Coding

“Programming isn't about what you know; it's about what you can figure out.” 

- Chris Pine, Learn to Program

My “Technology for Educators” course at NCSU has introduced me to many new technological learning tools, games, and teaching methods. Recently, my fellow classmates and I practiced block based coding. This was my first time trying to code, and I really enjoyed it. I never thought I would be coding in college, or ever for that matter. Before my technology class, I thought coding was just for computer programmers, software developers, engineers, and technical professions similar to that. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Coding is beneficial for everyone to learn because it teaches problem solving skills and creativity. This website expands a little bit more on the benefits of learning to code, especially for young children: https://teachyourkidscode.com/why-coding-is-important-to-learn/

Our first introduction to coding was Hour of Code, which is an online website that has a variety of different activities based on themes that students enjoy, such as Moana, Wonder Woman, Frozen, Star Wars, and many more. Once a student selects an activity, they begin learning block based coding in a game-like format that should take around an hour for the student to complete (depending on their skill level). I tried the Moana version which I loved, and I am confident that younger students would love it too. This is the link to check it out, and I encourage teachers, student, parents, and anyone interested in code to check it out: https://hourofcode.com/us/learn

I foresee myself using Hour of Code in my classroom because it is a fun yet challenging way for students to begin learning how computer programs work and learning creative problem solving skills. Hour of Code teaches students the basics of code, and then it builds on that to help the students gradually feel comfortable creating more complex code. Oftentimes there is more than one way to arrange code so that you get the wanted result, which is where creativity comes into play.

Another coding activity that we did in class was using Sphero Bolt. This machine is shaped like a ball and can be programmed to do many different things. Here is a video explaining just what Sphero Bolt can do:

Our assignment with Sphero was to work in a group and program Sphero to travel to different locations around the campus that we mapped out on a large sheet of paper. We coded Spero to move where we wanted him to, speak different phrases, and change colors. I loved working with Sphero in a group because we got to create our own campus maps, and collaborate about the neat things we wanted him to do.

I would love to use Sphero and other coding activities in my future classroom. The following video shows Sphero in action in classrooms. Even though most of the students shown in the video are in elementary school, coding is for all students - elementary to high school.

The video also includes teachers and students advocating for the use of Sphero in classrooms, and one teacher, at around the 2min mark, said something that caught my attention. She said, “[students] need to be able to think critically about why they got it wrong and be able to question and figure out and problem-solve”. Learning isn’t just about what is the right answer; it is about teaching students to go further than that and question why the answer is correct or incorrect. When I participated in the coding activities, I realized that what this teacher said holds true. Even in college, the chances of me looking over my tests and worksheets to understand an incorrect answer or an answer I guessed on are much lower than me persisting to understand how coding works and how to make my project more creative. I truly believe that teachers will see a different kind of motivation, effort, creativity, and love for learning in their students if they introduce Hour of Code, Sphero, or any similar coding activity.