We had our last HTML lesson of the term this week.
I think the children are ready for a break; they were a little more hyper than usual, but still, we got down to work and the children got to finish their web pages.
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HTML for kids
Last week I started a course on HTML for Year 5 and Year 6 school children. The children were as enthusiastic as ever, so expectations were high. We had a tricky start learning about tags – especially remembering to close them! I used Mozilla Webmaker Tools for this, and although I think it worked well, this week I shall be adding colour to the mix with some CSS to make it a bit more exciting.
Making games with Scratch
Before the Easter break, I taught Scratch to twelve enthusiastic children at my local primary school. This time, I was pleased to have two girls in the group. As the children had enjoyed making games, I decided to introduce new programming concepts while building more games and stories. Half of children were new to Scratch, which meant I had to have teaching material for two levels. As soon as the children got into the swing of things, they had the confidence to help each other, which was good to see. Continue reading “Making games with Scratch”
Six weeks of coding at primary school
I’m really chuffed that my first whole term of coding with primary school children has proved more successful than I had dared imagine. I’m feeling proud of the time I dedicated into getting the materials ready to use in class; it totally paid off. I’m particularly impressed with the children, who’s enthusiasm was infectious. Continue reading “Six weeks of coding at primary school”
Is coding just for boys?
It has been a good start to 2014. I started an after school coding club for primary school children at my local school. I’m very pleased with the way it’s going, and to see the enthusiasm of the children. We are using Scratch and so far the children have produced some great work. Continue reading “Is coding just for boys?”
Blockly – visual programming editor
I met up with John Fones of Clevedon School last week and while discussing the coming up CAS SW (Bristol) Hub meeting, Blockly came up in the conversation. Blockly is a visual programming editor for educators, parents and children. The editor is like Scratch which allows to snap blocks together in a logical order. The project is still under development but there a some sample applications to play with. I had a go with at the maze, which I found great for teaching conditionals.
Scratching away
Right now I’m feeling a huge sense of satisfaction after delivering 3 x 3 hour sessions of Scratch at Yatton Junior School with James Irwin (@gracesauto), whose employer allowed him to join me during school hours to mentor young children on how to code.
We set off on this journey feeling a little nervous; 26 children in the computer room, all waiting for our instructions. We didn’t want to tell the children what to do, but rather encouraged them to use their creativity to create anything they wanted. The children already had a bit of experience with Scratch, so it wasn’t difficult to get them started. Continue reading “Scratching away”
Scratch that programming itch in school
I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to run a series of three morning Scratch coding sessions at Yatton Junior School.
We – I’m doing this with my neighbour and friend @gracesauto – have the blessing of the Head Teacher, and the commitment of Year 6 teachers and the enthusiasm of the children. Continue reading “Scratch that programming itch in school”
Creative Coding for Children
Yesterday I led a workshop for primary school teachers in North Somerset on some of the Open Source tools now available to enable children to make stuff for the web. I covered Scratch, Python and RaspberryPi, but I also wanted to introduce Mozilla Webmaker tools – Thimble, Popcorn and X-Ray Googles.
As I had used Mozilla Webmaker with children before, I thought the teachers would also be keen to have a play. I was right, and we could have filled the room three times over! In my experience, Thimble is by far the best tool to use when learning to create your first web page, and I could sense the satisfaction in the room as the teachers shared their creations. Continue reading “Creative Coding for Children”
Code Club for girls
Today is the last day of the school term and I’m very much looking forward to running a Code Club during half term.
I believe that primary-age children should be learning how to make things for the web and learn the principles of coding. They are so comfortable playing with their laptops and mobile devices – but mainly as consumers. It’s time they look at computers and their iPods in a different way. As devices they can manipulate and make them do things they want. Continue reading “Code Club for girls”