This week I have been teaching myself coding. Well, studio.code.org has been teaching me coding. I began with Course 2 aimed for children who can read and suitable for ages 6 - 18 years. This course took me through coding using visual blocks learning everything from the basics of simple commands, to loops, 'if' statements, loops within loops and allowed me to practice these skills to create simple images, solve puzzles, and even create games using rules and logic.
Throughout the course were several 'unplugged' activities and teacher lesson plans which described how to teach some of the principles of coding, without computers, great for classes with limited resources, and for getting to understand the purpose and function of different code capabilities without the distraction of the computers bells and whistles.
One of the things I liked the most about this 'code' business is the practical side I can see to, how purposeful it can be to develop a child's problem solving capability, logic, reasoning, creativity, and open up a world of future pathways. A lot of the activities included tasks which required understanding patterns, angles, symbols < > =, 'if' and 'when' clauses which link perfectly with geometry, algebra and other mathematical applications.
The best part however, was that it was actually quite fun. I was learning while having fun. Ideal. Check out some of my learning examples below. Click the image to be directed to the activity and code behind it.
At the completion of Course 2 I also received my Certificate of Completion - Well done me. I think I'll enjoy incorporating this learning in my class this year.
