We were joined for this week’s class by Rich McCue, who helped us explore the world of coding and how it can be implemented into elementary classrooms.
Before this class I would have never thought elementary-aged students could learn coding because it seemed complicated (looking like the image below), but that’s was only a misconception I had from never really trying it.
After successfully completing the Frozen ice skating activity, I can safely say I can’t wait to introduce coding to my future classrooms. I think sometimes teachers and adults underestimate the skills young students have with technology, especially in this day and age where many children have played with iPads before hitting age 5.
“Coding is a hands-on way of teaching students how to analyze a problem, determine the steps to fix it, and then create code so a machine can carry out those steps. It’s more than working with computers — it’s an approach and a way of problem-solving.”
Mike Bernier, Former B.C. minister of education
I really enjoyed how the activity broke coding down to its most basic concepts, and it was fascinating being able to watch how your computer inputs affected how Princess Anna skated.
Using the Frozen imagery is a genius way to get students hooked from the get-go, and in our increasingly computerized world, introducing children to coding from a young age cannot be overlooked.
This video that Rich showed us was a fun and humorous introduction to coding (linked below). Hopefully I get the chance to further explore some engaging coding activities in my upcoming practicum, I’m hooked!
Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash