Human coding!

After being in several classes introducing coding via Scratch Jr, I've had some really great success around introducing concepts and ideas first with the students by doing some human coding first. The idea came from: http://www.mrswideen.com/2015/03/teaching-coding-without-computer.html.

The first time I put out a number of objects that acted like obstacles and then the class 'coded' a toy to move through the maze and we used paper Scratch Jr blocks to build and record the algorithm as we went.

In the image above you can see the 'maze' and then in the bottom right, our algorithm that was needed to navigate the toy through the maze. 

I then saw this resource of Vector Scratch Blocks where the blocks had been added to a Smart Notebook file. So I started to use these for the coding of a student navigating from one side of the classroom to the other side. I didn't love that the blocks were not Scratch Jr Blocks. But we made due. 

I have now put the effort into doing the same for Scratch Jr! I hope to use these a bunch next year with the classes that I am going into and am hoping for the best!

Resources:

Scratch 2.0 blocks gallery for smart notebook

Scratch Jr blocks gallery for smart notebook