Thank you all for another great showcase of creativity and commitment. I have been so impressed with all our students showing their growth mindset and being risk-takers by trying to code our robots and creating swirly art.
How can we support our students to continue to code?
Learning trough Playing
Many parents and teachers wonder, “When will I have time to teach them how to code?” Or maybe the more precise question is, “I don’t know how to code, so how can I expect them to create a project out of code?” The answer to these questions is simple: If students are choosing to create something out of code, then we need to provide them with the resources and send them on their way. It is important to provide our students with time to play, experiment, and create something out of passion and interest. I personally love coding, but do I think that it is for everyone, no I don’t. My take on this is that coding by itself is a way too narrow skill set for what it has been branded for. The real skill set is computational thinking and logic. As educators and parents we should be looking beyond coding and facilitate a more comprehensive solution.
That said, I do suggest using resources like Code.org and Scratch.org and playing with all the possibilities they offer. As for younger primary students I do recommend something a bit more hands on, something that can be manipulated and experienced beyond the screen. Lego serious play offers a comprehensive modular STEAM environment that never ends. With Lego Mindstorm students that build, code, and see their own robot designs come to life and perform tasks that they want.
Be sure to visit our Hour of Code website for more ideas and pictures
See this wonderful post for more coding resources.
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