programming and coding

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Code.org – Hour of Code

An Hour of Engaging Coding
hour-code

Resource: Code.org – Hour of Code

Year Level: K – 12

Subject: Digital Technologies

Strand: Process & Production Skills

Sub Strand: Digital Implementation & Creating Digital Solutions

 

General Capabilities:

  • Literacycodeorg
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding

Links to other Learning Areas:

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Science

 

What is Code.org’s Hour of Code?

Code.org provides a range of student led and teacher guided fun coding tutorials for all ages. These hour long tutorials are aimed at students of all backgrounds and skill levels with the overarching goal of inspiring children to continue learning. Code.org’s creators believe that quality computer science education should be available to every single child.

The Hour of Code feature of this website allows engagement for different ages and skill levels as well as incorporating ‘pair programming’ to make for a collaborative experience. Users are given a variety of engaging and relevant game options to choose from when completing their hour of code, such as:

  • Taking Minecraft characters Steve and Alex on an adventure.
  • Building a Star Wars Galaxy of Code.
  • Join Frozen’s Ana and Elsa on an exploration of the Ice.

Code.org uses these up to date and appealing characters, games and movies that children of all ages will enjoy, to teach coding. This method of coding is very effective as most students will not realise they are using coding techniques to create these games and puzzles which will create deeper understanding and engagement as they can relate the learning of this coding to games they play in their own life outside of school.

Use in the Classroom:

This resource promotes problem solving strategies through the use of different levelled courses of drag-drop block activities. Students will be able to choose which context they would like to code (e.g. Star Wars). From here an inspirational and informative video will pop up to be played before embarking on their coding journey. The activity takes students from an introductory and guided level 1 puzzle right through to more complex and student run levels. This method of using the Hour of Code program gives students a sense of achievement as the activity slowly gives all control of the activity to the students as the levels progress. Once students have completed all of the levels for that particular program, they receive a certificate stating they have completed an hour of coding which can be printed off and accumulated.

Visit this How To for educators for an in depth introduction to this program. https://hourofcode.com/au/how-to

This video below is a great tool to show to inspire and introduce coding before starting. It includes speakers such as models, game/app creators and sports men and women.

References

Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2014). The Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Canberra: Australia. Retrieved from: http://www.australian curriculum.edu.au/Home

Code.org. (2015). Retrieved from: https://code.org

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CodeCombat

Year level: 4-7 and beyond

Subject: Digital Technologies- Processes and Production Skills

Substrands:

Digital Implementation

Creating solutions by investigating and defining

Content Descriptors:

Implement and use simple visual programming environments that include branching (decisions), iteration (repetition) and user input (ACTDIP020)

Define a problem, and a set of sequenced steps, with users making decisions to create a solution for a given task.

General Capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, ICT, Critical and Creative thinking

CodeCombat provides an online, innovative and engaging game platform for students to learn the importance and power of written code. With an abundance of educator resources available and an explicit guide detailing how to effectively use this program within a classroom setting, CodeCombat is ideal for use with middle to upper primary school students and beyond. Practising the skill of coding within a gaming setting provides the students with instant feedback, allowing them to reflect on their actions and adapt their thought processes accordingly. CodeCombat has been “specifically playtested to excel in the classroom, even by teachers with little to no programming experience.”

How to use CodeCombat effectively within the classroom setting:

  • Sign your class up- (can be played individually by students online, however enrolling as a class allows the teacher access to teacher only tools for use of the program within the classroom and the ability to track and monitor student’s progress)
  • Access guidelines and resources provided- integrate within your technology program or across the curriculum
  • Track and monitor your students progress- this will provide invaluable assessment data for their ability to identify, understand and effectively use written code.
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Lightbot: Code Hour (iPad)

Application: Lightbot: Code Hour (iPad)

Subject: Digital Technologies

Strand: Processes and Production Skills

Sub-strand: Digital Implementation

Content descriptor: Use visually represented sequenced steps (algorithms), including steps with decisions made by the user (branching) (ACTDIP011)

