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.

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/

Legos in the Library: Part Two

Back in October, I wrote about how excited I was to learn about the Lego Story Starter Kits. These kits looked amazing, and after having some time to work with them, I realized they really are amazing. We were given the funds to purchase a classroom set of Lego Story Starter boxes from our generous and supportive PTO. The first project we have done with the Legos is having our 4th grade students write their own mystery stories. They planned out their stories using a worksheet, wrote a rough draft on lined paper, and then typed their final draft on a Chromebook using Google Docs. Before even getting to use Legos, these students learned the elements of a mystery story, how to plan out a project, and how to use their imagination to write a story. Once the students finished typing their stories we began using the Legos to build the illustrations for their story. The students built a beginning, a middle, and an ending scene from the Legos. The final step was to put the pictures I had taken of their scenes into the Google Doc.

After doing this project, there are a few things I think went really well, and some things that could be improved upon. First, let me start by saying that I will be doing this project with the 4th grade students again next year, however there will be improvements made. When I look back and think about what we could improve on, it mostly comes down to organization. By having the students complete their planning and rough drafts on paper, this made it possible for worksheets to be misplaced or taken home and forgotten about. Next year, I will have the students complete the worksheet in Google Docs and type their rough draft. After they complete their rough draft, I will show them how to use spell check and have them have at least one classmate critique their story before saving it as the final draft. Another organization issue was in using the Legos. With the way my schedule is, I only had 25 minutes with each 4th grade class every 4 days. This is really not enough to complete even one scene, so the first classes I had using the Legos saved their creations to complete later. This meant that there were not enough Legos for the other classes to complete their creations, and we forgot which bins the Lego pieces came from. To solve this issue I combined my 4th grade classes. Where I usually had one class working on Legos and another checking out books, I simply combined them and let them pause to check out books at a time that worked for them. Next year I will begin the project with a combined class as it seems to make the project go much faster. Finally, in using the Legos I did not leave enough time to clean up so the boxes did not get sorted back to the way they were at the beginning of the unit. Luckily I have some 5th grade girls that will help me out, but next year I will need to spend part of a period explaining how the Legos should be sorted and be more vigilant as the students pick up.

Now on to the great things that have come from this project! First and foremost, the students were having fun learning. The students learned a lot of things, but the thing they will always remember is being able to "play" with Legos in the library. This Lego project allowed me to combine language arts, technology, and art into one lesson. It built community through collaboration as groups of students worked together at Lego bins. It built confidence as students found something they could be successful in, and ultimately, it made the students feel good.

(More pictures to come.)