TMST: DASHing Through the Snow

-
Every year, I look forward to the week we celebrate Hour of Code, but not for the reason you might think.  Sure, the exploration time and engagement during HOC is exciting, but what I really look forward to is what happens AFTER the Hour of Code.

 I wanted to triple like this tweet by Jon Samuelson.  Since I couldn't, I am posting it here:
Preach it, @jonsamuelson!

The Hour of Code is meant to spark further engagement and interest in coding and robotics.  So as you head into winter break, consider: How does your classroom #continuecoding? What part does coding play in your learning experiences and curriculum? 

My teammate, Megan Kozar wrote an amazing blog this week about taking the Hour of Code further.  It outlines the why we must continue experiences past the hour, how CISD's Code2Learn initiative is designed to build the thinking skills behind coding and robotics into the curriculum and how we as Digital Learning Coaches can help.




Inspired by her and Jon's words, here is one way to #continuecoding this week....

My friend, Stephanie Shannon and I worked together to design a digital breakout that uses Dash robots and the Blockly app.  In the breakout, her 2nd graders must solve math problems to determine which "stops" Dash must be coded to before arriving at the Candy Castle.  Each group of kids places cards with images of the "stops" randomly.  It is their job to determine the path Dash must take using what they learn within the breakout.  





We created a Google Site to house the problems and used Google Forms for them to submit answers to gain access to the location "stops".  Stephanie also created a sheet that learners can use to plan and solve the problems as they go.  This way, learners can get back to their work if the activity gets interrupted.  The design of this experience was a great collaboration between the two of us.  



Want to learn more about this lesson?  Have a great idea to #continuecoding in your classroom?  Let me know in the comments!








Comments

  1. Dierdre ShetlerDecember 15, 2017 at 1:14 PM

    I love this! What an awesome idea! I'm going to share this with my teachers with Dash and Dot immediately :-) I was actually thinking the exact same thing. I'm a STEM instructional tech coach, so I get to do a lot with this kind of project. I spoke at my last meeting about ways teachers could continue to engage with code (because so many loved it and wished they could do it more often). Here were some of my suggestions:

    ELA:
    Have kids write instructions for one of the coding tutorial puzzles
    Have kids translate from code to English
    Have kids write a story about their game
    Math:
    Write a problem to identify what math was done in a script ex: (3 x 2)+ 4 = 3 move rights x 2 repeats + 4 move forwards = 10 steps
    All the mathematical practices = coding

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 18, 2017 at 12:36 PM

    Alli,

    Wow what a fun activity. I have made a note for myself to revisit this after Christmas break and share the idea with my elementary teachers. You are so creative. It would be incredibly fun to be a student at your school!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJanuary 26, 2018 at 7:41 AM

    I love that your students are getting opportunities to #continuecoding even after the hour of code. I have begun running coding clubs during our SOAP period at the end of the day once a week using the free materials from Google CS. The kids are loving it! I am enjoying learning more about Scratch along with them.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TMST: An Apple A Day

-
Image
I was once told that it is important for us as educators to remember what learning feels like .  To do this, we must actively involve ourselves in learning new things.   Last week, Apple released its Apple Teacher program , which is a professional learning challenge to help educators learn more about using iPads and Macs in an educational setting.   This self-paced challenge provides educators several modes  (Multi-touch book, help site, or from the Apple store)   in which to learn about using Mac and iPad in education.  Upon successful completion of a quick 5 question assessment for different skills, educators earn electronic badges.   To me, this was a perfect way for me to remember what learning feels like.   I immediately went into NERD mode and began the program.  On a Friday night.   Yep, I'm super cool.  But the neat part was that a few of my awesome CISD friends were also doing it too.  Back and forth we went...
Read more

Gearing up for 17-18

-
Image
Hello, blog readers! No, I didn't fall off the face of the planet.  Life events forced me to truly disconnect this summer, which I rarely do.  It was needed and it was worth it.  Since my One Word for the year is BREATHE, I knew this summer must be one of rest. But...a new school year is upon us.  As I move from dreading the alarm clock to the inevitable excitement a new year brings, I am reminded of a quote from the movie, You've Got Mail .   We met our new hires today during Digital Learning Day.  I wanted to tell them all the things - how our district promotes risk, how we believe in learning beyond the tools, how little kids can and will when we have growth mindsets. I wanted to tell them that is is less about technology and more about relationships, that if they are willing to let go, the sky is the limit for our kids. I wanted to tell them that they have as much to teach me as I have to offer them. It's a lot for a "first day", but I kn...
Read more

TMST: Twitter Sanity

-
Image
I am often asked, "Alli, how do you keep up with all the things?"  While I stifle my laughter since most of the time I feel like I am drowning just like everyone else, my mind always ends up at Twitter.   I know.  Twitter.   Image Credit: Roobee You either love it or hate it.  To honest, I hated it too circa 2009.  I laughed at people who felt the need to update everyone on everything in their lives.  I just didn't get it. These days, you might say I am slightly addicted to Twitter.  It is my #1 place to get news, professional learning and discussion from others passionate about education like me.  I follow approximately 1,000 people and if I have one beef, it is how overwhelming having access to all that information can be. So here is one secret of how I keep up with "all the things" -  Lists. In my profile, I created lists of people and groups so that I can drown out the noise and filter only information that ...
Read more