Year level: 3/4

General capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, Critical and creative thinking, ICT

Link to resource: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/lightbot-code-hour/id873943739?mt=8

 

Using this Resource:

Lightbot Hour is a programming puzzle game, where students will be required to use programming logic to help solve puzzles. This application introduces several principles of programming for students. The goal of lightbot is to move the robot to light up the blue tiles using a set of instructions. Students evaluate the level and instructions then program the robot with commands to solve puzzles. Players must imagine some way to put themselves in the robot’s position to figure out how to guide the robot to solve the level.

IPad’s can be connected to the IWB. Teachers are able to demonstrate and explain the program to students; students may work independently or with a partner to solve puzzles.

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Code.org

HourOfCode

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level: F-12

Strand: Processes & Production skills

Sub strand: Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004)

Implement simple digital solutions as visual programs with algorithms involving branching (decisions) and user input (ACTDIP011)

Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)

Link to the resource: https://studio.code.org/
https://code.org/

Links to other learning areas: Numeracy, literacy

Description of resource: Code.org is a website that can be used by children of all ages. There are multiple stages for different age groups, each with different levels with increasing difficulty to challenge the student using it. Many of the levels reference computer games and characters (such as Star Wars and Plants vs Zombies) students are already familiar. As different skills are introduced, a video is shown (an example of the video is shown here), spoken by a person the students may recognise, describing the new skill and how it might fit into real life. Code.org aims to educate students in coding as well as allowing them to develop skills in problem solving and critical and creative thinking.

How to use the resource: Code.org always you to log on as a teacher and see each students progress. Each student gets their own log in so they can start where they left off. There are 4 courses, aimed at different year groups, each course has multiple levels, teaching different skills. Students progress through levels, at their own pace and cannot move on to the next level until they have ‘mastered’ the previous level.

Reference:

Australian curriculum [ACARA]. (2016) Technologies

Retrieved from: https://studio.code.org/

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Swift Playgrounds

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Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary new app for iPad that makes learning Swift interactive and fun. Solve puzzles to master the basics using Swift — a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by the pros to build many of today’s most popular apps. Then take on a series of challenges and step up to more advanced creations. Swift Playgrounds requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out. It also provides a unique way for seasoned developers to quickly bring ideas to life. And because it’s built to take full advantage of iPad, it’s a first-of-its-kind learning experience. Watch the demo

Real Swift code.
Real simple. Real fun.

Learning to code with Swift Playgrounds is incredibly engaging. The app comes with a complete set of Apple-designed lessons. Play your way through the basics in “Fundamentals of Swift” using real code to guide a character through a 3D world. Then move on to more advanced concepts.

Conquer levels, puzzles, and coding concepts.

Starting with the “Fundamentals of Swift” lesson, you’ll tackle goals using the same code professional developers use every day. As you move along, more advanced concepts come into play. You’ll continually build on what you’ve learned and create even more complex code.

Coding Concepts

Swift Playgrounds includes interactive lessons that use puzzles and experimentation to teach the following core coding concepts, and more:

  • Commands
  • Functions
  • Parameters
  • Loops
  • Conditional statements
  • Variables
  • Operators
  • Types
  • Initialization

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Why Teach students to code in Swift?

Real Swift. Real iOS.

The Swift programming language was designed to be approachable enough to be your very first programming language. Swift is also incredibly powerful, used by professional developers to create thousands of apps in the App Store. Using Swift Playgrounds, you will code real programs within minutes and even as you become more proficient, you will never outgrow Swift.

Swift Playgrounds also gives you access to iOS frameworks such as UIKit, SpriteKit, SceneKit, bluetooth, and Metal. And because you are coding and running your playgrounds on iPad, your code can respond to touch gestures or interact with hardware such as the camera, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

Meet the 9 year old Australian Coding Whiz Coding with Swift. This could be one of your students! Click Here

Swift or Scratch?

