CS Ed Week Hour of Code...my favorite week of the year ;)

Last year was my first year participating in the Hour of Code.  Prior to this I had no clue it even existed.  And honestly last year I had NO IDEA what I was doing.  I got the kids on the computer, pointed them at Code.org and off they went.  We sort of learned on the way, kids were doing some incredible stuff, and I saw how powerful the activities were.

How far I have come in just a year.  Code.org is an "I'm Finished Activity" in my room.  I introduced it in the first few weeks of school.  I participated in Code training at the beginning of the summer and picked up a LOT of cool activities to do with my students.


This year we started off Computer Science Education Week early.  I pulled one of the cool activities I did in my Code.org training and brought it to my students.  I had the students do graph paper coding.  The initial direction was to have students shade in 8 squares on their 4x4 graph paper and then write directions so someone else could recreate the design.  This was a GREAT activity.  Trying to recreate the designs based on student directions was hilarious.  This was a great lead in to what coding is.
Graph Paper Coding
We watched Brain Pop's video on Computer Programming.  The students thought it was hilarious.  I loved the fact that it was so detailed and introduced so many vocabulary words that the students would be encountering.

Students were also introduced to our Code and Go Mouse Bot.  Even though this toy is meant for a much younger audience, my students have gotten so much from it.  They can clearly see the step by step directions they mouse needs to have before it can get to the cheese.

Code and Go Mouse Bot

Students have been busy coding away on Code.org.  I assigned them Course E and love monitoring their progress through the program.


I pulled out the Ozobots today too.  Students really liked trying to figure out how to make it go, trying the different ways to program them.  These guys are a HUGE hit.

Figuring out the Ozobots
Seesaw webinar
Then today in one class we participated in a webinar put on by Seesaw.  Students listened as one of the guys from Seesaw explained how he created the app.  We were even able to add questions at the end, even if our question didn't' get answered.

I am so looking forward to tomorrow and all the awesomeness that is sure to come with our adventures in coding.


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