Coding: a very fun, necessary, and frustrating activity. I practiced coding in a high school technology class in Grade 12 where we designed apps and made websites. While I enjoyed the challenge of coding, I also realized it was not very practical for everyone. The memorization and language of it all made it a challenge for everyone in the class. Our coding ability was therefore very minimal, yet still successful. Therefore I have always been a little skeptical of teaching coding in the classroom. How were elementary aged students supposed to learn how to code? Well I can finally say that I have now realized that coding is so much more than just a sequence of letters and numbers on a page. Coding can take the form of writing, patterns, colours, and symbols, therefore making it accessible to nearly everyone.
Last Spring was the first time I was introduced to coding at the elementary level. I had the opportunity to use “code and go” robot mice in a kindergarten class and was blown away by the students’ ability to code the mouse using strategy in groups of 4. I had never seen a product like this before. The students were so fully engaged and working well in their groups, each taking turns and participating in conversations where they were explaining their thinking. I was so impressed!
That brings me to this week where I had the opportunity to play with Ozobots. These adorable little robots are tools for students to learn how to code in a non-traditional way. Where the coding mice used arrows for students to press in order to reach the cheese at the end of the maze, students used colours in a specific pattern to lead the ozobot around a maze. Ozobots, much like the coding mice, are designed for students in the elementary grades and up. However the ozobots are much more appealing students at an older age when compared to the rather primary design of the coding mice.
Ozobots have so many uses as well. Students can code stories for their ozobots to follow or create mazes for one another to navigate through. The list is endless when it comes to uses for these coding products and it makes me very excited to see what other products like these are out on the market.
The ozobots follows the path of the backline. The colours indicate the direction of movement of the ozobot. Students can draw any maze for the ozobots to follow using the markers provided with the ozobot.
I agree completely with thinking coding can be a little ‘daunting’ at times. Through my post secondary experience all of the coding I have been exposed to has been quite dry. Being exposed to the ozobots was such a great experience! They are a tool that can be adapted to meet the need of all learners and grade levels. I can’t wait to try this in my practicum classroom!
Programming as we know it traditionally can indeed be a daunting task. I did well in my university level introduction to Java, but I’ve absolutely no confidence in using it. Ozobots and other devices that make coding more digestible and fun are definitely welcome in my classroom when it comes time to teach coding to my students.