Image credit: Rachel, "Hourglass", https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelcaitlin/8033579260/
Here's a hot tip for techie and non-techie folks (may require having a techie friend) and fellows leading the Hour of Code event at your school. I learned today from our instructional technologist at our Manhattan Beach Middle School, Creighton Drescher, that using our district MBUSD Google Apps for Education Accounts (GAFE) he's stepping up the Hour to personalize the experience for kiddos in grades 6-8. He's crafting a survey (Google Forms) to query kids about how much coding experience they have. I'm not sure if he will be distributed the survey link using a shortened URL, I like goo.gl, or a QR code the teacher projects or a mass email. Then, based on the student responses, they receive Hour of Code links that better suit their experience or comfort level with computer programming. Sweet! Personalizing the Hour of Code is a huge win especially with a large campus of over 1000 kids. Way to go! If I get the links or more information (my bet is he's using AutoCrat add-on) I'll share it with Creighton's permission. :)
Just a thought, if you don't have email accounts, you could use a webpage with link options to personalize a students experience with the Hour of Code. Start with the survey and based on a students score or letter (share the score so they get feedback right away but not the spreadsheet which might side track some kids), tell them to go to the right link to match their level.
I've introduced coding to 5th graders and 2nd graders recently. Here's two solid tips. First, start with a quick game of Simon Says. Then follow it with Kodable iPad app and then Hopscotch, if time permits. The Simon Say's game helps you make coding real for the kids. Kids can make the connection easier to computers and code. You might even hear "Ahhhh" computers will do exactly what you tell them to do, just like Simon Says, step by step directions = code. Kids need to understand the basics, the foundation for all coding languages. That's where Kodable comes in and does an exceptionally fun job making the important points like sequence, conditions and loops, in a rather short period of time, too.
Happy coding!
Just a thought, if you don't have email accounts, you could use a webpage with link options to personalize a students experience with the Hour of Code. Start with the survey and based on a students score or letter (share the score so they get feedback right away but not the spreadsheet which might side track some kids), tell them to go to the right link to match their level.
I've introduced coding to 5th graders and 2nd graders recently. Here's two solid tips. First, start with a quick game of Simon Says. Then follow it with Kodable iPad app and then Hopscotch, if time permits. The Simon Say's game helps you make coding real for the kids. Kids can make the connection easier to computers and code. You might even hear "Ahhhh" computers will do exactly what you tell them to do, just like Simon Says, step by step directions = code. Kids need to understand the basics, the foundation for all coding languages. That's where Kodable comes in and does an exceptionally fun job making the important points like sequence, conditions and loops, in a rather short period of time, too.
Happy coding!
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