Covid 19 | Occasional Observations of Traveling Technology Coach

Proud Pencilcoder

15 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in 36K, computer lab, Covid 19, deployment Tags: pencilcode.net

A student tinkered with an existing pencilcode.net algorithm and made this cool spiral design. He made me take two photos of his screen, so I could get the last few lines of code at the bottom!

Thursday in the Lab

14 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in 36K, computer lab, Covid 19, deployment Tags: 36K, code.net

Five classes: some standard, some alt.

We did pencilcode.net, tinkercad.com, code.org, and chrome music lab’s Song Maker app. Everyone was on task and on target. :)

Play that Keyboard, Coder

14 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in code/coding, computer lab, Covid 19, deployment Tags: Music, pencilcode.net

Pencilcode.net has an interactive music component that lets a user play their keyboard like a, well, keyboard.

Pencilcode is so Good

13 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in 36K, computer lab, Covid 19, deployment Tags: 36K, pencilcode.net, Spirograph

The introduction of pencilcode.net to students who had finished taking a test. We tinkered with existing code and made a beautiful spirograph-style pattern.

Paper Commands

12 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in 36K, computer lab, Covid 19, deployment Tags: 36K, bee-bot, paper, robotics

This class of five students familiarized themselves with arrow commands: move forward, turn left, and turn right. They are made of paper, though I really should laminate them.

This was used to introduce the bee-bot emulator website, which also uses arrows to command the bee-bot. But first, I modeled the beebot using Notebook software.

The students took turns using my bluetooth touch pad to command the bee-bot.

The Foos

12 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in 36K, computer lab, Covid 19, deployment Tags: 36K, codespark academy, coding, computer lab, The Foos

This class of students worked together on the smartboard to solve the Foos puzzles.

We all got stuck on one, and even the paras gave it a try. We had to make use of the Repeat block and we could not figure it out.

To be continued next week!

Bee-Bots Online

08 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by CharlesB in 36K, computer lab, Covid 19, robotics Tags: 36K, bee-bot, robotics

Second time I am seeing the class this week. First time I pretended to be a robot and they programmed me to get to the lightswitch in the doorway…move forward x number of steps, turn left, turn right.

This time i had paper cutouts of robots and paper arrows for forward, turn left, turn right.

After showing the papers, i asked the kids if they had seen the website. They all said NO. So we went to the website on the smart board.

(FYI ..I was using a bluetooth touchpad to control the smartboard, to Wow effect from the students. They all wanted a try)

We went to beebot emulator website (beebot.terrapinlogo.com) on the smartboard. I demonstrated how it works. I showed a couple of moves using the blank card mat, then had two students come up to command the beebot using the alphabet mat.

Then they all went to the computers to do their own explorations and programming.