Learning to Code

We are up for this challenge! We are ready to code! Click start to begin writing your lines of code. START

Last week was "Computer Science Education Week." The week was declared to bring computer science into schools and promote student interest in coding. A challenge was put forth for students to participate in an hour of code. The Connected Ones participated and wrote over 1500 lines of code in class. I see some future programmers in this class. 

We started as a class working through a tutorial on the computer science education week website: csedweek.org.  The students had to solve puzzles to program an angry bird to move through mazes.  While they are "playing" the students are learning how code with repeat-loops, conditionals, and basic algorithms.  They had to use logic and problem solving skills.  The challenges also tested their persistence and "I can" attitude.  As they moved up levels, the students received video tutorials by gifted computer scientists in the field like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.  The children were amazing.  After we worked together for awhile, the students went to the Chromebooks and began their own coding.  Look how intense!  The children can code from their home computer as well.  Just follow the link above.

Of course, we will also try coding on the ipad.  We will use the app LightBot where students use programming to move a robot and light up tiles in a series of puzzles.  We have also used apps called Run Marco and Kodable.  All of these apps are free on the itunes store.

Thank you, Miss Schultz

 Today was a happy and sad day for us.  We are so proud of Miss Schultz for completing her student teaching and doing an excellent job but we are going to miss her like CRAZY!  We wish her well and hope she visits often.  The children all made her cards.  Miss Schultz brought s'mores....because she wishes she had "smore" time with us.  She promised to visit often.  Thanks, Miss Schultz for all you have done for our Connected Ones.

Smart Cookies

First grade is full of smart cookies.  In addition to comparing and contrasting different gingerbread stories, we did all sorts of learning with the gingerbread theme.  One of our learning centers was to sort the cookies by beginning sound.  In writing, we used adjectives and transition words (first, next, then, last) to write a piece on how to eat a gingerbread cookie.  Then, in spelling, we made words from the letters g-i-n-g-e-r-b-r-e-a-d. For art, we made gingerbread ornaments and giant gingerbread faces.  In math, we worked on fact families and missing addend problems.  For example, I have 15 gingerbread cookies.  8 are in the cookie jar.  How many are still in the oven?

Gingerbread even made its way into science.  In one of the gingerbread stories, the fox tricks the gingerbread man by convincing him to ride on his back across the river.  In this science experiment, our key question was: What would happen to the gingerbread man if he "swam" across the river himself?  We made predictions then tested our hypothesis.  The students observed and recorded what was happening to the gingerbread man in water at 20 minutes and one hour.  They concluded that water makes the gingerbread soggy and it will break apart.  Great work, scientists!

Gingerbread Stories

We have spent these first days of December reading and discussing different gingerbread tales.  We read several different versions of the story.  We read The Gingerbread Man, The Gingerbread Bear, The Gingerbread Girl, The Gingerbread Cowboy, Gingerbread Baby, Gingerbread Friends, and Gingerbread Pirates....just to name a few.  Did you know there were so many?  While we read, we compared and contrasted the stories.  We recorded our notes on a huge classroom chart.  We wrote the characters, refrain, and endings for each story.

 We had some wonderful help meeting this important standard.  Our pen pals, education majors from Rocky, came into the classroom to read six of the versions on Wednesday.  The college students did such a great job reading and discussing the story elements.  Some even dressed up and brought props!  Then, at the end of their visit, the Rocky students gave each of the children a homemade gingerbread cookie that they decorated to go with their story.  So fun! Click on photos in spiral to enlarge. 

The students were so lively in their discussions.  I even caught them independently discussing other versions that they had read or listened to on the ipads.  In addition to reading the stories, we also had learning centers with a gingerbread theme...but you will have to read about that in the "Smart Cookies" post above!

Fa La La Fact Families

Learning about fact families takes a lot of concentration!  We have been working hard at this important mathematical standard.  We are making a lot of progress.  Since this is a difficult concept, I want to include some resources in this post, as well as, share the ways we are practicing in class.  This would be a great concept to practice at home.

The students are very solid in knowing how to put together an addition equation and writing the commutative property for addition.  For example, if you gave your child the numbers 3, 5, and 8, they are proficient at being able to see the equations 3+5=8 and 5+3=8.  However, making the two subtraction equations using those numbers is much more difficult.  A common mistake is just plugging the numbers in anywhere and making false equations like 3-5=8.

I found this teaching video by the "Teacher Tipster" and thought it was a great way to explain how to write a fact family.  I used this method as soon as I had the chance.  Using color mixing to remember where the numbers in a fact family go made so much sense to the students. We are having a lot of success with this method. Please watch this video and see if your child can explain this method back.

 

After the light bulbs started turning on with the color mixing idea, we have been practicing fact families as many ways as possible. We have been doing many games on the interactive whiteboard and practicing writing fact families on our old fashion whiteboards. We have been taking quizzes using the ipads so I get instant feedback on how the children are understanding. I am finding that the students are getting stronger everyday but we still need some practice. Another way we are practicing is with a Christmas math partner game.  The students toss two counters on Santa's beard and then write the fact family that would result from their toss.

Here is a fun website called Block Builder that helps practice fact families with an interactive game on the computer.  Also the app Fact Families is great for the ipad.  The app is $1.99.  Please work on this important concept at home.  You will notice that last week's homework was practicing fact families.  Thank you for your continued support!