Getting Start with An Hour of Code

Ask the average 8 year old boy what he wants to be when he grows up and you will probably hear “make video games”.  Boys love video games because it gives them an opportunity to use their logic and reasoning skills in the context of a virtually crafted world that includes tools to build and create.

The idea of having “video game” time in any classroom would probably raise some eyebrows by parents and teachers alike.  But we know that creating an engaging learning environment means tapping into students interests so why not use the concept of video games to get students to read, write, problem solve and activate higher order thinking skills.

So that is exactly what I did, I finally took the plunge this week and let my son engage in an “Hour of Code”

As an elementary teacher I could easily see the connection to mathematics, reading and 21 Century Skills.  My son had to read the directions to figure out what to do, he had to watch the video to see a visual demonstration of the process (multiple representations), and then he had to try his code out to see if the program worked.  When the line of code he wrote was not successful at achieving the task he went back and tried again.  The Mathematics Practice Standard “Make Sense of Problems and Persevere in Solving Them” was so evident in his thinking process.

The deeper he went in the coding process the more evidence for higher level mathematics.  He could use the “repeat loop” to write a line of code where a process is completed at a faster rate just like multiplication.  Then during more complex tasks he was introduced to the “If___Then____” statement which are conditional statements in math.  I was so jazzed to see the higher mathematics application being introduced to kids at a much younger age and they are motivated to do it because it is in the context of video games

The first few tasks my kindergarten completed as it required him to count the number of blocks and write a line of code that would get Steve a character in Mindcraft to shear a sheep oh yes the coding was about video games and they also have a Star Wars and Frozen version.  My eight year old son was so in the flow he promised me that he would write a blog post about his experience coding if I let him finish his task.

As a teacher I am all about creating an interdisciplinary lesson that includes not just math and reading but also writing so feel free to check out my son’s blog about what he learned from an hour of code.

Braeden’s Blog: The Code of Mindcraft

Please share your experiences on how you can or have used coding in the classroom?

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3 Reads to Problem Solving with Google Docs

Problem solving is an area in which not only students struggle, but teachers have difficulty teaching.

As a mathematics coach one area where I was constantly tapped for support was problem solving.The complexity of problem solving requires engaging students to make sense of a problem before they set out to solve it.  What typically occurs in a math classroom is students read the problem and simply apply the latest skill they have been learning about using all numbers they explicitly identify.

This approach fails to recognize that problems have quantities that are both explicit and implicit and problems have situations in which students need to identify relevant information.

What are the explicit quantities in this problem? What are the implicit quantities? 

There are 16 Pokemon cards Jake has 6 Pokemon cards.  Braeden has 8 Pokemon cards.  Cullen has some cards.

There are numerous approaches to problem solving, but one where I have found great success is the 3-Read strategy.  This approach defuses students instinct to rush to an answer and provides a means to deepen their understanding of the situation and the mathematics.

Let's try the Three Reads Approach.

Read #1: Choral Read the problem and have students draw an illustration or write a sentence about what the problem is about.

Read #2: Choral Read the problem and have students identify the Quantity (the numbers) and identify the Units (what is being counted)

Read #3: Choral Read or Partner read and have students record questions they have about the situation.

Template Provided here

Why this approach works? 

3 Reads provides students with multiple opportunities to understand the problem and to unpack language so they can focus on identifying the quantities in a problem and the relationship to each other.  It also personalizes the learning experience so that students can make their own connection and solve in ways that support their understanding.  This is especially important for English language learners as comprehension is a common barrier to problem solving.

Finally this approach allows students to engage in problem solving while developing a mathematical mindset to do so.  The use of a graphic organizer  becomes a built in formative assessment tool for the teacher to have an understanding of what a student knows and does not know.  Moreover the 3 Reads approach provides the teacher with an opportunity to scaffold instruction while guiding the student in the problem solving process.


Are you using the 3 Reads approach in your classroom? What is working and what modifications have you made to support student understanding?

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