Embedded Files
Supplies (To Provide at the Workshop):
Supplies (To Provide at the Workshop):
Initial Activity Supplies:
Initial Activity Supplies:
- Coding Books
- 7-10 Computers/Laptops
- 2 iPads
- Printed materials for several sets of Coding With Paper activity found here:
- Osmo Coding Game
- Osmo Coding Starter Pack
- Dash and Dot Robots
Additional Workshop Supplies
Additional Workshop Supplies
- Protractors
- Rulers
- Pencils
- Graph Paper
- Coding Cards
Schedule:
Schedule:
Week One:
One 45 minute Session
Week Two:
Two 45 minute Sessions
Week Three:
Two 45 minute Sessions
Week Four:
Two 45 minute Sessions
Week Five and Beyond:
Coding Club Option (Once per week or as preferred by leader) is an option for continuing to have students come and explore
Initial Activity Teacher Instructions
Initial Activity Teacher Instructions
Week 1 Session 1:
Week 1 Session 1:
The initial activity for this workshop uses five different stations to expose students to coding in five different ways. In this way, if a student is confused or stuck on one method, they can move to another station to continue exploring using different learning styles.
The stations for the initial activity will be open for 45 minutes, with options for students to come in during other free time to explore further. The overall workshop will have six more sessions, two 45 minute sessions each week for three weeks.
Stations
Stations
Station 1. Coding Books:
Station 1. Coding Books:
- The first station is probably the simplest to setup, and easiest for students to explore. Put out any and all coding books that you have in your library collection at a table for students to look through and learn about the basics of coding.
- If you do not have coding books in your collection, here are a few that we highly recommend purchasing.
- Sources: https://www.fractuslearning.com/2014/02/20/books-kids-programming/
- http://www.readbrightly.com/childrens-books-to-introduce-coding/
a) Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming
This book is recommended for ages 10+, and really does a good job of breaking down the fundamentals of code for a younger audience. You will want to have a computer set out with this one, should a student or two go deep enough that they actually start following the recommended programming steps.
https://www.amazon.com/Python-Kids-Playful-Introduction-Programming/dp/1593274076
b) Super Scratch Programming Adventure! (Covers Version 2): Learn to Program by Making Cool Games
This is another book that can be used more as a companion guide for actual programming, so you’ll want to have a computer out with this one too. That said, it also has some neat visuals that students can look at, including a comic book that helps simplify some of the more complex vocabulary involved with coding.
https://www.amazon.com/Scratch-Programming-Adventure-Covers-Version/dp/1593275315/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
c) Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding
This is a very simple book that does not require a computer to complete the activities. It is part picture book with the rest containing activities related to the story. Ultimately, it is much less about learning the language of coding, and much more about understanding some of the basic concepts of programing, like problem solving, step-by-step planning, and thinking outside the box. This is a great resource for those students who are curious, but not as passionate yet.
http://us.macmillan.com/hellorubyadventuresincoding/lindaliukas/9781250065001
d) Coding for Beginners Using Scratch & Lift the Flap Computers and Coding.
These two books are sold through Usborne distributors, and are harder to locate in the US without contact to a local Usborne salesperson. They are available through 3rd parties on Amazon or on their UK website if you are willing to pay for the shipping.
All of that aside, these are fantastic sources. The first uses the computer again, using Scratch; a popular coding website. The second is another great source for those curious students who just want to explore some of the very basics. It needs no computer, and has liftable flaps that reveal valuable information. It might sound like a fluff piece, but it actually has useful content.
https://usborne.com/browse-books/catalogue/product/1/9569/coding-for-beginners-using-scratch/
https://usborne.com/browse-books/catalogue/product/1/9570/lift-the-flap-computers-and-coding/
Station 2. Code.Org:
Station 2. Code.Org:
Code.org® is a fantastic website that makes coding accessible to students of all ages. We recommend having at least four computers out (more depending on student population) with Code.org® open. In later sessions students will be able to go deeper with this as we direct them to several specific sessions geared towards their difficulty levels. For now, have the site pulled up to the student section and let students explore on their own. If they ask for more specific direction, direct them towards one of the earlier courses to start experimenting. But still let them do most of the exploring at this stage. Here is a direct link to the student webpage. Also, make sure that they watch the videos that accompany the courses.
