This week in class we learned the basics of computer science and learned how to code. I was a bit skeptical at first because I didn’t learn coding in school, but I found my self having a lot of fun and not wanting to stop when the hour was up.

We used https://code.org/ to explore the world of coding. On this website they have what is called the “Hour of Code” which I played with and learned how to code within an hour.

Our teacher had previously made our accounts for us, so as a teacher, you will need to have that prepared ahead of time. Once in, I chose to create a dance party because that seemed exciting to me and I wasn’t wrong.

This website had the best step by step instructions and was very easy to use. Before coding, I was able to watch a short tutorial on how exactly I needed to code my characters. After each completed round of coding, a new tutorial was introduced and a new way to code was taught. I found the whole experience fun and easy to do.

I think the “Hour of Code” would be a great site to introduce to students in a 3/4 class. By this time students have worked a bit with laptops and iPads and have a good sense how to navigate on the screen. There are small bits of reading that needs to be done, so it is important that students are at a grade level that is appropriate for the site. When using this site, students “identify the skills required for a task and develop those skills as needed” https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst/5/core

Please enjoy the dance party that I created. I only went to the 33rd measure because it was taking me a long time to create, but I love what I created and put a lot of effort into what I made.

https://studio.code.org/projects/dance/iClrQ4wbSmKStvtXBSUUsAO62N2xcv6V9HJmqe8jWOM

We watched this video in class also that day and I really enjoyed it. I like how they were able to get such huge/famous computer scientists, and how they all started like regular people who practiced and became very good at coding. At the very end of the video theres a quote that says “1 million of the best jobs in America will go unfulfilled… because only 1 in 4 schools teach computer science.” Even though this video is 9 years old, I think it still holds truth that not enough kids get exposed enough to computer sciences and I think its important that even though I find it difficult, there are other people out there that can come in and help teach the children of our future coding.

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The Learning Continues

Last weeks blog began the journey in stop motion and this weeks blog will dive deeper into the Zing Studio app as myself and a classmate were shown a new creative trick to add to a stop motion video!

When Kim and I were working with three grade 3 students they showed us how to add numerous sound effects to our videos.

To show you how to add special effect sounds, I created another short stop motion video for you. If you click on the music note with the plus sign it will take you to the many sounds the app provides.

Once in you will see the different categories the app has. For my video I chose Animal and Transport. For the grade 3 students they chose Scifi and Nature.

Once you’ve chosen a category, you can preview the sound before choosing it. To do this, you will want to click on the little speaker icon on the left of the sound name. Once you have decided on the sound, click on it and it will be added to your video clip.

If you need to change your sound volume level or sound, just click on the clip your sound is in and the menu should pop up like I have shown here. From there you can click on Audio and adjust away.

I hope you enjoy the video the grade 3 students made and pay close attention to the sounds they added.

Here is my short video I made also 🙂

This week our class learned how to make stop animation videos. At first it looked and sounded a little daunting because there needed to be precise movements and a lot of pictures. A few class mates and I got together and planned a short video using the app Zing Studio. The app was very quick to download and very user friendly.

Before starting our video, we had to decide what we wanted to create. Using the planning sheet posted below, we began mapping out what our video would look like. After filling out the boxes, we then had to decide what job each person would take on. It was important to have a director, a camera person, and “actors” to move the props around. Once everyone had their roles we began filming.

To begin, we clicked on the icon “Create Movie”

Next we secured the phone with the camera pointing at our set and pressed the camera button.

In the end, stop motion was actually pretty easy to make and I had a lot of fun doing so. I hope you enjoy watching our video that we made, and I hope you take some time to have fun and make a stop motion video for yourself 🙂

What is a Maker Space you may be wondering.

A Maker Space is a place for kids to go and be creative! They provide the resources and environment kids need to explore their imaginative and creative side.

What does a Maker Space Need?

Maker Spaces can be used for any subject, so it is important to keep your space well stocked. The more supplies you have, the more ideas the children can have with them. A Maker Space doesn’t need to be huge, but make sure they are nicely organized for easy access.

Ask other teachers and staff in the building to bring in old recyclables to be used as crafts. Lego walls are a great addition. Green screens allow children to create videos with special effects. Room to display the creativity.

It is important to make your Maker Space bright and fun! The more creative your space looks, the more creative the kids can be!

Jesse Miller’s TED Talk focuses on the power of the digital voice and how it can hinder a child’s life in their future. During the video, Jesse made a powerful statement saying “parents pacify their children with technology so they can get some quiet time” (3:40). This statement was followed by him discussing how parents are forgetting to teach them about technology and using it as the pacifier. It is our jobs as educators, and also parents, to help teach our children that there are more scary things on the internet besides a predator on the other side. Children need to learn about the power of their posts and how it could negatively impact their life later on. Kids do not always think about future consequences, so it is important that help them safely navigate through todays technology. I know when I was a teenager posting to social media, not once did I ever think about how these photos could impact my life later. As a future educator, I am going to work on finding a way to help my students learn how to balance their everyday life with their technology.