This week in class I was excited to learn about coding, as I am very inexperienced in the topic.
Why code?
- It helps to explain the world
- It is object oriented
- It uses logic
- It develops problem solving and computational thinking skills
- It can get deeper and more complex
- It can be fun!
“Coding is a hands-on way of teaching students how to analyze a problem, determine the steps to fix it, and then create code so a machine can carry out those steps. It’s more than working with computers – it’s an approach and a way of problem solving.”
~ Mike Bernier, Former B.C. minister of education
Coding for kids is not super complex – there are many apps, games and more that are great coding resources that are kid friendly!
Coding Programs for Kids
Scratch
Scratch is a free tool for creating stories, games, animations and more, that can be shared with others and around the world, or kept for yourself. Learns can control the variables as part of the coding project, and it helps to be able to see the logic of the game.
It can be overwhelming at first, but there are many tutorials and it is easy and fun once you are comfortable! For teachers, there are additional tutorials and resources such as coding cards with step by step instructions on them to give to students.
A beginners tutorial for how to use Scratch:
Scratch Jr.
Scratch Jr. is only available for iPad and android devices, but it is a great tool for younger kids (K – Gr. 2).
Programmable Robots: Sphero and Beebot
These programmable robots can be designed and sequences to drive them around the environment.
Sphero:
“Sphero Maze Navigation” by Wesley Fryer is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Beebot:
“Bee-Bot” by Ars Electronica is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Coding is a fun way to learn for kids!