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Code.org

Coding has something I've heard teachers talking a lot about for the past couple of years. Should we all be teaching code? It isn't in the curriculum and it seems overly complicated. I enjoy navigating the internet, but do I really need to look behind the curtain? Is coding really as exciting as people are trying to make it out to be? I am reticent about this one. I know that many of my students would love it, but how am I going to find the time to fit it in?
A student created game generated by code.org
Upon visiting Code.org I'm very impressed by how altruistic is all seems. They are specifically targeting girls and underprivileged youth and everything is free, even face to face teacher workshops. They offer free courses to all age groups, even pre-readers. Perhaps I might get my five-year-old daughter to try it out. Time being my biggest concern, I am drawn to their one hour of coding offer, wherein you can choose from a variety of activities that only take an hour to complete. Should I? Could I? Alright, let's do this!
Wow, that was really fun. I could have done that for 2 hours, easy. The project I chose was to change the Google logo, as they often do to commemorate a special day. This would get my students hooked easily. Perhaps the idea of an hour at a time might be the way in. Could this be something we do at the end of every week? One hour of coding to end the week. I have one computer for every two students. If they worked in partners and rotated between controller and navigator, I'm sure it could work. If I could eventually marry it to part of the curriculum then all of my anxieties would be appeased. Here is a link to try fiddling with the Google logo yourself. I had a blast doing it. I think later on I might make myself an account in order to save some of my projects. We'll there goes the rest of my free time.
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/177224273/#editor
I think I might dip into this program again when my marking starts to get tedious.
It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I can tell there is still a lot more for me to learn.
I WILL TRY THIS WITH MY STUDENTS, WILL YOU?

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