Learn Coding at Home:

Coding is a big deal right now, and rightly so. When our kids go into the workforce 10, 15, 20 years from now, they will be immersed in a world of technology. From robotic milkers to creating computer apps, even the simplest jobs will require basic technology skills. Why not give your kids up by teaching them coding while they are young, not only do they learn basic technology skills, they also learn problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity. Oftentimes, coding also breeds collaboration as kids work on projects in groups. Below is a list of some of my favorite coding websites and apps. I also listed a few kid friendly robots that I recommend. 

Websites

• Kodable.com: Kodable is a website and iPad app with many levels to teach coding. It is very basic and can be used with even early elementary students.
• Studio.Code.org: Code.org is a leader in coding education for grade school students. There are lessons easy enough for kindergarten students and lessons complex enough for high school students.
• Codecombat.com: CodeCombat teaches text coding in a game like atmosphere. Choose your hero and defeat the goblins through code. Some levels require a subscription.
• Codecademy.com: Codecademy is made for older students (upper-elementary on) and teaches many types of coding through open courses.
• Empireofcode.com: Empire of Code is a space game with a mix of strategy, tactics and coding. You can play the game with or without coding skills, but knowing how to code will definitely give you an advantage.
• Scratch.mit.edu: Scratch is a program through a partnership with MIT, the National Science Foundation and other groups that allows users to create videos and games through block based coding.
• Tynker.com: Tynker is a website and an iPad app with many different coding games. Some are simple enough for early elementary students.
• Codemonkey.com: An engaging platform where programming knowledge is acquired alongside 21st century skills through collaboratively playing and solving puzzles, inventing, creating and sharing.
• Codeavengers.com: Code Avengers allows users to learn coding through a game. There are two available levels: Jr. for 5-14 year olds and Pro for 15+ year olds
• Hacknslashthegame.com: Hack ‘n’ Slash is a puzzle action game about hacking — reprogram object properties, hijack global variables, hack creature behavior, and even rewrite the game’s code. The only way to win is not to play... by the rules! It uses an interface that looks much like Zelda

iPad/iPhone Apps

• Kodable: Kodable is a website and iPad app with many levels to teach coding. It is very basic and can be used with even early elementary students.
• Scratch Jr.: Uses simple drag and drop block based coding to build animations. Because the blocks use images rather than words it is simple enough for early elementary students. This is a simplified version of the PC Scratch app.
• Tynker: Tynker is a website and an iPad app with many different coding games. Some are simple enough for early elementary students.
• Lightbot: Code an on screen robot to complete different tasks while learning coding. There is also a simpler version called Lightbot Jr. for younger students.
• Osmo: Osmo is an iPad attachment that partners the iPad screen with tangible manipulatives. The basic Osmo kit contains the iPad stand, Numbers, Words, and Tangrams. There are additional packs like Coding Awbie and Code Jam that allow you to learn coding. This is great for younger students!

Robots

• Code-a-pillar: The Code-a-Pillar is a caterpillar robot with pieces that you arrange and rearrange to tell it how to move.
• Beebot: Beebot is a simple robot. Code it using the arrow buttons on top. Create different challenges and try to code it to make it through
• Cubetto: Cubetto is the friendly wooden robot that will teach your child the basics of computer programming through adventure and hands on play. It works much like Beebot, but utilizes a board and blocks to make the code.
• Sphero & Ollie: Sphero and Ollie are robots that are coded through the use of iPad apps. They connect via Bluetooth to the iPad. Sphero is a ball robot. Ollie is a cylinder.
• Dot & Dash: These robots work much the same as Sphero connecting to an iPad through Bluetooth, but have more apps available for programming and attachments to add to its abilities.
• LEGO Robotics: Do you love LEGOs? Me too! LEGO offers two different robotics kits. WeDo 2.0 is the simplest robotics kit. Mindstorms is the more complex kit.

If you are in the Upsala area, consider signing your child up for COR Robotics Camp as well!

*Some of the above descriptions were copied directly from the app's website.

Discovering Our Superpowers: Teaching Coding to 5th Graders Using Scratch

Coding is a superpower. Technology is becoming embedded in every industry imaginable and there simply aren't enough qualified applicants for the growing computer science field. In order to attract the best applicants, companies are willing to give out generous salaries and the best benefits imaginable: free gourmet food, play rooms, nap rooms, and more. This is all part of the reason we decided it was important to teach our students just a bit about how to code.

