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April 10, 2025

Coding, Technology, and Computational Thinking

https://iste.org/standards/students#1-5-computational-thinker

AI Explained Using Ice Cream
John Spencer

 

  1. Get a Chromebook and go to WYAW.

  2. Our friends' PSAs...

  3. Block Coding: This is a visual and active approach to coding that helps students build programs using blocks of code.
    1. Blockly https://blockly.games/
      Take the next 10 minutes to do as many games as possible. Try to get up to level 5 for the game(s) you choose!

    2. Octostudio (app) on the iPads or Android Tablets

  4. Spheros and the app on your phone - Three ways to control the spherical robot (Drive, Draw, Code/Program)
    1. Open Sphero Edu on your tablet: I'm a School User / Class Code: CQ1HPK

    2. If you want to log into your account on your laptop or Chromebook, make sure to go to SpheroEdu and NOT Sphero.com. Here's the link to use: https://edu.sphero.com/

    3. Once logged into the app and entered into your class, locate the following icons at the bottom of the screen
      Choose Programs to create your own programs starting with a simple draw program and moving up to your own block coding or use a shared program that your teacher has added to your class. You can also access SpheroEDU created programs to run.
      sphero app image    sphero app image    sphero app image
      Choose Drive/Touch Control
      • Find and pair your device with your Sphero. Make sure to choose the correct Sphero and not someone else's
      • Calibrate the Sphero by using Aim to aim the light on the Sphero toward you
      • Use the remote control on your phone/iPad to move the Sphero and change speed, etc.
      • Disconnect from the top right icon.
      sphero app view    Choose Drive/Touch Control Find and pair your device with your Sphero. Make sure to choose the correct Sphero and not someone else's    sphero app image   sphero app image

    4. Using the kit of accessories - EXPLORE!!

RESOURCES O' THE DAY:

A Great Educational Coding Website
https://www.codeforlife.education/

Top Coding Websites for Kids
https://codakid.com/top-21-kids-coding-websites-of-all-time/

10 Free Coding Games Websites for Teaching Programming Skills
https://childhood101.com/coding-for-kids/

Hour of Code
https://hourofcode.com/us

Why teach robotics in schools?
https://blog.robotiq.com/7-reasons-to-teach-robotics-at-school

Computational Thinking Competencies
https://www.iste.org/standards/computational-thinking

Computational Thinking Teacher Resources (RICH RESOURCE)
https://id.iste.org/docs/ct-documents/ct-teacher-resources_2ed-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=2

A Comprehensive List of Coding Resources
https://mommypoppins.com/coding-kids-free-websites-teach-learn-programming

Videos on Computational Thinking and Coding:

Computational thinking: A digital age skill for everyone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFcUgSYyRPg&t=1s

Other Videos from ISTE
https://www.youtube.com/user/istevideos/search?query=computational+thinking

A Fabulous and Free Coding Website for Kids from MIT - Scratch
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/editor/?tutorial=getStarted

Sphero

Overview of Sphero for Teachers from the Company
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0306/6419/6141/files/SpheroEdu-k12-teacher-resource-guide.pdf?v=1585146735

Teacher's Guide
https://dmmedia.sphero.com/email-marketing/Sphero-Edu/SpheroEdu-k12-teacher-resource-guide-v1_updated050818.pdf

A list of Sphero Challenges from a classroom teacher in Georgia