Welcome to week number 4 of my digital technologies reflective blog. Are you enjoying yourself learning along with me? I hope it hasn’t been too much of a drag for you.
This week we were learning about coding. At first this sounds scary if you are like me and started thinking about binary and complicated algorithms. However, some wonderful people invented Scratch and Scratch Junior, which makes coding a breeze.
So, how can you make coding easy to understand? What exactly is scratch Junior? What makes Scratch Junior so good? And why should we be teaching primary school children how to code in the first place? All of which will be answered throughout the blog. Do enjoy.
Today we were working on coding using Scratch junior. I was apprehensive at first for a couple of reasons. First of all, we were using iPads, I personally do not own an iPad and any experience I have had in using one has not been particularly positive, as I get frustrated easily with them. Second of all I was apprehensive of using scratch junior as I have used the full version of Scratch in secondary school and I experienced a level of difficulty in using it so I wasn’t sure how well I would handle using this junior version, however I was pleasantly surprised.
Scratch and Scratch Junior are programs which make it easy to learn basic coding for games. Each command it broken up into easy to understand chunks which can be connected together like a jigsaw.
The layout of scratch junior is fairly simple and easy to navigate. Thankfully we were directed to the online guide with instructions on how to work the app and featured demonstrations of how to operate certain functions. This made using the application much easier and meant that I didn’t waste time trying to figure out how to do a simple task.
The task we were assigned was to design a game, which was focused around the development of literacy. My game was aimed at the early level and was primarily focused on putting words into alphabetical order. The character also spelled out each word as it was presented which added an extra layer as the game could be adapted to use the children’s weekly spelling words, which can enhance their learning of them.
I found relevant Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes that fit for both the technologies aspect and the literacy aspect of my scratch development. For technologies I found TCH 0-14a
“I understand that sequences of instructions are used to control computing technology.”
I also found for technologies TCH 0-15a
“I can develop a sequence of instructions and run them using programmable devices or equivalent.”
For the literacy aspect I found ENG 0-12a/LIT 0-13a/LIT 0-21a
“I explore sounds, literacy and words, discovering how they work together, and I can use what I learn to help me as I read and write.”
One of my highlights of using the iPads today was the discovery of a Bee-Bot app, which I did enjoy a good 10 minutes or so playing with. This I found was a very good app as it was a continuation of the previous learning involving the physical Bee-Bot robot and the bee-bot emulator.
Digital technologies are becoming an ever-increasing part of the modern world and therefore an increasingly important part of the modern curriculum. This means that it is essential that digital technologies are taught in schools. Furthermore, coding is an essential part of digital technology meaning that it is essential that children have some understanding of how to code as this will set them in good stead for the future. As technologies develop so too will the curriculum for teaching digital natives.
Signing off.
References:
Education Scotland. (2019) Curriculum for excellence Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed: 6th April 2019].