Furthermore, if coding is a foreign language to you as an educator, this is a perfect site to use to get a crash course. (It will also make the language of this workshop a lot more familiar in not a lot of time). We recommend using one of the Hour of Code activities to get started.
Station 3. Coding With Paper:
Station 3. Coding With Paper:
This station will remove the computer altogether to show students some of the basics of coding in a more physical and tangible way. This activity is borrowed from Fractus Learning. Their website has printable coding blocks and pictures to save you time and effort, but if you wish to create your own, that would be just as well.
At this station, students work in pairs to experiment with using coding blocks. Their goal is to direct a paper spaceship through a maze of objects. You’ll need to print the blank grid-map with 64 squares (8x8), the spaceship and other objects, and the coding blocks. Student One will place objects on the grid to create the map, including hazards for the ship to avoid and a starting and ending block (an Earth and a moon square respectively). Student Two must use a sequence of coding blocks to create a solution to the maze. Here is an example of a maze and a possible solution. Once Student Two creates a solution, Student One follows the directions to test the code. Students can switch roles and repeat as many times as they would like.
https://www.fractuslearning.com/2014/11/18/coding-with-paper-printable-game/
Station 4. Osmo Coding:
Station 4. Osmo Coding:
Osmo Coding is essentially the same concept as the Coding With Paper, but now we’re bringing the technology back in. The Osmo Coding set does cost $50, and also requires an Osmo Base and Reflector to play, found in the $79 starter kit. Additionally, you will need an iPad to run the accompanying app. If these resources are beyond your budget, we recommend compensating with more paper Coding With Paper, as they are very similar activities. However, it truly is an excellent resource that gets coding off of paper and into the digital world, where students can directly see their coding decisions play out in a game.
Osmo Coding is a set of interchangeable tiles that can rearranged into various sequences in order to move a character on an iPad app. This is a great, simplistic station where students can really explore on their own by rearranging the tiles. Once the tiles are set how the student wants them, they can push play and watch their sequence play out.
Here is a link to their webpage with a fun video advertisement to show the product in action. There are also many helpful YouTube tutorials made by fellow educators and parents.
https://www.playosmo.com/en/coding/
Here is a nice tutorial video posted by Osmo with a student and adult working together to explain how the product works:
Station 5. Dash and Dot- Coding Robots:
Station 5. Dash and Dot- Coding Robots:
This is another station that does require some money. The Dot robot costs $50. The Dash robot is $120. If you need to pick one of the two, I recommend the Dash robot. Dot is immobile, and though still a neat toy to teach coding, Dash has a lot more programming options and could even be used in a 3D version of the Coding With Paper game by creating a larger board and placing physical objects on the map that Dash needs to maneuver around.
Overall, the concept is similar to that of the Coding With Paper game and the Osmo coding activity, though it is uniquely different in that this time the coding blocks are on an app, and the object is physical. Students arrange the coding blocks on the app, and then Dot or Dash follow those instructions and act them out in the real world. This item is certainly educational and definitely engaging for students. There are a variety of apps for Dash and Dot with different games to teach coding in several ways, from very easy to much more difficult. The best app that directly deals with coding blocks would be the Blockly App.
https://www.makewonder.com/dash
Funding ~ Initial Activity:
Funding ~ Initial Activity:
Again, if buying all of these resources is not possible, at the bare minimum stations two and three are free, and purchasing at least a few coding books for station one should be manageable. Even with just these three stations, you can still create a fun initial activity that gets students exploring with early stages of coding. If you can only do one of the last two stations, choosing which to invest in is really up to you. Both end up costing about $130, so long as you only buy Dash from the Dash and Dot set. Both offer students unique opportunities to explore coding in very different ways. Both use coding blocks to move an object, but one uses physical blocks to move a virtual object, while the other uses virtual blocks to move a physical object. Choosing one might just depend on what you think your students would be more engaged with. We like both, which is why we will let you decide.
Resources ~ Initial Activity:
Resources ~ Initial Activity:
Though the initial activity does not really demand the expertise of an expert, it might be helpful to invite your IT tech worker to attend the workshop. You might also invite several high school students with interests in coding to attend and assist at various stations.
