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Top 10 Ways to Switch from Block Coding to Syntax Coding.

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Colorado Convention Center, 405/6/7

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Presenters

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Rick Weinberg
Curriculum Coordinator and Professional
Cattaraugus Allegany BOCES
@rickweinberg
@rickweinberg
Rick has been featured in the books "Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom," "Toggle Magazine," "Cell Phones in the Classroom," and "Toys to Tools." He is also a published author of articles on educational technology and technologies that “level the playing field” for students with learning differences. He has been recognized by national and international organizations, including being named one of the top ten most influential mobile learning experts to watch by Best of DL. In September, Rick will receive the Denny Lowery Volunteer award from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Session description

Participants understand the importance of coding for students. The transition from block to syntax coding can be a "road block" for some. For most, syntax coding just isn't in their "wheelhouse." This EdTalk is designed to help participants get the skills to transition from block to syntax coding.

Purpose & objective

Participants will be comfortable teaching Syntax coding to students.
Participants will learn basic coding in Python using Trinket.io.
Participants will know the importance of transitioning from block to syntax coding.

There are many privacy laws in different countries throughout the world and states in America. All the resources recommended will be free or very inexpensive, open source and not require a student login.

One resource for Linux, Microsoft Windows and iOS is the Mu editor, which can be found at codewith.mu. It has install files that are easy to push out to computers. If you have a tablet or a smartphone, not to worry. Use the website Trinket.io and you can code too. Tech Directors will love this presentation since the tech is easy to provide to their teachers.

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Outline

Introduce myself (5 min)
What is the difference between Block and Syntax coding and "why" Syntax coding. (2 min)
History of Syntax coding with students (Papert and Logo) (5 min)
Top Ten Resources: (30 min)
1) Artificial Intelligence
2) Trinket.io
3) iRobot
4) BBC MIcrobit
5) YouTube Channels
6) Open Courseware (edX)
7) Podcasts
8) Excel
9) Mu Editor
10) Github

Teach Participants how to draw a square in Python (8 min)
Challenge participants to draw a rectangle on their own (5 min)
Conclusion and Question for Understanding (5 min)

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Supporting research

Jean Piaget, the father of constructivist theory of learning, said something like "learning comes from experiences." Participants will experience Syntax coding in Python. For many, it will be the first time they have ever coded. Participants will "scaffold" their previous learning about squares and rectangles with their new experience using Python to program and draw a square.

A job is not the only reason student should learn to code using Syntax. The average salary for programming jobs varies depending on the specific role and location. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for software developers was $110,140 in May 2021. Web developers earned a median annual salary of $77,200, database administrators earned $91,150, data scientists earned $122,840, and information security analysts earned $103,590. These are well paying, inclusive jobs that demand diverse backgrounds and computation thinking best provided by the immediate feedback that coding has to offer.

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Session specifications

Topic:
Computer science & computational thinking
Grade level:
6-12
Skill level:
Beginner
Audience:
Professional developers, Teachers, Technology coordinators/facilitators
Attendee devices:
Devices useful
Attendee device specification:
Smartphone: Android, iOS, Windows
Laptop: Chromebook, Mac, PC
Tablet: Android, iOS, Windows
Participant accounts, software and other materials:
Participants should create an account at Trinket.io. It is free and works on every device that can connect to the Internet.
Participants may download the Mu editor from codewith.mu. It is free and open source. Source code and be obtained at Github. It runs on Linux, Widows and iOS.
Subject area:
Computer science, STEM/STEAM
ISTE Standards:
For Educators:
Learner
  • Stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.
Leader
  • Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students.
  • Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.

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