This Week
This week in EdTech, we learned about computational thinking and cross-curricular coding activities. We did this by exploring MIT’s Scratch program, and watching the Exact Instructions Challenge video to understand how literal coding can be.
Scratch Program
I chose to do neither the Elsa and Anna or the Flappy Bird coding projects. Instead, I got this idea in my head thinking about the upcoming practicum next month. I thought Scratch could be an excellent tool to create short stories, choose-your-own adventures, and getting students thinking about dialogue. The program itself is user friendly, and can utilize uploaded images in addition to the dozens of sprites and backgrounds pre-installed. So, I wanted to explore that angle a bit to see if I was right. I think I was:
Coding does not just need to be mathematics. Similar to our interactive videos using H5P in Week 3, I can see Scratch being able to create an interactive quiz or activity. History is so often told in terms of its place on a timeline, so why not make a coded timeline that can be interacted with.
Exact Instructions Challenge
It was like looking into a funhouse mirror watching the Exact Instructions Challenge video in class. I couldn’t help but smile as I do something similar with my son frequently. It is intended to be good fun and silly, but it can drive him off the wall sometimes. But it is a great opportunity to change my son’s thinking about the thoughts and ideas he wishes to convey, and that sometimes in order to communicate effectively, one needs to be precise in their meaning. It’s important! I sleep ON my bed, not IN my bed, but I will often say “Get in bed”. Signs like the one below help to illustrate this further:
