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Coding and computational thinking:
Coding and computational thinking:
connecting, extending, and enriching all curriculum areas.
connecting, extending, and enriching all curriculum areas.
"Coding is a fundamental computational thinking skill of the modern world. As technology continues to be integrated into our everyday lives, it is important as educators to provide opportunities for students to be innovative and create, and not just consume, technology.
Coding is an employable skill that teaches students to solve problems, take risks, think critically and logically while being empowered to fail in a safe environment. These skills are vital in all curricular areas as well as Learning Skills and Work Habits.
Coding empowers students to be content creators rather than just content consumers."
(Coding in Elementary, a professional learning resource for Ontario Educators)"At the heart of computational thinking – and mathematics – is abstraction. When children write code, they come to…understand in a tangible way the abstractions that lie at the heart of mathematics, dynamically model mathematics concepts and relationships, gain confidence in their own ability and agency as mathematics learners."
(Research Monograph # 69 April 2017, Ontario Ministry of Ed.)"Computer studies is relevant for all students because it incorporates a broad range of transferable problem-solving skills and techniques, including logical thinking, creative design, synthesis, and evaluation. It also teaches generically useful skills in such areas as communication, time management, organization, and teamwork."
(Ontario Secondary Curriculum, Computer Studies, 2008)Additional supports for those looking to work with students with coding and computational thinking activities:
Additional supports for those looking to work with students with coding and computational thinking activities:
Check out these interactive slides created and shared with UGDSB by Inksmith - make a copy, edit and revise as you see fit!
Virtual Connections to Consider for collaboration
Virtual Connections to Consider for collaboration
Code To Learn offers free resources to Canadian students and teachers to help them acquire coding, robotics, and computational thinking skills—while developing global competencies.
You can even invite virtual guests into your classroom to engage with your students about these skills!
Click here to learn more.
The Hour of Code is a global movement introducing tens of millions of students worldwide to computer science, inspiring kids to learn more, breaking stereotypes, and leaving them feeling empowered.
Click here to learn more about how you might integrate this initiative with your learners!
Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks
Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks
Using Scratch
Using Scratch
Click on the doc below for step by step instructions on how to Change the Language of Scratch Coding from English to Francais, or another language.
Click on the doc below for step by step instructions on how to Change the Language of Scratch Coding from English to Francais, or another language.
Text Based Coding Software: Lynx
Text Based Coding Software: Lynx
Want to connect with someone to support coding using LYNX in your classroom? Check out CanCode Connect!
Want to connect with someone to support coding using LYNX in your classroom? Check out CanCode Connect!
Dash and Dot Troubleshooting
Dash and Dot Troubleshooting
Dash and Dot speak in English, German, Mandarin Chinese, French, Korean, Mandarin Taiwanese, and Spanish. Go, Path, and Xylo are available in English only, as are Cue and associated apps.
How do I switch my robot’s language?
You can change your robot’s language to one of our supported languages by changing your device’s language settings then connecting to Dash using either the Wonder or Blockly app.
For Apple iOS devices, go to Settings > General > Language & Region
For Android devices, go to Settings > Language and Input.
Note: the actual selection may vary depending on your Android device model and OS version.
Tap on the Language menu to select (or add) your language of choice.
After updating your OS language setting on your device, relaunch the Wonder or Blockly app. If your robot spoke in a different language, connecting to the robot presents an Optional language update to match your recent OS language setting.
Some additional considerations at home:
Some additional considerations at home:
We know that being at home creates certain limitations - reduced space, limited materials, etc. The following are activities that can support learning at home, by developing skills in observation, critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. Depending on the age and ability of the student, they will require different levels of supervision and support.
Analogy Scavenger Hunts (challenge students to find items in their house that seem unlike or unrelated to coding - and then explore them to consider connections, "coding is like _________ because ___________)".
Repurposing Challenges (play with cutting and pasting or taking blocks of code and integrating them into a new project with a different purpose/outcome, for example)
Patterning (investigate patterns in the natural environment and/or architecture and then create their own patterns using materials available to them, investigate a number of challenges for trends/patterns)
Decomposition Challenges (Offer a complex challenge to students and challenge them to break it down into smaller parts)
Be the Teacher (invite students to consider something that the do well: tying their shoe, making pancakes, mowing the lawn, canoeing, reading, playing video games, etc., lay out the steps to their process (algorithm) and teach it to someone else. What happens when they miss a step? How do they have to consider their language for clarity?)
Careers Exploration (challenge students to connect examples (items, media, etc.) around them to specific careers related to technology, manufacturing, programming, or design, etc. (phones, timers, computers, sergers, video games, etc. and/or consider how the skills they are using connect to potential jobs/careers of interest)
Empathy Building (Invite students to consider different applications of coding in support of meeting the needs of an individual or group of individuals - if they've explored lego robotics, for example, consider how the colour sensor might support accessibility; if they've looked at microbits, consider how coding might support changemaking projects; if they've looked at Scratch, consider how they might code something to show gratitude to others)
reflection is key to learning:
reflection is key to learning:
Supporting students in reflecting on their process, decisions, and work allows them to make important connections to their awareness of self, the curriculum and between their learning and the world around them. Here are some ideas of prompts you might consider. Please note that when inviting students to reflect, the best questions are open ended, allow for students to think deeply, and don't expect a 'right or wrong' answer.
Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'What':
Identify one thing about the piece/experience that you enjoyed/are enjoying.
What did you find/are you finding challenging about the process? What strategies are you using to help you move forward?
What are you finding/did you find puzzling?
What is standing out for you in this process/in this final piece/about this experience?
What did you/are you noticing about coding as a process? As a tool for meeting diverse needs?
Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'So What' (Why is this important?):
What is/does/has this experience illustrated about connections between things?
Where else have you seen/experienced something like this?
Tell me about your decision making - what led you to use ____________ ?
What strengths/skills are you noticing in yourself?
What areas would you like to keep working on/playing with?
Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'Now What' (Where do I go next?):
If you were to do it again, what is one thing you would change/keep the same and why?
What other areas of coding would you like to explore?
What questions do you still have?
Identify a goal you have to support continuing to develop your skills.
How can you share your work/learning with others?
How will you apply your new understandings of (coding/yourself) moving forward?
Want to know more about Experiential Learning at UGDSB! Click here.
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