Ms. M's Cool Tools for Schools Blog: Thing 13: Coding

Coding has fascinated me for several years. So much so that I do the hour of code with my K-5 students for the whole month of December last year and two weeks this year. I created accounts for all the students and off then went and coded and created games and shared in the fun. As I watched my fifth grade students this year, I realized that I am going to have to do something more! Something more challenging for them next year or possibly at the end of this year. Kids code now! At school, at home, at the library... they have apps and websites and robots to code. And man is it fun! I even am working on a special project using iPads and the scratchjr app with my third graders to create stories of their creation. But I only have iPads when one class comes down. Lots of great stuff happening.

But I am still thinking ahead to the future. What can I bring to the table to advance them. So I began investigating computer programming through the Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/ There is java script and html code lessons that I think they would eat up knowing they could create things for themselves. They were asking to use java in December, so maybe in May and June when book exchange stops and we need things to keep us on task. I ran through several lessons of the Pixar in a Box and I think the kids would really love this. I may inspire them to a future in animations and commuter technology. Which is what the computer science field is lacking... interested and experienced people. Maybe my students... especially since they have all seen at least one or more of these films and can realize how many different people are needed to create one film from concept to the theater.

This week I also started investigating code.org's middle-school curriculum. Since my students are already comfortable with the current courses offered at the elementary level, I might want to introduce at least my fifth graders to the harder content and let them run wit it. I am going to need more time myself to run through the lessons that are their, but I love that the new pieces they are releasing have some project based learning aspects and springboards to the coding and problem solving. Fantastic in what our school is currently trying to be successful launching.

Putting this site in my back pocket too: https://codehs.com/info/curriculum.

Or maybe after spending a while with https://www.codesters.com/coding-curriculum/ working in Python, my fifth graders my love creating a digital postcard. https://www.codesters.com/curriculum/intro-to-codesters/Building+your+First+Program/18/.
Here are a few examples of the digital projects: