Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Hour of Code was a huge hit!


I never thought that computer coding education could begin as early as elementary school but my students proved to me that they had coding talent when we participated in Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week in December. What is it? It's a one hour introduction to computer science where students learn the basics of coding by using problem-solving, logic, and creativity.

I created a QR code choice board of coding activities with different themes such as Star Wars, Anna and Elsa, Flappy Bird, and Minecraft from the Hour of Code website. Students used their iPads and a QR code reader app to scan the QR code of the activity they were interested in. Having the QR code choice board definitely helped my primary students work more independently and allowed them the freedom to try many different types of coding activities.

Students were encouraged to work together in small groups to share their discoveries and help each other problem solve. Students were extremely engaged the entire time they spent coding. I loved hearing how they overcame an obstacle or problem and figured out a complex coding step. I found that these coding lessons provided a great opportunity to talk to my class about the importance of having a growth mindset when you're trying something new.
If you haven't tried an Hour of Code activity with your class, it's not too late! The activities I mentioned above stay up year round. Go to the Web site https://hourofcode.com/us to learn how to get started. Happy coding!



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