Swift Playgrounds essentially takes what Scratch based training provides (with some nice enhancements,) and brings it to the iPad. Swift Playgrounds can replace Scratch based code training, except that students will be learning the basics of the Apple Swift programming language instead. This means your students are learning to code in a language used by developers all over the world. This means they can create apps for iPad, Apple Mac, Apple Watch and many more. IBM developers have begun using Swift as one of their “First Class” languages, and Google are planning to introduce Swift for coding apps on Android! That’s how powerful this language is.

Availability

A preview release of Swift Playgrounds is available now to Apple Developer Program members as part of the iOS 10 developer preview and is available with the iOS 10 public beta in July. The final version of Swift Playgrounds will be available in the App Store® for free this September. Swift Playgrounds is compatible with all iPad Air® and iPad Pro™ models and iPad mini™ 2 and later running iOS 10. For more information including videos, images and demos, visit, apple.com/swift/playgrounds.

West Australian Curriculum Links

Subject: Digital Technologies

Digital implementation

  • the process of implementing digital solutions

Creating solutions by:

  • investigating and defining
  • designing
    producing and implementing
  • evaluating
  • collaborating and managing

Year Level: Years 2 -6

Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Sub strand: Using Digital Systems

  • Design Modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching and iteration (repetition).
  • Use visually represented sequenced steps (algorithms), including steps with decisions made by the user (branching)
  • Use simple visual programming environments that include a sequence of steps (algorithm) involving decisions made by the user (branching)
  • Design, modify, follow and represent both diagrammatically, and in written text, simple algorithms (sequence of steps) involving branching (decisions) and iteration (repetition)

Cross Curriculum Priorities & General Capabilities:

  • Critical and creative thinking (CCT),
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT),
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Links to Other Learning Areas:

  • Mathematics
    • Recognise and use Patterns and Relationships
    • Using Spatial Reasoning
  •  English
    • Word Knowledge

Bibliography:

  http://www.apple.com/au/swift/playgrounds/

   http://www.apple.com/education/everyone-can-code/

   https://developer.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/

 https://swift.org

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Code Monster

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Subject: Digital Technologies

 Year Level: 4

 Strand: Processes and production skills

 Sub strand: Digital Implementation

Use simple visual programming environments that include a sequence of steps (algorithm) involving decisions made by the user (branching) (ACTDIP011)

Link to the resource: http://www.crunchzilla.com/code-monster

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability, Critical and creative thinking

Links to other learning areas: Literacy, Numeracy

Using the resource in the classroom: Code Monster from Crunchzilla is an interactive tutorial that introduces students to programming concepts and is used as a first step in learning to program. Projects start with boxes and colours and progress into different experiments with simple animation and fractals. Some important programming concepts are also introduced, for example, variables, loops, conditionals, expressions and functions. To play, students follow the instructions and do what the Code Monster says. If students become confused or stuck, they can either skip to the next lesson or start over. The Code Monster will save each lesson, meaning students can come back to it later.

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SAVE THE ANIMALS: COMPUTATIONAL THINKING & CODING GAME

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SAVE THE ANIMALS: COMPUTATIONAL THINKING & CODING GAME

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: F-2

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-Strand: Processes and Production Skills

Content Descriptor: Use data to solve similar tasks/problems (ACTDIP003)

General Capabilities:

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • ICT
  • Critical and Creative Thinking

Link to other learning areas:

  • Mathematics
  • Science (Biological and Earth & Space)

About the resource:

Save The Animals is an application that makes learning fun and simple through an engaging game. No matter the level of coding experience previously had, learners will be able to enjoy and learn with the 14 levels and 68 puzzles that the game supplies. This caters for diversity in any classroom. Users will get the chance to record their achievement and progress review throughout all levels. The fundamental programming concepts included are: sequencing, overloading, iterative loops and recursive loops.

