hour of code

by

Hour of Code

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: F-6

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-strand: Process and Production Skills

Resource: https://code.org

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Information and Communication Technology

Links to Other Learning Areas: English, Mathematics

The video below is one of many on the Code.org website, designed to introduce  and engage students in coding. In this video, sportsmen, founders of companies such as Facebook and Dropbox and other celebrities discuss the need for coding in schools and why it is so important for children to develop their abilities in coding in today’s society.

 

What is Hour of Code? 

Hour of Code is a fantastic coding resource available on the code.org website. This resource is a great introduction to coding for students. It is accessible on both computers and tablets. Hour of Code includes hour long tutorials for students, with the goal of introducing and engaging students in beginning coding.

In the Classroom:

Hour of Code is a fantastic resource for introducing students to coding. Code.org provides Hour of Code tutorials on a range of topics that will engage all students of different year levels and coding abilities. These different Hour of Code tutorials range from Moana, Minecraft, Star Wars, Flappy Bird, Hot Wheels, Ice Age and many more. Each hour long tutorial is designed to take students step by step through coding activities. Within these tutorials, there are videos to introduce students to the coding topic and instructions for students to begin coding. These tutorials are great for introducing students to coding and the terms used in coding. They are so much fun, students will love trying each different coding activity and will want to learn more! Once the tutorials are complete, students are given the opportunity to create a game or animation using some of the coding they practiced in the tutorials. These animations or games can then be shared between students and the whole class can see what each student created with their newfound coding knowledge. It also gives students a certificate at the completion of their Hour of Code. Hour of Code is great for beginners as well as more experienced coders and it is great fun.

Code.org is also a fantastic resource for teachers. It includes in depth tutorials for teachers, lesson plans, teaching points and professional learning experiences.

by

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

by

TechRocket

TechRocket

Screen Shot 2016-08-01 at 6.14.48 pm

Subject: Digital Technologies
Year Level: 5/6

Cross Curricular and General Capabilities:

  • Critical and Creative Thinking and Information
  • Communication Technology (ICT)

Strand: Digital Technologies: Process and Production Skills.

Content descriptors:

  • Design solutions to a user interface for a digital system (ACTDIP018)
  • Design, follow and represent diagrammatically, a simple sequence of steps (algorithm), involving branching (decisions) and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)
  • Implement and use simple visual programming environments that include branching (decisions), iteration (repetition) and user input (ACTDIP020)

Website description:

TechRocket is an education website inspired by code.org, helping to introduce students to the idea of “Hour of Code”. TechRocket has a diverse range of courses for students to complete at any year or ability level between the ages of 10-18. This website enables students to complete a variety of courses, lessons and games using a range of coding skills. TechRocket not only offers courses and games about coding, there are courses focusing on game and graphic design too. Each course contains support materials and interactive challenges for students to follow as they reach more complex stages in the coding program. These courses, lessons and games are designed to take one hour to complete and as students form a foundation of their abilities and strengthen their skills from previous levels. Students gain work points as they complete various course levels, the higher the point score the harder the tasks become.

Screen Shot 2016-08-01 at 6.44.58 pm

This resource may be used in the classroom as an extension to the mathematics location and transformation units. Students may use TechRocket games to show characters different formations using a grid reference and describe the characters actions using mathematical language, such as translations, reflections and rotations. This will show students a different visual representation of transformation in mathematics while becoming more competent with their coding skills.

 

Integrated learning areas:

Mathematics:

  • Use a grid reference system to describe locations. Describe routes using landmarks and directional language (ACMMG113)
  • Describe translations, reflections and rotations of two-dimensional shapes. Identify line and rotational symmetries (ACMMG114)