Adventures in Coding
Coding Adventures - Day 9 & 10!
It's always fun to talk about real world applications for coding so we spent some time "unplugged" talking about how one would program a "driverless" car through an intersection. Students worked in teams to create a flowchart outlining a series of questions (and loops) needed to guide the car safely from start to finish. They then reinacted the sequence of events both out on the sidewalk and then with Hotwheels Cars in the classroom to see how successful their algorithms were. It makes me think twice about getting a car that can "park itself." Ha!
Some students decided to step back from their Missions to focus on remixing and creating their own code to show families at Open House night. Others have continued on to Missions 10 & 11 which focus on using inputs and outputs. Mission 10 gave students the chance to create a reaction tester to see who had the fastest reaction time in the classroom while we put on our architectural hats for Mission 11 by turning our Code-X devices into handheld levels. If you don't have a chance to stop by the Open House, I'll do my best to upload and send you a video of your programmer demonstrating their favorite code from our adventures together! I definitely have a few favorite Missions, but am curious to see which ones stand out for your coders!
Coding Adventures - Day 7 & 8!
Coders have been "putting it all together" with Missions 7 & 8 as they refer back to previous missions and their toolbox to create a Personal Billboard/Digital nametag on their Code-X and an "Answer Bot" in which they've coded their Code-X to use a pseudo random number generator. Some have also completed Mission 9 by creating a game spinner and I made the mistake of playing where the direction of the final arrow was the direction in which I was supposed to walk for the rest of the class. I might have distracted them with my jar full of jelly beans . . . whoever guessed the correct amount got to take the jar home!
We unplugged on Friday with an activity that reinforced the importance of programming, sequencing and debugging called, "Robot, Make me a Sandwich!" Each coder wrote down step-by-step directions of how to make a sandwich and then had their partner, the "robot," follow those exact directions. They realized quickly that sometimes the smallest step can make a BIG difference! Students were "debugging" their program by adding steps, including more details, changing words used, etc. in an attempt to get a result that looked something like a sandwich. Everyone continued to work at their own pace with completing their missions as we look toward our last week together. I'm excited for families to have a chance to come in next week at the Open House to see what your coders have been working on!
So far so good!
I think we forgot to specify HOW to spread onto the bread. Ha!
Coding is hard work and everyone was hungry!
Coding Adventures - Day 6!
Extended Day field trip - Trapped Puzzle Room!
What an exhaustingly FUN day!!! Everyone was so excited to participate (despite Ms. H's mistake of room options) and we ALL made it out successfully, so added bonus!
Team: Robot Rampage
Team: The Heist
Picnic at Paradise Park
Well, it could have been raining so I am thankful for our sunny day . . . but boy was it hot! These kids are truly amazing and I am in awe of how well they all get along together as they ran from one activity to another or simply sat in the shade and enjoyed each other's company. There was enough running around that we didn't even have a chance to break out the lawn games, but we did have time for a quick round of "Pop It!" (balloon edition) before heading back to North Branch to catch our rides home. All-in-all, there were a ton of smiles and hopefully lots of stories that came home about today's adventures!
Coding Adventures - Day 5!
The key to my heart is . . . coding! Or perhaps it's just that Mission 6 challenged students to program a beating heart into their Code-X. They figured out how to speed it up and slow it down and what happens if their delay variable gets below zero. We also unplugged for a classic game of Sequence where strategy and teamwork determined the winners.
Coding Adventures - Day 4!
Mission 4 brought a new challenge to students as it gave them a chance to build a game on their Code-X! Some programmed their device to light up when directed to hold a certain button and others decided to remix and program additional directions and challenges into their game. Students asking "Who wants to play my game!?" was music to my ears! Speaking of music . . . Mission 5 introduced the students to the audio library and gave them a chance to program their device to play a song. There was a LOT of Rick Rollin' but much to their dismay, I grew up in the 80s and "Never Gonna Give You Up" was one of my favorite jams! Be sure to ask your coder which songs they played through their Code-X and what game they programmed into their device!
Coding Adventures - Day 3!
As expected, Missions 2 & 3 brought much excitement into the classroom today! Students programmed their Code-X to display an image and when what they coded actually appeared on the screen, you could sense (and hear) their joy and level of accomplishment. Mission 3 gave them the tools to code lights on their device with a challenge of creating a "traffic light" effect and many were anxious to see what was coming next. My favorite part of the day, however, was when one student was eager (and patiently waiting for his chance) to challenge the class. He had created a series of 150+ flashing images and we needed to catch which picture was shown only once. Not only was everyone in the class engaged and making guesses, but they applauded his accomplishment. To see this level of support within a group of students who have only known each other for a few days was truly amazing. Whether you picked your coder up in North Branch or saw them when you got home from work, I hope you can still sense their level of excitement from their Adventures in Coding today!
Coding Adventures - Day 1 & 2
While I enjoyed Day 1, which was devoted to getting to know each other, creating our "Code of Conduct" for the classroom and "unplugging" to play a sequencing game, I'm pretty sure I heard a few, "This was the best day of Project Seek ever!"s as we were dismissing on Day 2. Today our programmers were assigned their Code-X (some even named theirs) and completed Mission 1 which was an introduction to CodeSpace, the platform in which they will be using Python to code and program their device. Watching and hearing their excitement as they plugged in their Code-X to be greeted with lights and a message was priceless. If they thought that was exciting, I can't wait until they finish Missions 2 & 3 tomorrow!
Photo: Snack Time! Every day, we enjoy our snacks in the cafeteria where items can also be purchased from the "Strike it Rich" students. Yes, they did indeed purchase a Red Solo cup of pickle juice (it was only half full though! Ha!) Popsicles, chips and cookies are other very popular items amongst our hungry coders.
Hello and welcome!
I am so excited for our first ever Project SEEK - Adventure in Coding! Over the course of our time together, we will be learning the basics of coding through a variety of fun puzzles, games and activities. Whether we’re unplugged or plugged in, we’ll become masters at coding concepts including algorithms, sequencing, loops and debugging. After 12 days of coding, students will be able to showcase their "Python with CodeX" projects at our Open House and go home with an assortment of activities to keep them coding all summer long!
As the start of our adventure gets closer, I will be sending an informational email to families regarding snack expectations, extended day activities and other housekeeping items. We will have Chromebooks available for students so it is not necessary that they bring devices with them to Project Seek, but it would be helpful if they could bring along their own headphones (plug-in, please no bluetooth).
Thank you and I can’t wait to meet our inaugural coders!
~Mrs. Huffer