Coding in the Classroom

When people hear the word coding, they usually think of the guy that’s sitting behind the computer screen typing in letters and numbers that look like the matrix. But what is coding actually? In our class this week, we looked at coding from an educational standpoint and what it could look like within the classroom.

Simply put, writing code is essentially creating the input commands that will run a program, be it a short animation, video game, or other form of media. In our class we looked at block coding, which is a simplified version in which we did not need to type out any script. I decided to try my hand at block coding using a Minecraft Underwater Adventure from the website Hour of Code. With block coding, pre-written commands are packaged into different blocks that are labelled with different functions, for example, the one I did had blocks that made the sprite (character on screen) move and perform specific actions. The blocks can be dragged and put into an order and the sprite will carry out those commands in that order. Sometimes there were modifiers that made the character repeat tasks or change their actions if certain conditions were met. Overall, it was pretty simple to follow and I felt pretty proud of the work I did which can be seen in the video below. I even got a certificate once I completed the project!

Now, how useful will this be in the classroom? That depends. The program I was using was very simple to use and understand, but I would not recommend coding exercises for students under the grade 2 level as coding requires a lot of patience. Secondly, the technology that is available can be limiting to the possibilities of including coding activities in the classroom. But let’s say that all the conditions are met. I think that coding can be a useful and engaging educational tool in the classroom. Introducing it to young children might spark some passions in them or even just give them a better understanding of how the games they play function. Coding can also be cross curricular in a way that students can create stories, art pieces and even do puzzle problem solving. I see it as a valuable tool that can be used, and the best part is that it’s free!