Note: Though our descriptions of some of these products might not be as detailed as they could be, most of these products do come with tutorials to help you get started as well.
Materials ~ Initial Activity:
Materials ~ Initial Activity:
Coding Books
7-10 Computers/Laptops
2 iPads
Printed materials for several sets of Coding With Paper activity:
https://www.fractuslearning.com/2014/11/18/coding-with-paper-printable-game/
Osmo Coding Game
Osmo Coding Starter Pack
Dash and Dot Robots
WEEKS 2 - 4:
WEEKS 2 - 4:
A computational thinker
A computational thinker
- leverages technology to understand and solve problems in order to develop and test solutions.
- Employs data analysis, abstract models, and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions
- Collects data and represents data in a variety of ways
- Breaks complex problems into parts in order to facilitate problem-solving
- Develops a sequence of steps to test solutions
This workshop is intended to be an introduction to a long-term coding club for the students who wish to continue their participation after its conclusion. The initial group of students are fourth graders, but the activities could easily be adapted to other ages and abilities.
This workshop is intended to be an introduction to a long-term coding club for the students who wish to continue their participation after its conclusion. The initial group of students are fourth graders, but the activities could easily be adapted to other ages and abilities.
WEEK 2, Code.org:
WEEK 2, Code.org:
Instruction that may be necessary will be about how to use the three sections of the Blockly work page. The far left is the puzzle and the area where the code will be run or tested. The middle section is where the parts are kept. Students grab parts from this section and drag them into the work space on the right. Students may also need help to realize that the blocks of code need to be joined together in order to run, if they don’t discover this on their own, (about 50% do). Also, the purple stripe at the top of the work space indicates how many blocks of code have been used and how many are required to solve the puzzle.
- Have students start with Course 2, Stage 3, and work their way through the activities. Some of them have a quiz at the end, and some of them have a free play activity.
- When students have to stop between sessions, we recommend that you have a roster where students can record their progress in order to avoid repeating activities they have already completed. Students may, however, choose to repeat favorite activities.
- Three sessions (two in week 2 and one in week 3) will be allowed for students to progress as far as possible through the lessons on Code.org. During this time students continue to work independently with as little assistance as possible. Trial and error is a key part of the learning at this time.
WEEK 3, Code.org:
WEEK 3, Code.org:
- In the first session, students should continue to work on the Stages independently.
- In the second session, students will go back to one of the Artist stages (scattered throughout the various stages) and choose a free play activity at the end to create an original coded project. Students may choose to share their creations by sending a link to the teacher’s class Facebook, to the teacher’s phone, or to a printer (which means it can be saved as a pdf file).
WEEK 4:
WEEK 4:
https://www.tynker.com/#/sign-in-student/ : Register for a free educator account on Tynker. Create a class using the members of the workshop as your students. There are three activities in the class group that result in publishable products for students to choose from. They are Comic Creator, Animated Card Creator, and Pattern Maker. You may choose to assign only these activities, or all six free activities.
- Students will choose a final project from one of the two links on the workshop website.
- Students will complete at least one project. Encourage students to take the time to create a quality product.
- Assist students to download the project if that option is available. We recommend storing the files in a Google Drive (teacher’s or student’s) for ease of sharing.
- Teach students how to use the snipping tool if the finished project cannot be downloaded. Save the snip to the designated Google Drive.
- The students’ names or initials should be part of the file name when they save their projects.
- Assist students to share their projects with the teachers by Google or email so they can be published on the workshop website.
CONCLUSION: If there is not time remaining at the end of the final session for sharing, an additional session may be added. All students should have the option to share their projects with the rest of the group, and explain the coding behind it. This may provide inspiration to their classmates for another attempt at coding. One option would be to showcase each project on a separate computer monitor in the lab and have a gallery walk.
Survey or question students about their experience in order to evaluate and improve the workshop for future groups. Take suggestions on ways to extend the learning beyond the workshop.
Coding Club:
Coding Club:
If you plan to extend the workshop into a coding club, provide information to the students about the details.
If you plan to extend the workshop into a coding club, provide information to the students about the details.
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