makered.org

Rafranz Davis is passionate about the power of Minecraft in education. She works as the Executive Director of Professional and Digital Learning for Lufkin School District. She shared examples of how schools can hack the classroom and overcome obstacles to using Minecraft in schools.  One of my favourite parts of her message was when she explained how STUDENTS taught teachers how to use Minecraft as part of their district PD!!  I'm signing up for Minecraft tutoring with one of my grade 1 students ASAP :)

Jeff Kash is a middle years teacher who is using OneNote Class Notebooks in his classroom.  Using this tool, Jeff has made a shift to grading for mastery and has helped his students become more organized.  

If you didn't catch the live event, you can still sign up and watch on-demand here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/events/hack-the-classroom/default.aspx