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Coding, Technology, and Computational Thinking

 

November 29, 2023

1. Get a Chromebook and sign in. Then go to WYAW and complete the attendance and activity.
   
   
2. Digital Stories! Compliments to our friends and excellent storymakers.
   
   
3. Why Computational Thinking and Coding?
   • What are the key elements?
     https://cdn.iste.org/www-root/Computational_Thinking_Operational_Definition_ISTE.pdf
     
     
   • 1.5 Computational Thinker (systematic problem solver leveraging technologies/tools)
     https://iste.org/standards/students#1-5-computational-thinker
     
     
   • 5 Reasons Why Coding Is Importantfor Young Minds
     
     
4. Merge Cube, Cubetto, and OSMO

   Explore these three innovative tools. NOTE: Merge may require partner work - one to hold the iPad and the other to manipulate the cube or you can use the stand that comes with the cube.

   Merge Cube Apps: Explorer, Object Viewer, MergeMyAquarium, HoloGlobe

5. Spheros and the app on your phone - Three ways to control the spherical robot (Drive, Draw, Code/Program)

1. Open Sphero Edu on your phone: I'm a School User /
   
   
2. Locate the following icons at the bottom of the screen (phone at bottom, iPad on left)
   

   Choose Drive/Touch Control (icon in purple square) 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. Choose Activities (icon in blue square) to explore activities that your teacher assigns. Choose Programs (icon in red square) to create your own programs starting with a simple draw program and moving up to your own block coding Choose Classes to connect to our shared Sphero class to run programs and save/share those you create

   
   
3. Spheros!
   Go outside and learn to use your Sphero - Drive and Draw (Create program with + and choose Draw) until the end of class.
   NOTE: For incliment weather, use the non-classroom sections of Killian (e.g., by our classroom and the UP offices) on the first or second floors
   

RESOURCES O' THE DAY:

Picture Books About Vintage Making
https://www.edutopia.org/article/12-picture-books-motivate-young-makers

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 [We'll try some on Thursday!]