This week in class we discussed the concept of computational thinking, and experimented with various coding programs. Computational thinking can be a great asset for students as it breaks downs the processes involved with everyday problems. Students can apply computational thinking in a classroom setting to solve various problems that may arise. They can do this by deconstructing whatever is challenging them, and then taking a step back to figure it out piece by piece. By doing this, students can gain a deeper perspective of what their problem actually is, and use various smaller steps to solve their problem.
We also explored Hours of Code and CS First. These are great coding websites designed to teach anyone the basics of coding. Coding is a great way for children to learn about, and apply computational thinking. By learning coding, students are taught a process that is broken down into easy steps. One thing that’s fantastic about these programs is that they scaffold so seamlessly into more advanced coding and programs. It can begin with something as simple as placing a block on the ground, or drawing a character, to designing an entire game yourself. I was able to design a basic game using one of the programs from Hours of Code, which is also playable on your web browser. It involves a shark moving through the ocean and eating fish to gain points. You can play my shark game here, and if you don’t have the time to play it I have a screenshot of the game below.