 When planning our coding unit, the technology teacher and I were directed to use Scratch (I personally prefer code.org as I find it more user friendly for just learning the basics.) Rather than reinvent the wheel, we went to the internet to find Scratch lesson plans. We found this guide from Scratch and used it as the springboard for what we did with our students. Below is a description of the unit we developed. Each "day" is one 50 minute period. The computer teacher and I co-taught this unit, however it could easily be taught by one teacher.

Day 1: Why Should We Learn Coding?/ Brainstorming
We wanted to stress to our students the importance of coding and how embedded it is in everyday life. To share this information, we went through this PowerPoint with students. After watching the video at the end of the PowerPoint, we had students brainstorm the kinds of things they would use coding to create.

Day 2: Join Scratch and Complete Tutorial

Our next step was to get students into Scratch and familiar with the program. We began by showing this video to students. We then had students use their school computer username and password to set up their account. We had students use our email instead of their parent's email so that we would be able to reset their password if necessary and immediately confirm their accounts. To ensure they used the correct username and password, we created these direction sheets for each student. After students were logged in, we directed students to go through the Scratch tutorial. The major downfall of this tutorial was that students could click through all the steps without performing the actions and complete the tutorial without having any idea how to use Scratch. This meant that we needed to be very specific about how to complete the tutorial and even perform the first few steps for the class to see.

Day 3-4: Ten Blocks Project

To help students build more familiarity with Scratch, we had students complete the "10 Blocks" project (page 30-31 in the Creative Computing Guide). Students were directed to use only the 10 blocks listed on page 31 to build a project. They could use the blocks more than once, but they could only use the blocks listed. To introduce the project, we showed students this video explaining what each block did and how to put their project together. After the video, students logged in, clicked on Create, and began working on their project. We printed out page 31 as a guide for each student and displayed the list of blocks on our projector screen. We found that one day was not enough to complete the project, so we had them work on it for two days. On the second day, students logged into Scratch, opened their folder, and completed their projects. At the end of the second day, we had students write a response to the reflection questions for the project:

• What was difficult about being able to use only 10 blocks?
• What was easy about being able to use only 10 blocks?
• How did it make you think of things differently?

Day 5-7: About Me Project
We wanted the final project to be simple, but allow for creativity. After skimming through the Creative Computing Guide, we decided on the "About Me" project on page 36. We began by showing this video to explain the project to the students. Before we had students begin working on their project, we had them think about what 5 sprites they might put in their project and turn to a neighbor to talk about these 5 sprites. After a bit of brainstorming and discussion, students logged in, clicked on create, and began working on their projects. We allowed students three days to work on this project.At the end of the third day, students shared their projects with a classmate and wrote a response to the reflection questions for the project:

• What are you most proud of? Why? 
• What did you get stuck on? How did you get unstuck? 
• What might you want to do next? 
• What did you discover from looking at others’ About Me projects

We were a bit crunched for time, since we planned this quickly at the end of the school year, so if I were to do this again, I would suggest using Day 5-7 to only work on the About Me project and using an 8th day for students to present their projects to the class and write their responses.

How are you teaching coding at your school? How have you used Scratch?

Monday Morning Makers

This year at Pinewood, we have jumped on the Makerspace bandwagon. We have decided that allowing our students a time and space to explore, build, imagine, and create is very important. Rather than explain what a Makerspace is, I have included this video which I think does a fine job of explaining.

So now that you know what a Makerspace is in general, let me tell you the story of Pinewood's Makerspace. For a couple of years, the concept of Makerspaces has been catching on in schools. Last year, I went to a couple different conferences for Media Specialists and Technology teachers. At these conferences I learned more about the Makerspace movement, and met a wonderful Media Specialist from Rush Creek Elementary in the Osseo district. This wonderful Media Specialist invited me out to see her school's Monday Morning Maker events. These events are what Pinewood modeled their Makerspace events after. One Monday morning a month, students were able to sign up to come to the Media Center before school to explore various stations that involved making. She had a station for using the 3D printer, knitting, coding robots, LittleBits circuits, markerbots, Osobots, origami, and more. The students came in got to work and using their own imagination and determination along with some help from their friends made things. It was wonderful seeing the students shine.

