1. Beyond the Hour of Code:
Implementing an Elementary Coding Curriculum
Terry Smith
Havens School – Piedmont USD
@steamterry
Entire presentation can
be found here – later today…

2. Google Expeditions – Happy to Share Our Experience
Video Link

3. Goal:
Give you a jumpstart implementing a Computer Science/Coding curriculum at your site(s).
Plan for Today
Brief Introduction
Why Teach Coding?
Nuts and Bolts
How to Get Started
What We Did and What We Learned
Scope, sequence and differentiation
Monitoring student progress
Student engagement
Where We Go Next
Tips and Tricks
Available Resources

4. Some Quick Background Programmer, Systems Engineer, Project Manager
20+ years teaching coding to kids
Classroom teacher – 5th Grade
Science, Math specialist
District adopted CSTA standards 2 years ago
went 1:1 in 4/5, 3:1 in lower grades
Technology Coordinator as of last year
Implemented 1st-5th grade CS/Coding curriculum with 450+ students
Coming soon… STEAM-In.org
Disclaimers
Terry Smith

5. Why Should We Teach Coding? Language of Technology
Jobs
Equity in Access
Socioeconomic Diversity
Survival in a Technology Infused World
Necessity to be ‘technologically fluent’
Early exposure/success leads to accessibility

6. Why I WANT to teach coding…
“…programming is the most powerful medium of developing the sophisticated and rigorous thinking needed for mathematics, for grammar, for physics, for statistics, for all the "hard" subjects.... In short, I believe more than ever that programming should be a key part of the intellectual development of people growing up.”
Seymour Papert
(USA Today photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press)

7. Computational Thinking Practices
These are useful skills
across the curriculum
And across LIFE…

8. Nothing to do at that point but….

10. The Tools Why these? Free Comprehensive Web based Well supported
Now called:
Computer Science Fundamentals
Why these?
Free
Comprehensive
Web based
Well supported
Reliable
Kid Friendly

11. Oh and robotics….

12. Strengths Weaknesses Self Paced Student Account setup
Independent learning
Differentiated
Frequent Instructional Videos embedded
Teacher Dashboard for tracking progress
Weaknesses
Student Account setup
Offline activities unwieldy – often need adaptation for classroom environment
English only
Few places where kids tend to get stuck and need better strategies

13. Why move on to Scratch and Robots?
Open Ended Opportunity to Apply Coding Skills

14. Getting Started With Code.org
Just open an account and get started with your students’ course
Local One Day Trainings
Online Teacher Training Course
K5 Online PD Course Link
Link to Training Page

15. Code.org - Curriculum Overview
New Course 4
In Beta

16. Course Progression -- Code.org CS Fundamentals
Grade Levels
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Year 1
1 & 2
3-5
Some 4 & 5
Year 2
(proposed) 1
2 & 3 Start
4 & 5 continue
4 & 5 as they finish #2

17. Student Progress 2nd Grade – Course 1 1st Grade – Course 1 6 Sessions
1-2 students per class finished
and went on to Course 2

18. 3rd Grade Class – Course 2
6 Sessions
4th Grade Class – Course 2
8 Sessions
About 10% went on to course 3

19. 5th Grade Course 3
5th Grade
Course 2
8 sessions
About 25% went on to course 3

20. Moving on to Open Ended Coding in Scratch
Open Ended Opportunity to Apply Coding Skills
Creative
For Teachers: Harvey Mudd Course with Colleen Lewis

21. Follow up activities to apply and expand coding skills
1st – Beebots
2nd – Beebots
3rd – Animated conversation or greeting card or multi-media collage
4th – Maze game
5th – Documentaries – BrainPop style
Robot selection and testing

22. 1st and 2nd Grade Beebots Can you figure out how it works?
How long is a Beebot step?
Get the bee from hive to flower and back
Grid challenges with stories

23. 3rd Grade Animated Stories & Cards In Scratch or multi-media collages
Link
Link

24. Scratch Maze Game – Scaffolded Instruction via Video Tutorials
Scratch Maze Game Sample Link

25. Learning Pathway – Self Paced Tutorial Format
link

26. 4th Grade Maze Game – Variety of Solutions
‘Learning Pathway’ format with tutorials to create a game
Tip: At beginning of project -Create a Scratch Studio and have all students place their projects inside – that way you can watch progress easily

