Computational Thinker
5a
Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.
5b
Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
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5c
Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
5d
Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.
Standard 5
Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
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Tool: Code.org (Hour of Code)
Description
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Code.org is a website that provides a large variety of coding courses and "Hour of Code" activities for students of all ages during their K-12 education. The website itself is a nonprofit, and its goal is to provide access to coding for students coming from underrepresented backgrounds. The Hour of Code activities range from beginner to comfortable, and they have scaffolding within them so students can jump right in and learn from where they feel most comfortable. They also provide professional learning programs for teachers. Their coding courses are available in over 67 languages and are used in over 180 countries.
Opportunities
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The Hour of Code activities provide students with the steps/scaffolding necessary to succeed without too much teacher assistance. The activities are also available in beginner or comfortable mode, so students can dictate their own levels of difficulties.
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The activities are specifically catered towards students' interests. For example, one of the very first suggested activities is Minecraft related, and that's a game that many students enjoy playing right now. When I did the Minecraft Hour of Code, I saw a lot of terminology that is relevant to the game. Even though that wasn't necessarily interesting to me, I believe that would feel exciting for students who enjoy playing the game.
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The website encourages teachers to host Hour of Code events within their schools/communities. Interestingly, students can also work in groups and share computers to complete the coding activities.
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The standards state that students should, "understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions". As I worked through the activity, I could definitely see how learning to code would develop algorithmic thinking and reasoning skills. I noticed myself drafting different coding paths and testing them based on the way I thought they would run, and that really helped me learn about sequencing and how logic works in the grand scheme of coding.
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The activities are available in over 67 languages, and that makes them very accessible.
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THE ACTIVITIES AND COURSES ARE FREE!!!!!!!!
Limitations
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I genuinely can't think of any limitations to this tool. I am SO glad to have learned about it, and I only see the value in it as a resource to students in this day and age. Even if coding may not directly relate to subjects such as ELA or Social Studies, it still helps develops students' critical thinking and reasoning skills -- skills relevant to them as members of society. Overall, it also addresses all of the ISTE standards.
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This button above will take you to the Code.org site where you can create an account, explore, and try many Hour of Code activities!
The button below will take you to the specific Minecraft Hour of Code that I completed.
Have fun exploring!!
Walkthrough of Code.org
This is the main screen with all the Hour of Code activities. You can set filters at the top row and on the leftmost column.
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For my activity, I selected grades 6-8 at the beginner level. However, everyone is welcome to choose their grade level, comfort level, technology access, subject area, activity type, length, and language.
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I clicked on the Minecraft activity on the main page and it took me to this page <----
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I had even more options to select from. I assume that for someone who knows about Minecraft more than I do, these options would have more meaning. However, I simply selected the Voyage Aquatic.
This is an example of the Minecraft Hour of Code activity I chose to work on. At the top, you can see I was on step 8 of the 11 total steps. This let me know quickly how far I had advanced and how much left I had to complete.
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The activity's layout is similar to a common coding program. There is the result on the left side with a run/reset button. On the right is where the code goes. What I liked the most was how I could keep drafts of my code blocks on the right side. This lets me give myself feedback and improve if the code does not work. I can see my train of thought and thinking processes.
At the end of the Hour of Code activity, students receive a digital certificate of completion. I can see how this can be a motivational tool for students. As a teacher, I may print those out for students and let them keep/collect them!
Reflection
This tool AMAZED me. I am so inspired by Code.org's efforts to work towards educational equity. The coding activities fulfill all the ISTE standards. For example, the standards state that students need practice "breaking problems into component parts, extracting key information, and developing descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving". When students code, they are doing exactly those things! They are figuring out what information is important by breaking down the logical steps. The activities have options for coding (blocks like I used or with words), and this allows students to "represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making". Interestingly, even though the activities have some restrictions about how many lines of code students can use to reach the goal, it's still very possible for students to find multiple answers to the get to the same result. I think that's a great way for students to experience how learning is more than just getting right or wrong answers. It's about making mistakes, learning from them, and growing.
I can definitely see myself using this in a future classroom. Many of the activities are math-related, so that would be a great activity for me to implement in a lesson. Plus, students can collaborate with their peers in small groups to work on activities, so that can help promote inquiry-based learning in the classroom. Overall, I really like this website, and I think I myself will do a lot of exploring on it too this upcoming summer before I start teaching the upcoming year.