Pinewood recently had their first Monday Morning Makers event. It was a great success and the students and teachers truly enjoyed it. On September 19th, 25 students and a couple teachers and parents gathered in the Media Center to explore. We had many of the same stations as listed above, but we also had Legos and puzzles. The hit for the favorite item was tied between our Sphero robots and our Lego Story Starter kit with origami and knitting following closely behind. Boys and girls worked kindly together to explore, build, imagine, and create.

We would like to thank our Pinewood PTO for supplying us with our Spheros, Lego Story Starter Kits, and Lego WeDo Kits. We would like to thank our Donors Choose donors for our origami, knitting, SnapCircuits, and Makey Makey supplies. 

You can learn more about our Monday Morning Maker events and sign your child up here: https://sites.google.com/a/monticello.k12.mn.us/pinewood-media-center/monday-morning-makers

If you would like to support our Monday Morning Maker events, you can donate at https://www.donorschoose.org/project/learning-is-electric/2212029/

Or, we would love to take any gently used puzzles or craft items off your hands. To donate these particular items, please contact me at lisa.newhouse@monticello.k12.mn.us

Summer Community Education: Increasing Student Learning through Fun

This year, Pinewood Elementary began to teach computer coding or programming to our students in grades K through 5. Many students absolutely loved it, so we began a coding club. We will continue these clubs in the fall and even build on them with more programs, but over the summer Monticello Community Education is offering a number of classes for kids that our students would absolutely love.

First, our students love Legos, robots, and coding. There are a number of classes that combine these items. For ages 5 to grade 2, Techstars: Junior Lego Engineering is perfect! In this class, students will use Legos to learn the basics of engineering. Another great class for students in this age group is Techstars: Robotic Builders: Battlebots. In this class kindergarten through 4th grade students will use Lego WeDo robotics kits to learn about robotics, engineering, and programming. For students who need a bit more of a challenge, Techstars: Mindstorms EV3 Battlebots is a great fit. This class for grades 2 through 7 uses Lego MindStorms Kits to complete challenges and in the final event battle each other's robots sumo style! And for those that want to skip the coding and just learn some basic engineering through Legos, the Lego X Olympic Decathalon (grades 1-5) is perfect !

Aside from Lego Robotics, there are a few other robotics options available. The first is a STEM/Robotics Camp for grades 3 through 5. At camp, students will be mentored in robotics by students from NDSU's robotic team. This is a great introduction to robotics for those who would like to join a Lego League team. Students in grades 2 through 6 can also join the Science Explorers: Battling Robo-Botz class to learn to build their own robots and compete to see who's robot is best.

Finally, students can explore video game design and coding in these classes. Techstars: Video Game Design for grade 3 through 7 will teach students to use basic programming to create their own video games. Students can also learn about logic and video game mods through two different Mincraft classes- Advanced Minecraft: Using Mods, Redstones, and Textures and Techstars: Java Minecraft Mod Development.

Learn about these and all the other community ed classes available at https://monticello.ce.feepay.com/

Hour of Code Morphs into Two Coding Clubs

This December the technology teacher and I ran the Hour of Code program for all our students grades K-5. Rather than just doing coding for one week like most schools we allowed our students to explore computer coding for a whole month. So what is coding anyway? Well, according to Code.org, its a superpower! Coding is basically giving a computer a set of commands that the computer understands and uses to perform tasks. These tasks could be moving an item across the screen, making an item appear, creating a drawing, or many other things. In my opinion, this video pretty well captures what coding is and why it is important.

www.code.org

Some students quickly got bored with coding. These students were very happy when they returned from Winter Break to learn that we were moving on to other lessons. There were a number of students, however, that were very bummed out that we would no longer be coding. While we were doing the Hour of Code throughout December, I got feedback from the parents of these kiddos that their children were enamored with learning these new coding skills. As I watched the students working together to get through the puzzles on Code.org, I saw students that regularly struggled to just sit still in class becoming successful collaborators on a project. I saw students that struggled to find any success in school build a glow of confidence in their new-found talents. For this reason, I decided that coding needed to be continued in some way with these children.

One of the things that I most enjoy as a Media Specialist is being able to provide children a place in the school where they can be successful even when they feel left behind in other subjects. This was the main reason I decided to start a before school coding club. The students who enjoyed coding and found that they were successful at something in school are now able to continue building skills and confidence that could lead to rewarding careers in the future. I am very excited to announce that we will be starting two coding clubs in February! Our 2nd-3rd Grade Coding Club will start on February 3rd and our 4th and 5th Grade Coding Club will begin on February 10th! We hope to see you there!