Tech Thursday {Code.org}

Technology Thursday is a weekly linky dedicated to all things technology related. Check out our Linky Parties page for details on how to link up!

This week I am sharing about a great way to get your students excited about coding! This has quickly become one of my students' favorite free time activities!

Coding is a 21st century skill that our students will be able to translate into a vast array of jobs and hobbies that probably don't exist yet. For now, coding teaches our students to think creatively while following set rules - and what teacher doesn't want that?!

I found code.org to be a really easy way to dip my toes into the waters of coding. To get started, my entire class completed the Hour of Code. In this one hour tutorial, students learn the basics of coding, watch some motivational & instructional videos, and create one basic online game using easy drag & drop commands. The "official" date for the hour of code is in December, but the program is up all year. 

Here's a game created by an 8 year old that was shared on their public list... click on it to play!

If your students love the hour of code as much as mine did, the next step would be one of their 20-hour curriculum plans. These plans delve further into coding, including algorithms, problem-solving, & even  binary code. My students who want to do more coding work on this when they have free time. You can check out the different plans and choose the best one for your class here. I started my 5th graders on course 2 since they had already completed the hour of code. They are having a blast, and constantly show off their latest games to the class. 

Have you tried coding in your class? I'd love to hear how you did it, and what your students thought. Link up and share your tech tips with us! 

   

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