My Teaching Inquiry 

What has gone well?

[Introduce/practise using algorithms in an everyday context to develop computational thinking.]

• Most students think more carefully about solving a problem and can talk about ‘how’ they solved it.
• Students were engaged throughout unplugged coding activities. All worked co-operatively in pairs and small groups.
• Many students have improved their backward counting skills, 1 less/1more knowledge and strategies, left/right and forwards/backwards knowledge.

What has been a challenge?

• Time restraints due to lock down.

• Timetabling regular sessions.

• JAM assessments revealed that a few students have rote-learned backwards counting from 10 but can’t count back from 20 using the ‘one less’ strategy.

• Teacher involved supporting students in new learning and not taking photos for the class Blog.

What was an ‘aha’ moment with your students?

Students realising the need to be exact when completing unplugged coding activities i.e. understanding the problem to be solved, direction, careful counting, double-checking.

Where to next?

• Continue using unplugged grids.
• Introduce Bee bots.

 Computational Thinking - Unplugged Early Years

Last week Donna Golightly from 'Using Technology Better' has developed a site using the theme of Fairy Tales to support computational thinking.  I look forward to using the resources available through the following link. Fairy Tales  

The site has links to five well known Fairy Tales. Each Tale includes:

1. links to curriculum areas
2. computational thinking concepts
3. activities
4. literacy and/or maths focusses
5. a digital technology focus
6. sequencing images
7. a grid mat
8. assessment and reflection ideas.

This resource gives direction and structure for planning computational thinking units and could be adapted for different themes and learning levels.

We have also ordered a class set of Bee-Bots to with some plastic grids. 

Computational Thinking  

Why should we integrate unplugged computational thinking activities into learning?

"Students are given challenges based on a few simple rules, and in the process of solving those challenges they uncover powerful ideas on their own.
Not only is this a more memorable way to learn, but it empowers them to realise that these are ideas within their grasp.
The activities are also very kinesthetic - the bigger the materials, the better." csunplugged

Today Te Kakano students and myself had the pleasure of Donna Golightly facilitating an unplugged lesson. 

Activity 1

Donna began by choosing a classroom stool and 1 student. The student was a robot and had to be told what to do and where to go because a robot has to be programmed. It cannot think on its own. The students had to give the robot instructions to get to the stool and sit down. It took a few attempts to direct the robot correctly with the students learning about the importance of exact instructions. The vocabulary included the words 'turn, right, left, forwards, backwards, straight.'  

Activity 2

Donna used a grid with animal body parts.

UTB | Unplugged coding | Animals

The students chose a head and body part.

They chose a blank starting square on the outside of the grid and then had turns at telling Donna where to go next. She recorded the instructions using arrows on the white board. The students got to name the creature i.e. a 'elesnail.'

Activity 3

The students repeated the above activity in pairs, recording their progress with arrows.

Activity 4

One student secretly chose 2 body parts and then plotted out the directions using arrows. the partner then followed the arrows. 

The students remained engaged throughout and I look forward to reinforcing todays learning with similar lessons.