Jumping right into coding.... and having fun

How do you teach a group of 5th graders about computer coding and how to write code?   Not an easy task for even the most experienced of teachers!!!!

Mrs. Walker's 5th graders at COES today jumped right in using their Samsung Notes and an app callled Lightbot One Hour coding.  There are lots of programs and apps out there that will help to make this easier but Mrs. Walker's behind the scenes research in deciding which one to select paid off.  It seems that the students really enjoyed the chance  to make a robot walk around, turn corners and jump up and down steps.   While playing, they were learning some important concepts.  A computer will only do what it is told to do, and you cannot skip a single step or instruction if you want it to work well.  Paying attention to details and thinking a problem through from start to finish are definitely skills we want our students to develop... and judging by their engagement, it seems like a little time for fun is just the way to get started.  Check out more fun ways to learn about coding at hourofcode.com.

5th grade use technology to learn about the past

Mrs. Birrel's 5th grade class are engaged in learning about the tools and technology from the past. They are learning how the past has influenced the present by using computers to view photos of medical and other equipment from the 19th and 20th Centuries. Working together in small groups, they are able to talk about the old fashioned equipment and compare it with the tools and technology of today and realize that what we have today has evolved from the things that were used in the past.