Five year olds start to think about computer programing as a way of expressing themselves.
The children’s engagement with the Beebots deepening. The exploration stage has been successful as the children have used their inquiry skills to work out how the Beebot works and set each other challenges.
When the children skyped the class in Hong Kong they tried to show the children how the Beebots worked. The children realised this was quite hard. We discussed how the children could share their findings. I realised this was a great ‘in’ for learning about procedural writing.
The children formed pairs (I asked them to pick a boy girl combination). I asked them to write down how to move in a straight line 2 moves. Then we programed the Beebots with the instructions the children gave. They soon realised the instructions were unclear, incomplete or inaccurate.
Conclusion, you have to tell it everything and you have to write everything.
Next came the children’s challenges. Each one seemed to take a few days or up to a week.
- Make the Beebot dance like Michael Jackson.
- Make the Beebot go round in a circle.
- Make the Beebot make a square.
- Make the Beebot make a triangle!
Finally at parent sharing and student led conference the children engaged their parents in the problem-solving. Jessica and her mum made a maze for the Beebot to negotiate.
