Exploring Coding

To explore coding with students from grades 1 to 12 who have a beginning understanding, implement learning opportunities that expose students to different formats of coding. There are many excellent coding resources that are free. The following is a scope and sequence of the resources that we used for each age group:

Exploring with Grades 1 to 3

Apps:

Exploring with Grades 4 to 6

Apps:

Exploring with Grades 7 to 12

Apps:

This free ios App teaches students the basics coding by dragging and dropping. Students will learn how to make Daisy dance and move by learning about sequencing and looping.

Scratch is a software that allows students to use their coding literacy to solve problems, design projects, and share ideas. Scratch Junior and Scratch is also web based.

Kodable is available as an App as well as online. This curriculum allows young students to explore the logic and understandings needed in computer programming such as if/then statements and loops. This resources also has a written curriculum to support teachers and parents.

Scratch Junior is an App that allows students to use their coding literacy to solve problems, design projects, and share ideas. Scratch Junior and Scratch is also web based.

Hopscotch is an iOs App allows users to use a drop and drag process to create their own games. Coding skills such as variables, conditionals, and loops are used to create the games. Designers can share their games for others to play. Easy to follow tutorials are also available.

INSERT APPLE CODING APP HERE AFTER WORKSHOP

ONLINE SITES:

Codecademy is a free online resources that teaches students how to code. Some of the skills and tasks include interactive websites, Java, HTML, CSS, Python.

Coding Pirates is a free iOS, Android App, and online tool that teaches students to use their coding skills to complete challenges and create their own interactive pirate maps.

Cargo-bot is an iOs App that was designed entirely in an Ipad using Codea coding App for Ipads. Cargo-bot challenges users by having them use their coding skills to help the robot complete tasks.

ONLINE SITES:

Code Studio is an extension to the Hour of Code. This is a free web based resource that has courses designed for all ages. Students and teachers start with Course 1 and work their way through challenges. Choose the course that suits the level of yours students. It is recommended that teachers create an account for their students. This allows progress to be tracked.

Khan Academy is a free online course that teaches students the basics to JavaScript, HTML/CSS. Students need an email as well as parent permission to sign up for this free course. It is recommended that teachers sign up and set up their class to track student progress.

ONLINE SITES:

Hour of Code is a free online tool that teach students the basic understanding of coding. As students complete challenges, they receive completion certificates. Teachers and students can create an account and sign in. By doing this, the progress of the user can be saved and tracked. Themes such as Star Wars, Minecraft and Frozen increase student engagement.

Thimble is an online editor that allows students to easily create, design, and publish websites while learning JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Teachers create an account and have students sign into the account the user name and password shared by the teacher.

Grades 1

Grades 4 to 6

Grades 7 to 12

to 3

Tech Toys: These tech toys can be explored by all ages. Depending on students skills and abilities will depend on the depth of coding they will be able to do. Each of these tech toys have a reasonable cost to them and the software or apps are often free after the purchase of the toy.

Robot Turtles is a board game the teaches the fundamentals of computer coding. This game is ideal for ages 3 to 8. Up to 4 players at one time can play. The cost of the game is approx $25.00

Sphero allows students to learn, play and explore the world of programming robots. Students can program or remote control the tech toy. The approximate cost of a Sphero is $140. There are also many free iOS and Android Apps that can be used to program and explore with Sphero. Sphero Education also has coding challenges for all ages available for free online.

Lego Mindstorms allow students to build and program robots out of Lego. Students can design robots to complete a specific task. The robots are controlled by a laptop that has the programming software or the Lego education programming App. Video of Mindstorms in action.

Lego We Do's allow students to use authentic Lego to build projects or create projects that are coding to make movement. The coding software allows students to use a drag and drop process to make their creation move. Each Lego We Do kit is approximately $240. The software needs to be downloaded onto a computer.

The Kano is a kit that allows students to build a computer. The kit also comes with software that allows students to complete challenges and solve problems using basic coding skills