Computer Science Unplugged and Plugged

This year in the STEM lab for my Kindergarten-2nd grade students kicked off, as usual, with a round of computer science with Code.org. These computer science lessons are self paced and include a variety of "unplugged" activities that allow students to practice programming skills without a device. Code.org employs a block-based programming language called Blockly, which is based on Javascript to allow young students, even beginning readers, to program the computer. The courses present students with a series of puzzles that ask them to give directions to a character that guide that character through a maze.

The Code.org courses are wonderfully leveled, so as students move from from one grade to the next, the course is correspondingly more challenging. The step up from first grade to second is particularly tall. Kindergarten and first grade program using blocks labelled with the cardinal directions. Changing the direction of the character's movement only requires the use of a block with a new direction. That is, the direction to move and to turn are one command. For second grade, "move" and "turn" become separate instructions.

In addition to the Code.org programming puzzles, students also got some time to work in the programming language Scratch Jr. Code.org provides structured practice, in the form of puzzles, for students to develop coding skills. Scratch Jr. is an open-ended coding environment in which students can create whatever it is they imagine.

Another important part of the Kindergarten - second grade program in the lab is creative building time. I set aside most Fridays in the lab for "Free Build Friday". This is a time for students to build with their hands, rather than a computer, and without any assigned task in mind. Legos are a standard component of Free Build Friday. A current favorite is the KEVA planks Contraptions kit. Students spend so much time working on tasks with set directions and one right answer (not in my room of course) that I think it is essential that they get the chance to just play.