For my ECMP355 class, I was assigned to look up the Hour of Code, which to be honest, I did not know a lot about. So, I asked myself: what is the Hour of Code and why is coding important? It turns out that the Hour of Code is a global initiative that promotes people (especially kids) to code all around the world. But I think that before you promote the Hour of Code, teachers need to be explaining what coding is, what it is used for, and why it is important.
So I looked it up on Code Conquest and found that coding is what makes it possible for us to create computer software, apps and websites. Your browser, your OS, the apps on your phone, Facebook, and this blog are all made with code. Code Conquest makes some good points in saying that learning to code has some benefits because it empowers you to do many things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. These things include hand-crafting your own websites, becoming a career coder, starting a technology business, and most importantly, being able to understand the technology shaping our world. While Doug Belshaw suggests a few other reasons specifically why Kids Need to Learn to Code. Belshaw suggests that coding helps kids with their problem solving, digital confidence, and understanding of the world. I agree with both of these sources and believe it is important for both young and old to learn more about coding. As a future educator, I can also see how coding can be linked to Mathematics because kids need to use their problem solving skills to code. I also think what better way to practice these problem solving skills than to learn them as they learn and practice their digital literacy skills.
So back to the Hour of Code. This website has many different learning opportunities for kids because there are many coding games that kids can learn from by playing them. There are coding options for students that range from “Pre-readers” to students in grade 9 and up. You can try them out yourself and learn something new about coding by clicking the link at the beginning of this paragraph.
I even got a chance to try a few of the coding games and I learned a lot of new things because, well, I did not know a lot about coding until this week. Below are some screencasts of my experiences with the Hour of Code. Another great coding website that you also might want to look up is Scratch. That is a cite where you can create your own stories, games, and animations by using code.
Hour of Code: Coding Moana
Hour of Code: Moana Lesson 16 of 19
Here is my certificate of completion: Hour of Code Certificate.
Hour of Code: Kodable – Great for Pre-Readers
Till Next Time!
June 19, 2017 at 4:13 am
Great screencasts, Lila. Your explanations are very clear and your pacing is perfect — I can only imagine how good you will be in the classroom! Keep up the great work.
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June 19, 2017 at 4:59 am
I enjoyed watching your screencasts! The two games you coded would have been a better place for me to start. I spent too long on Scratch trying to make a game literally from scratch and it was really tricky. These games are much more suited to primary grades because they give you somewhere to start, and have limited “blocks” for you to choose from. On Scratch, you see all of the blocks at once, and it’s hard to know what to choose! Check out my experience here: https://kimberleybateman.wordpress.com/2017/06/18/3-hours-later/ and try out my game at the end!
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June 19, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Thanks for the commpliment Jordan. 🙂 And thanks Kim! I will check out your blog about scratch and play the game for sure. 🙂
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June 21, 2017 at 3:44 am
Great job on the screencasts!
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