First I would like to give my honest impressions of Hour of Code. It was extremely boring and felt like concepts were easy and then hard with little progression. I felt like I was reading VCR instructions that skipped steps. I hope this is not everyone’s experience and I do acknowledge that I struggle with technology at times so my view point can be jaded! `I tried a coding program called Scratch; it was slow to make anything happen with way too many steps and it was not satisfying when tasks were completed like the literature suggests it is for students to see the results of the program on the screen.
However I do agree with Snelling that it is important for students to learn to follow a step by step process to solve a problem. Coding or even the concepts used to be successful with coding focuses on this skill. Students who learn these skills and use them throughout their lifetime will be more proficient and resilient in the career/workforce field as well as in their personal life. I also agree with Snelling that the library in the school setting is the perfect place to teach these skills due to students not feeling the pressure of failing and will be able to explore. If school librarians include coding education in their curriculum then they can “support young kids as they start exploring bigger ideas and provide the tools they need to be able to do that” (Snelling, 2018). Is that not one of the core principals of being a librarian?
So many students I know want to be video game designers. When they state this often parents will role their eyes and see it as a fantasy because the idea of making a living around a video game seems unrealistic to them. Maybe a different approach is in order to get the parents on the same page as their students? Dodge discusses in his article that when designing video games creators will demonstrate many analytical skills that are and will be useful in other fields. The first step is to study current games (what do you like?, what don’t you like?) which is like any other task that requires researching the topic and identifying what subject/area you want to explore more or find a solution to. “Teaching your kids to write code will help them translate their vision onto the screen and finish actual working products on their own” (Dodge, 2018). Video game designers live by the four C’s (Challenge, Change, Choice, and Chance) which can be applied to other fields especially in the classroom. Students need to be challenged so they are not bored, change up the subject or approach to the material, and let students have a choice in activities or assignments. Finally is the idea of chance which clearly describes human nature in and out of the classroom, Dodge describes chance as “in that some players take risks, misjudge circumstances, make mistakes, and add an unpredictable element to the game” (Dodge, 2018). I think this describes typical reaction to students in a classroom and as teachers we need to be ready to support students when make mistakes. So maybe we all can learn from video games, coding, and technology!
Resources
Dodge, D. (2018, May 4). So your kid wants to design games? Here are 5 practical tips to help her design like the pros. Coda Kid. https://codakid.com/so-your-kid-wants-to-design-games-here-are-5-practical-tips-to-help-her-design-like-the-pros/
Snelling, J. (2018, April 3). Don’t stress about coding: Focus shifts to teaching problem solving not computer skills. School Library Journal.https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=dont-stress-coding-focus-shifts-teaching-problem-solving-not-computer-skills
The point about the library being a place where kids can try things without having to worry about failure is so important! In coding, so much is trial and error, and it’s important for kids to be able to do that in a low pressure situation.