Our class has worked a lot on coding with Scratch and getting familiar with the laptops we will send to Barbados. We’ve learned the a basics of coding as well as some of the interesting programs in the laptops.
What I have learned about teaching others is that it is quite difficult, especially with children. Their attention span is shorter, they get distracted easily, they aren’t very cooperative, and they talk A LOT. It was pretty hard to get the 4th graders to listen to me and get their eyes away from their computer screens, and when I did get their attention, I found it difficult to keep it. They would constantly go back to looking at their screens, talking to one another, or not listen. Besides that, they were extremely eager to learn about Scratch and coding which I found very very nice! They all were willing to express when they needed help with something or when they achieved something. The girls were very good about listening to my advice for them and were cooperative with participating in the drills. Overall, it was so fun to teach them, it helped me appreciate what my teachers go through to get us to pay attention in class!
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Last class was spent teaching 4th graders about basic programming and how coding works to make machines do things. We taught them about scratch, which is a simple programming tool that allows a user to create a script using blocks. Some of the blocks had instructions like ‘move 10 steps’ or ‘turn 15 degrees’. During the time that we spent with them, we taught them how to make their sprite draw shapes.
We are visiting the 4th grade classroom again this week to show them how to make a maze. This maze will end up being a programmed game that the kids can play. The past few classes we have been preparing to go and teach the 4th graders. Like Marissa said, we worked on “natural” and “formal” language. We also learned to work the new scratch. We did this so we would be ready for Form V girls, and their version of the program. Ms. Murakami made an outline of what each girl will be teaching and we reviewed that, so we would be prepared and well educated on the specific aspect we were teaching. I have felt that I know a lot more about technology than I originally thought I knew. I feel like I get the hang of things quickly on the computers and I enjoy when my classmates are able to thoroughly explain things to me when I don’t quite understand. Teaching the 4th graders will really help us understand what it will be like when we teach the Barbados kids.
In class we have been learning a lot about how the XO laptops work, from taking them apart and looking at the mother board and all the mechanics behind the technology; to seeing which applications we can download from online and share between laptops. So far I have learned that I know a lot more about technology than I thought, and the things that I don’t know I can pretty easily figure out usually. I’ve learned that scratch is a really fun program that can be used for endless activities. The maze was a really great way to get introduced to the functions of scratch and learn all of the commands. It’s really fun to get a new task and learn which features you need to use. When it comes to teaching others I have learned that your common language is based a lot off of your personal experiences and where you live. Like someone might not know what you’re talking about if they don’t live in America. My favorite thing so far has been making the mazes and doing the “blind” partner drawing activity. I will remember the importance of communication with other people for a really long time. I am feeling very glad that I signed up to be in this class.
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Students will be blogging weekly throughout the school year as they prepare for the trip. Please check back occasionally for updates. Archives
May 2016
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