We had a fun time of coding in our classroom for the Hour of Code. We wanted to start basic and move towards more advanced skills by the end of the week. In addition, we wanted students to have some freedom in their creations along the way. Kodable Web We started our week off with Kodable Web. This allowed students to learn some of the basics of coding conditions such as conditions, looping and more. It was great since Kodable starts basic and moves to more advanced skills. Kodable even has an app if you have tablets in your classroom. Tynker After Kodable Web, we moved onto the Tynker website for a couple of days. The students really enjoyed Tynker. There were beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of games. In each game, students had to use blocks to successfully complete a level/challenge. Tynker also has two options for IOS apps. You can do the school edition or a free version to learn coding skills. Scratch After students explored Tynker for a few days, we moved onto Scratch. Kids really enjoyed the flexibility of coding their own creations. The options were pretty much endless. We began learning about Scratch by using Scratch Cards. These are visual cards that teach students different skills to utilize in Scratch as they code. In addition, we used some Scratch Tutorial videos that added more options for students when building their creations. We concluded our exploration of Scratch by having students complete an "About Me" program. You can find an example of it here. It was awesome to see what kids were able to create by using Scratch. Khan Academy For those students that were interested in exploring typing the code, we gave them the opportunity to use Khan Academy. They specifically worked through the Hour of Drawing with Code. It is a little challenging but the tutorials help students work through the process of typing the code instead of using blocks. Sphero Robots In addition to using website to practice coding, students had the chance to use Sphero 2.0 robots. We used the app called Macrolab to program the robotic balls. It is available as anIOS app and Android App. I had created a total of eight courses of varying difficulty. Students worked in groups of two or three. They could choose which course they attempted to complete. After successfully completing a course, they were able to move onto another course of their choice. They had to problem solve when the robotic ball did not go on the course like they wanted it to do. It was awesome to hear the conversations that took place between students. Below are some pictures of students in action as they programmed the Sphero ball to complete the course.
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Andrew FenstermakerInstructional Technology Coordinator | Innovation Coach | Google Certified Innovator | Presenter | Blogger | Adjunct @UiowaEducation | Owner @kids_f_i_r_s_t |