Day 46- Coding and Simple Circuits Come Alive Through the Arts

Join us throughout the day today at Nottawa Public School as we explore artbots, coding Spheros to complete tasks and collaborative art pieces...and a whole lot of STEAM fun with grades 1 -6!

Block 1 : Artbots- Gr.4/5/6 - 50+students 

With a quick lesson on simple circuits, and a reminder about forces causing movement, these Grade 4,5&6's were ready to rock and roll with their artbot prototypes. Iteration was key and embraced whole-heartedly as they worked through the design cycle / creative process to solve problems and step up to their challenge.

The challenge:

I find it essential to not show a prototype or exemplar of what an artbot could look like. We're not looking for replication, but rather inspiring creativity and innovation by presenting a challenge and the tools required to create it. It never ceases to amaze me how different each and every artbot can be when left to the creative genius of the group. Cue #theartoflettinggo

Some vibrate, some squirm, some spin...but they all dance and make their mark on the world. It is a great reminder for students that we can all be so different, yet accomplish tasks in our own way and leave a positive and unique mark on the world...just like our artbots. Teachable moments make the most of any design challenge as students are directed to think and extend upon their own schema in math, science, technology, engineering and the arts.

What's an artbot without a dance battle? #bettertogether has never been truer!

After prototyping, students were invited to create a collaborative art piece, contemplating the concepts of colour, balance and line while composing the collective piece. A masterpiece was born!

Block 2: Coding Spheros with the 'Tickle' App- Grade 3&4

If you're going to learn to code, let's add some movement! None of these kids had coded before, but before long they were coding like pros and make their Sphero's perform planned tasks! These kids were fully engaged in learning how to use the technology as a tool and not just a toy...although that doesn't mean that a whole lot of fun wasn't to be had as well!

What we did:

Step 1- visual intro to scratch/blockly style coding ( it's just like Lego!)

Step 2- mini lessons on degrees and speed vs. time variables

Step 3- Code the teacher! Be silly and have them recognize how precise commands need to be to execute a simple task, like walking a straight line 90 degrees to your right that is 5 meters long.

Step 4- predict what some sample lines of code will allow their Spheros to do by 'acting it out'. It's a drama technique, a math strategy, a kinesthetic learning technique and yep...a STEAM strategy too.

Can you act out this code? Try it! A lot of body awareness and geometry was happening to determine that this code makes a square.

Step 6: Code your sphero to follow a line or shape in the tile on the floor! How fun! And all in 50mins ;)

Block 3: Jackson Pollock inspired art created by coding Spheros to colour mix- Grade 1/2

This may have been the highlight of my day. I'll be honest with you, I have grandiose ideas at times and tend to trust that something amazing will happen...even and especially if it doesn't all go according to plan. But a plan I had. Where it goes is up to the students... and that is always the best part of the adventure!

Grade 1's, non readers, never coded before, paint, end of the day and robots. What could be more exciting to take a leap of faith into!!!

What we did:

1. Leaving our mark: write your name and draw a picture that represents who you are anywhere on the paper with markers- 5mins.

2. Learn to code- act it out. 

The pinnacle highlight of my day was when a little girl who recognized me from when I had worked with her in summer school this past summer (great difficulty with reading, writing and paper/pencil tasks in general), explained that if we had to code our teacher to walk a square, 'they need to take 4 steps because the other side was 4 steps and all the sides of a square have to be the same number of steps". I almost cried. Amazing right! If we hadn't given that child the opportunity to express their mathematical learning in a different way, we would never have known how much they really knew and understood. Yay for movement integration in all that we do!

3. Use the Tickle app code template and change the variables of time or speed or rotation to change the trajectory of your sphero.

Next...add paint of course!

I must thank my husband for suggesting the garden hose as a sphero fence...brilliant! And a BIG thanks to Chris Gilewicz for picking up a drop sheet and dropping in to play with us at Nottawa this afternoon!

As I sit here wrapping up this blog and tidying up for home this evening, I can hear the kids in YMCA homeport showing their parents the art that they made today just down the hall. I'm pretty sure mini motors and Spheros are on a few Christmas wish lists in Nottawa this year. ;)

Day 19: Coding and Holograms at Tosorontio

'Mr.Mac's' Grade 5/6 class was ready and raring to go this morning. I've never seen a more enthusiastic class first thing in the morning! Spheros and Ollies were awaiting some coding.

As a die hard Hour of Code class, they only needed a brief introduction to the 'Tickle' app and they were off. 

The Challenge: Code your robot to drive the taped line on the floor.

A variety of lines from a simple straight line (not so simple!) to squares, triangles and irregular polygons were pre taped to the classroom floor so that students had choice through parallel tasks. After successfully completing one line design, students were encouraged to tape their own design. 

The perseverance that they exhibited was note worthy, in that students did not just hop around from task to task when they were 'close enough', but stayed with a task and completed countless iterations to keep making it more and more precise. Amazing!!! The inherent problem solving and collaboration strategies involved in coding the bots to execute a specific task, was a joy to observe. Below, a group of girls debates angles and rotation direction, speed and time, in order to code the turn of a corner.

As Mr. MacAlpine and I were chatting about consolidation strategies, we self reflected on the task itself and discussed how even more powerful this activity could be if the students used the iPads (which they were using anyway) to take screen shots, videos and pictures all along the way to document their learning journey. They could then use an app like Adobe Voice to 'journal' about their task and post to a class or personal blog! I love the ideas that evolve out of self-reflective discussions amongst educators as to "how else could we do this?". Such powerful new learning almost always ensues! 

Deb Shackell came by to help our class code today and started brainstorming ideas on how to use Sphero in phys-Ed...Amazing & coming to a gym near you soon!

The next picture beautifully illustrates how learning never stops...EVERY student put up their hand when asked by Mr.Mac if they were going to ask for a Sphero for Christmas ;)

Next stop... grade 7/8!

Do holograms exist? Are they only "movie magic"? This class isn't quite sure, but they're willing to give it a try! Find the full slide deck for this activity @ bit.ly/STEAMholograms

First steps, create a net for a frustum with given dimensions for the trapezoid faces. (Thanks to Jay Speijer for teaching me that math lingo!) Tough! 

Mrs. Hodgin's class showed perseverance and learned that the sharing of good ideas is always better. Some people had a hard time with people 'stealing their ideas', but were soon turned around when I reminded them that, 'if your idea is good enough that someone else wants to use it...then that's a compliment. It means that they think it's awesome!'

It was also great to see the support of the school admin, as the VP and principal both came to share in the learning with us.

Next steps after lunch and recess... Turning the nets into acetate 3D figures...and making holograms!

Stay tuned!!!

After a whirlwind of trial and error we tested our devices to many ooo's and aaaahhh's. A dark space was required so we all piled into the boys changeroom and turned out the lights. Don't tell the principal ;)

3:20 came far too soon! We consolidated our learning and ended the day with more questions. Would other shapes work? Other sizes? Can we get it to stand up by itself? Is there something special about the video or can we make our own?

Needless to say, The kids are excited to try and make their own hologram videos using the 'explain everything' app tomorrow. Maybe we'll throw in some green screening or glow in the dark objects. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Thank you to Tosorontio School today, who were all so welcoming in letting me come and play with them today!

Jamila Monahan