27. 5th Grade – Documentaries
Products from i-search and Genius Projects
‘BrainPop ‘ Movie on Nike
Documentary on Fashion History
Steph and David on the Statue of Liberty

28. Math Connections in Scratch
Polygon Patterns and Coordinate Based Drawing

29. Robot Research & Evaluations in 5th Grade

30. Robot Experimentation in 5th Grade
Figure it out – create a ‘Quick Start Guide’ for the next group

32. Introduction to Coding and Computer Science for Kids – Start Offline
For the little ones – 1st & 2nd - I just tell them that we’re going to learn to code which means learning how to make the computer do things…

33. Importance of Understanding Technology: It will infuse their world

34. Technology gets smaller and faster all the time

35. Computer Programming
BrainPop

36. Computer Science Education Week Hour of Code
Link to Youtube Video

37. Real Life Algorithms

38. A.R.M. Graph Paper Programming – 3rd Grade and Up (modified)
You will take turns being:
Algorithm Writers or
Programmers
Automatic Realization Machine
A.R.M.
Link to Student Work
Link to Practice Form

39. Graph Paper Programming
Available Instructions:
Move One Square Right
Move One Square Left
Move One Square Up
Move One Square Down
Fill-In Square with color
How would you direct your A.R.M. to
Make this pattern?
Move one square right
Fill-in square with color
Move one square down
This is the algorithm to make this pattern

40. Graph Paper Programming
Now let’s do this pattern with our code all together
We turned our algorithm into a program or code

41. Directions
Write the code for this pattern
Then fold the paper on the line
Trade with a partner
Partner draws the pattern from the code
Unfold
Does it match?
Document Link

42. Did we follow the steps?? Steps in Computer Programming: An algorithm…
Understand the problem
Write Code
Test Code
Fix any bugs
Go back to Test Code

43. Make your pattern then trade to test your code
Design pattern on blue sheet
Write program to match on pink sheet
Trade ONLY pink sheet with partner
Draw on a new blue square
Compare and fix any Bugs…
repeat
Link to Documents

44. Computer Scientist Vocabulary:
Algorithm
A list of steps you follow to finish a task.
Program
An algorithm that has been coded to be done by a machine
Bug
A mistake found in a program
Debug
find and fix the bugs
Loop
The action of doing something over and over

45. Setting up Student Accounts
word
picture
Highly Recommend just using the picture password format

46. Managing Lessons with Code.org
Mini-Lessons on key concepts – likely hang ups – help a lot

47. Code.org - Course 1 puzzle / managing the screen

48. Code.org - Teacher Home Page

49. Code.org Teacher Dashboard

50. ‘Be the Bird’ or bee, or zombie… - strategy

51. Step button allows step by step debugging

52. Importance of reading the directions

53. Understanding Angles physically
and using the strategy ‘turn – draw – test’
ask yourself ‘Did the ‘pencil robot’ turn enough or not enough? – Should s/he turn more or less?’

54. Helps to Discuss things students do everyday that repeat
Like brushing teeth – up/down motion
Often students bring up things that don’t repeat in the same sequence – good opportunity to discuss
Example: getting out of bed each day – but the rest of the day isn’t a repeat

55. Nested Loop Steps in Computer Programming: An algorithm…
Understand the problem
Repeat until done
Write small amount of code
Repeat until no bugs
Test Code
Fix any bugs
Nested Loop

56. Introducing Loops – ‘try it the long way’ strategy

57. Introducing Conditionals
If – Else logic
Difficult for 5th grade students once you start nesting – also know that lots of kids don’t know how a deck of cards is laid out so you may need to spend some time on that..

58. Introducing Conditionals

59. Scratch resources: Scratch Maze Game Tutorial Link to course
#csk8 Twitter Chat – once a month on Wednesdays

61. Beyond the Hour of Code:
Implementing an Elementary Coding Curriculum
Terry Smith
Havens School – Piedmont USD
@steamterry
Entire presentation can
be found here