When played, users are introduced to basic programming logic and coding through a set of commands such as jumping, running and climbing. Aspects of computational thinking involved in this game include: formulating and solving problems, logically organizing and analyzing data, representing data through algorithms, algorithmic thinking, identifying, analyzing and implementing solutions, generalizing and transferring the problem solving process to a wide variety of problems.

The game can be linked to ACARA Mathematics as a user must calculate the amount of steps or jumps an animal must take to get through each level/puzzle. It also can be linked to Science as the game encounters many interesting biological facts and visuals of endangered species such as the elephant, showing the many different habitats of each and encouraging users to be aware of and practice responsible use and protection of their natural environment.

Classroom Activity:

Students can log into the application and experience the game at their own levels. Students may work together for support but focus on their own levels. Students can share their progress and achievements with one another and discuss what interests them most in the game, sharing what they have learnt about the animals at each level.

 

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Code.org-computer science fundamentals

‘Description of website’

Code.org is an online website which provides access to courses which focus on computer science ‘fundamentals’, of all ages. The website was created in 2013 and is a non-profit organisation which dedicates its time to increasing opportunities for students and people around the world to engage with computer science in a meaningful and relevant way.

 

Introducing code studio for grades k-5

 

video

 

 

 

https://code.org/educate/curriculum/elementary-school

 

‘Different modes’

There are a range of free, online courses displayed on the website targeted for elementary to high school. ‘The hour of code‘ is an aesthetic feature on the website which enables to students to interact with and explore the following:

Learn to program droids

Create their own ‘Star Wars’ game

Explore a Minecraft world through coding

Engage with ‘Frozen’ characters using coding to discover the magic of ice!

‘The hour of code’ has been designed to appeal to the elementary age group and its aim is to encourage students to explore the world of coding through familiar and age appropriate themes. Throughout this learning process, students are developing coding skills through high order thinking, problem solving and discovery-based learning. These skills are preparing students to become critical and creative thinkers apply it to their everyday thinking.

‘Application to the classroom’

Each course provided, features the suggested age group and the type of skills which students will be developing throughout. The courses are flexible and therefore, teachers are able to modify them according to the students abilities and needs. The lessons align to the computer science standards however, they are American based and therefore, adjustments would need to be made to ensure their were clear links between content descriptors, learning outcomes and the West Australian Curriculum. The picture featured below, displays recommended courses for age groups and the type of skills which will be explored and developed.

 

courses

Technologies-CurriuclumLinks to SCARSA

Subject- Digital technologies

Strand-Processes & Production skills

Sub-strand- digital implementation

Content descriptor-Implement and use simple programming environments that include branching (decisions) and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP020)

Recommended years-Elementary to High school

Cross-curriculum priorities-SustainabiliyGeneral capabilities- Literacy, Numeracy, Critical & Creative thinking, Information & communication techniques

Links to other learning areas: Maths, English, Science, Arts

 

References

Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2014). The Australian Curriculum: (Science). Canberra: Australia. Retrieved from: http://www.australian curriculum.edu.au/Home

Code.org. (2013). Retrieved from: https://code.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arduino – an open-source computer prototyping tool

Arduino Student Robotics Project

Arduino Student Robotics Project

About This Resource:

Arduino BoardArduino (or Genuino if located outside of the USA) is an open-source prototyping computer platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. It consists of a company, project and user community that designs and creates kits in the form of Arduino boards, for building digital devices that can sense and control items in the physical world. Arduino boards can read inputs, such as a light on a sensor or a Twitter message, and transform it into an output, such as turning on an LED or publishing something online.
Students can control what their board does by sending instructions to the board’s microcontroller in Arduino programming language on the Arduino’s software. Arduino has been the catalyst for thousands of projects, shared on the Arduino’s worldwide interactive community as additional learning tools.

