Itchy? GET SCRATCHING!

 Programming for super beginners!

Programming is the nemesis of many, today we explored different programs/software online to support all sorts of educational goals from languages to engineering. The application of computational thinking in our worlds.

I understand we do everything in code in real life, and I don't mean speaking in Klingon, what I mean is the set of rules and protocols we follow to do everything in our lives.   

The challenge is to break it into smaller more digestible chunks and if necessary repeat those steps, understanding that sometimes something can go wrong and we might have to revisit that pattern (code) and reprogram it (debug). 

language is something like that, repetition is important and when supported by images becomes easier as a mnemonic tool to remember faster  

CLICK THE LETTER AND THEN THE ROBOT TO HEAR THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION IN SPANISH

Here's a little example of a piece of code exploring and making things more interesting in the pronunciation of the letter R in Spanish.

One window to rule them all!

 HAPARA 

The one to rule them all, the full potential of HAPARA can only be unleashed by using it and practicing. During today's lesson we experienced what is like to be a student and got to use a Chromebook. Between small screens and no mouse I came to appreciate the challenges my students have to deal with when working on any assessment from their CB's.

One of the takeaways for me today will be to be more empathetic with students when they do work for me in their little, tiny screens with limited buttons and software capabilities. Chromebooks are great still but again, this is the opinion of a guy using a regular size screen with a cordless mouse.

The almighty powers of HAPARA expands from class engagement management to work control all under one ample umbrella.

Other software we explored today was "Explain Everything" used the iPad for it and experienced a new way to interact and create new content for students. The downside of it is the price per students.

There is always a use for new software in our schools but this is just a new one for me, I know that there are many but this one is already being used by primary teachers. Good  experience and great flow.