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SpheroEdu in 60 Seconds
  
Coding, Technology, and Computational Thinking

 

April 23, 2024

  1. Get a Chromebook and sign in. Then go to WYAW and complete the attendance and activity.

  2. Communicating with Families
    What are some ways you can communicate with families using old or new technology?
    Old School Tool: Printed Newsletter
    Middle School Tool: E-mails
    New Tools: Remind, Class Dojo, and (drum roll.....)
    SMORE (https://www.smore.com/)
      1. Free tool limited to 3 publications total, 200 email "sends" but this refreshes each month with another 200 sends
      2. Good for digital communication - email blasts
      3. Affordable for educators ($99/year - see if your media specialist or principal will cover it or set up a donor's choose)
      4. Let's check out a few things Smore can do:
        1. Choose from a limited number of backgrounds, colors, and fonts
        2. Add text to preformatted boxes
        3. Add images and embed video
        4. NOTE: To add images, you have to download and save them and then insert them into your flyer/newsletter

  3. Why Computational Thinking and Coding?
  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 phone: I'm a School User / Class Code: 8RH6DM

    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/sphero/home

    3. Locate the following icons at the bottom of the screen (phone at bottom, iPad on left)
      spherohomescreenphone
      • 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.

      • Choose Activities to explore activities that your teacher can assign.

      • 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.


    4. Spheros!
        1. Find a spot inside and learn to use your Sphero Mini. Drive and Draw (Create program with + and choose Draw). Try using the accessories that come with the mini and the activity cards that don't include block coding. We'll do this on Thursday.
        2. After you've explored the mini, try one of the older Sphero Sparks outside, as they are more durable, until the end of class.

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