The company was started in 2005 at the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy, as a simple tool for students without a background in electronics and programming. Over time the tool has gradually become more open-source (be built independently/adapted for differing needs) and less expensive (pre-assembled modules cost less than $50). It runs on computers and is easy-to-use for beginners but flexible for more advanced users.

Arduino step-by-step tutorials and procedures can be used by teachers and students to “build low cost scientific instruments, to prove chemistry and physics principles, or to get started with programming and robotics”.

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 5+

Strand: Digital Technologies

  • Knowledge and Understanding
  • Processes and Production

Sub Strands:

  • Digital Systems
  • Representation of Data
  • Digital Implementation
  • Creating Solutions by: Investigating and Defining, Designing, Producing and Implementing, Evaluating, Collaborating and Managing

Link to Resource: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Introduction

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

Literacy (specific coding and programming language); Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability (understanding digital systems, procedures and computational thinking); Critical and Creative Thinking (problem solving, innovating and designing); Personal and Social Capability (project management, collaboration); Ethical Understanding (understanding safe procedures, complex issues associated with technology and consider possibilities); Sustainability (recycling, use of resources).

Links to Other Learning Areas:

Science, Technologies (Design), English, Maths, The Arts.

Arduino can simply be applied to any primary school learning area as the Ardunino boards act as a creative tool that allows students to use technology to manipulate the real world in a range of contexts – from robotics, to models, to experiments.

How to use this Resource:

  • Read an introduction to Arduino
  • Read the necessary guides related to the program: e.g. What is the Arduino Software and how to change the default language; Using and installing Arduino Libraries; How to install and manage Cores; etc…
  • Install the Arduino Software onto your computer (Windeows, Mac OS X, Linux.
  • Follow the steps on the Getting Started Webpage: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage

 

Resources:

Arduino Company. (2016). What is Arduino? Retrieved January 9, 2016, from Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Introduction

Government of Western Australia. (2014). Digital Technologies. Retrieved January 9, 2016, from School

Arduino Logo

Curriculum and Standards Authority: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/digital-technologies2

 

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Swifty: A Coding App for Students

Swifty logoAbout This Resource:

Swifty is an easily accessible app for iPhones and iPads that allows users to develop their coding skills and design their own apps. The app is the perfect choice for beginners getting used to the basics of coding by providing a multitude of quick tutorials that helps students move from simple to more complex tasks. Swifty is free to download and $3.99 to unlock all the chapters. Students can become fluent in programming and code language through putting figures into motion, designing their app layout, and applying these to a range of other learning areas such as creating models of volcano science experiments or a database of their information relating to the First Fleet and European Settlement in Australia.

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 3-6

Strand: Digital Technologies

  • Knowledge and Understanding
  • Processes and Production

Sub Strands:

  • Digital Systems
  • Representation of Data
  • Collecting, Managing and Analysing Data
  • Digital Implementation
  • Creating Solutions by: Investigating and Defining, Designing, Producing and Implementing, Evaluating, Collaborating and Managing

Link to Resource: https://hellocode.io/swifty/

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities: Literacy (specific coding and programming language); Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability (understanding digital systems (iPad), procedures and computational thinking); Critical and Creative Thinking (problem solving, innovating and designing); Personal and Social Capability (project management, collaboration); Ethical Understanding (understanding safe procedures, complex issues associated with technology and consider possibilities).

Links to Other Learning Areas: Science, Technologies (Design), English, Maths, The Arts, Social Science.

Swifty can be used in conjunction to any primary school learning area as it contains a variety of tutorials that can be used in a range of contexts and the code flexibly adapted to suit specific tasks.

Suggested Classroom Activity:

Swifty1

Example of Swifty Coding Language

 

In a year 4 classroom context, Swifty can be used with a Social Science focus by having students display their researched information about James Cook and the journey of the First Fleet from England to Australia. Finding a way that is logical to them, students will have the opportunity to use their new digital skills to add images, link to relevant websites and sources, and design an easy-to-navigate app layout for this information for other users.