How I Have Seen Students Grow in Coding

Robox Class Background
Robox Class Development Software Class

My thoughts on coding

The first thing you learn in practically any computer language is, almost always, how to code the famed “Hello World” string. Every time I opened a programming book back in college, I would think it was ridiculous that they would teach something so simple and repetitive. However, when I first started teaching young students, I once again began with writing this first line. I feel as if I’ve come to understand the importance of “Hello World”: when students first experience the feeling of having their code move and work, even if that code is something so simple as printing a line of text, those students feel incredible joy and satisfaction with the fact that they were able to conquer their assumptions of coding being an over-complex, and intimidating subject. 

Connecting with coding

When I teach a game development class, the kids want to skip any and all introductions, and start right off the bat with flying, battling, doing this, and doing that. All sorts of complicated things. They want to do it, so they assume that like any other game, everything works at the touch of a button. However, this is a coding class. If you want something to happen, then that’s all up to you. 

There are many ways to approach teaching programming, and I too, wanted to teach the kids how to fly, battle, do this and do that. If I simply taught cool things such as that, without going in depth with the necessary basics, I knew the kids would like me very much, and I would become a popular teacher quickly. However, I thought to myself: what if the students held actual dreams of becoming programmers? Thinking through, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t teach through them shortcuts. I was going to make sure that they grew in the right way.  

When children grow in coding

Recently, I’ve started using a concept called “Computational Thinking (CT)”, which is a thinking strategy used by computer scientists in coding. The process of computational thinking is the foundation for all coding, as the strategy breaks apart complex problems into smaller more manageable parts, allowing my little programmers to tackle the task at hand. When faced with using CT, even the most enthusiastic of students are kept level-headed and calm. As I look into the focused eyes of those children, I can’t help but to feel proud of their improvements.

The conclusion of class

Still, as classes come to an end, the differences in mood between those who got the assignments done and those who weren’t able to finish, becomes apparent. When that happens, I gather everyone’s attention, and encourage each classmate to show their work to the rest of the class. This way, everyone gets to help everyone out through feedback, so that by next class, even those who were left behind can bounce back to where they should be. 

My final thoughts

Every single one of the students put in a lot of effort to get their work done and grow. Programming is not an easy subject to learn, with all the complex code and such that one has to learn. Even then, their attitudes and the amount of effort they put into learning has never faltered. Thanks to that, they have been able to grow very far, and make giant strides towards their objectives.

Robox Class Development Software Class -2
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One Response

  1. Sonomi, this is a well thought out article and I share with you these sentiments in the classroom of CT. This account is personal and relatable to any teacher who strives to strike a balance between kids enthusiasm and reality of teaching a complex topic.

    I encourage you to write more about your experiences in the classroom. Thanks for sharing
    Regards
    Fernando

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Happy Coding with Brittany-

GRADES 1-2 STARTS DECEMBER 15. EVERY TUESDAY AT 6 PM FOR 4 WEEKS. FREE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, HOMESCHOOLS.

GRADES K

Hello everyone! My name is Brittany, and I am a Co-founder and instructor for Happy Code Club. In this class, we are going to learn the basics of Scratch to start your coding journey! We will break down coding concepts in a way that is easier to understand through a series of fun, creative, and engaging projects that are all created the way you want! It is your creative masterpiece. Students will have access to a recording for each class in case they want to rewatch the class or weren’t able to attend on a specific day. We will all learn coding together!
Technology required: Wifi, Chromebook, pc, or mac, two button mouse is recommended. (no tablets please). Registration is open through Dec 13 so don’t hesitate and register now. Please feel free to email brittany@happycodeclub.com if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!

Happy Coding with Brittany-

GRADES K STARTS DECEMBER 15. EVERY TUESDAY AT 5 PM FOR 4 WEEKS. FREE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, HOMESCHOOLS

GRADES K

Hello everyone! My name is Brittany, and I am a Co-founder and instructor for Happy Code Club. In this class, we are going to learn programming through a very kid-friendly app and other resources to get their brains thinking about code. We will create a variety of projects using basic block codes and play games that focus on problem solving and critical thinking. This program is designed to be the very first step in their coding journey without being overwhelming or too
advanced! We will all learn coding together!
Technology required: Tablet only. Registration is open through Dec 13 so don’t hesitate and register now. Please feel free to email brittany@happycodeclub.com if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!

Happy Coding with Brittany-

Game Design with Scratch Jr.

Grades: 3-5

Introduction to programming with Scratch will show you around the interface and have you making a fun project in minutes. This easy to learn program is super fun as it allows you to create artistic characters, scenes, and objects and animate them with computer code.
If you are curious about what coding is or simply want to try something new, this is a fun class to try. See why millions of students from around the world are sharing their awesome creations on the Scratch platform. The creations students make range from Stories, Games, animations, music and more! Get your creativity hats on and come and check this out!

Technology Requirements: Chromebooks or PC or Mac with wifi and a two button mouse recommended.

Links to class tools used Scratch Zoom Client installation

Prerequisites: No previous experience necessary. Ability to use a two button mouse; ability to hold objects on the screen and move them with left mouse button and keyboarding isrecommended.

Happy Coding with Fernando-

Intro to Game Design in Scratch

Grades: 3-5

Introduction to programming with Scratch will show you around the interface and have you making a fun project in minutes. This easy to learn program is super fun as it allows you to create artistic characters, scenes, and objects and animate them with computer code.
If you are curious about what coding is or simply want to try something new, this is a fun class to try. See why millions of students from around the world are sharing their awesome creations on the Scratch platform. The creations students make range from Stories, Games, animations, music and more! Get your creativity hats on and come and check this out!
Technology Requirements: Chromebooks or PC or Mac with wifi and a two button mouse recommended. Links to class tools used Scratch Zoom Client installation
Prerequisites: No previous experience necessary. Ability to use a two button mouse; ability to hold objects on the screen and move them with left mouse button and keyboarding is recommended.

Happy Coding

Winter Dates: Nov 30 – Jan 28

This winter join students from other schools in a zoom class that you can take from your school or home.
This after school club is free for public schools classrooms Grades 3-5 and it will be run for 6-8 weeks in Winter and Spring of 2021 Taught by Happy Code Club teachers with experience in various subjects including Scratch, Python, codehs.com, code.org, Robotics and more.
Winter Dates: Nov 30 – Jan 28