I decided to do the game Tickle Monster through the Hour of Codes section on code.org. I started by creating my monster. This was really fun for me and I had such a fun time creating a cute-looking monster.
After creating my monster, it was now time to start the actual coding process. This part was a little difficult for me but I really enjoyed how there was a little tutorial and some guidance on the side. I would feel completely lost without this. I also found it kind of crazy how they designed this for grade two students. Being nineteen years old, I had quite a hard time with this. and question whether eight- and nine-year-olds would be able to work this programming. I worked on the coding part for around two hours and just accomplished the basic task.
I learned that coding is very difficult. I would never want to do coding again and I feel like I’m not very good at it. Remind me to never get a coding job EVERRR. (I do applaud anyone with a coding job though you have all the respect from me). I do not think coding is super important to teach in elementary school. I don’t see people using coding in their everyday lives unless you do it for work. High schools can teach this as an elective class, and then students can pursue a degree in post-secondary education.
Hey,
I love that you commented on how it was difficult and I applaud you for struggling through the process of making Mr. Bart for two whole hours! I feel like I would have needed to walk away and come back another day after that amount of time!! Or I may have thrown in the towel and tried a different type of coding adventure!
I do think that giving up completely and thinking it is useless because of your struggle may not be the best choice! I could be wrong but I wonder if you were to ask for help from an expert coder or bring EYES into the classroom and gain some knowledge about coding that maybe it could enrich an elementary classroom!
When I was interning we had a LOT of very tech savy kiddos in our classroom and I would bet any money that they would excel at this type of activity!! So, I continue to wonder if all may not be lost and maybe one day you could even become an expert coder with some guidance!!
Bartholomew was well worth the struggle! He is so adorable. So, well done you!
Hi Jaida!
I must commend your efforts in making your cute little monster on Hour of Codes. I also appreciate that you shared your experience of how it was difficult to go through the actual coding process. Spending 2 hours to accomplish a basic task in coding is a whole lot but you did a good job with Bart. Well done Jaida! and thanks for sharing.
Jaida,
I agree that coding is hard! This is a task that bends my brain… into the weirdest shapes! Haha
Bart is adorable and I’m glad you pressed on and completed the task. I also found the tutorials very helpful. I know I wouldn’t have been able to complete the task without the aid of the tutorials and tips!
I feel like as an educator in these current educational times, I need to step out of the realm of what I am good at and feel comfortable with in order to introduce my students to projects that likely align with what their current interests are and coding is definitely one of these activities! Coding does not make me feel comfortable and I am definitely not good at it, but I would struggle through for the sake of my students!