4/10/2021 0 Comments Coding fun!In my first year of University I took a computer science course, and let me tell you, I still have nightmares from that class. It was hands down the most difficult course I have ever taken. I was convinced during that course that your brain has to be wired a certain way to pick up on all the "code-lingo". It was clear my brain was not wired that way. I worked my way through computer science 100, and made it out alive and told myself I would NEVER code again. So, when Katia started the class this week sharing that "we will be coding this week, and it will be SO fun", I was a tad hesitant and had instant flashbacks to first year University struggling through coding. But, I will give it to Katia, she was right, we did code, and it was actually FUN! Image Retrieved from: https://images.app.goo.gl/e7hUrs2THi5osVCP6 If you're not familiar with the term "coding", this is what I will be talking about in today's blog. A good definition I found from an outside source suggests, "coding means using the programming language to get the computer to behave as desired. Each line of the code is a set of instructions for the computer. A set of codes form a script, and a set or dozens of sets, form a program". This week I took some time to check out, "Hour of Code". On this website, you can choose to do a wide variety of activities that are designed for all ages and the best part, the activities are in over 45 different languages, which makes it a great site to support. When I first got onto Hour of Code, I knew I wanted to pick a "beginner" level activity to start. I scrolled through the MANY options and decided to go with "AI for Oceans". The video below was the first video I was greeted with that supplied me with information to use while interacting with the activity. In the video below, it gave me a brief overview of what to expect and how AI worked and what machine learning was. The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to machine learning (a type of artificial intelligence). While doing this activity/game, students are able to explore how training data works and how it is used to enable a machine learning model to classify new data. Something I loved about the activity I chose was that within each level, it provided educational content. Throughout AI For Oceans students have the opportunity to help AI impact the future. Some of the main factors I appreciated as a future educator were the references to the environment, food waste, pollution, littering, saving and cleaning the ocean life, and that AI can identify genetic disorders from a person's face. In Level 1, the students have the chance the understand what machine learning is (a computer that can recognize patterns and make decisions without being explicitly programmed). In Level 2-4, the students are able to train AI to clean the ocean. In Level 5, students can begin training data and bias. In Level 6, students will be using the training data. In Level 7, students are able to notice the impacts on society. In Level 8, students can teach AI a new word. While involving myself with "AI for Oceans", I was pleasantly surprised at how well laid out the expectations were. This was my first time "coding" in this type of format, and it was so user friendly, and something I would definitely introduce into my own classroom for my students to explore. Not only is coding important in today's day and age, Hour of Code also integrates educational aspects within the concept of learning how to code. It is a win- win.
I think as a future educator who will be teaching younger students, it is important for myself to have a basic understanding of coding. Coding is something that will support many of the 21st century jobs. In order for my students to be familiar with coding, I want them to experience and use it in the classroom setting. This means that within my lessons, I want to incorporate coding. Some apps/sites that would be beneficial to use are code.org, and Scratch. These are just a couple of the coding sites that I would like to introduce into my classroom and teachings. I find coding allows the students to use critical thinking and helps them improve their accuracy for planning ahead. It also encourages creativity and challenges their knowledge to keep building. Using coding during mathematics promotes problem-solving, number sequences, creativity and patterns. "Coding teaches problem-solving skills, and real-world ways to teach mathematical thinking. When students create or debug a program, they practice solving problems" (Tynker Coding For Kids). Coding is something that I could use in math lessons but it also applies to cross-curricular activities too. As I saw in AI For Oceans, students would be able to make connections to science, arts education, social studies, and health education. Coding has many positives and I can see myself implementing it into the classroom as a future educator.
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