The students of my school have grown up in a rural school district in northeastern Colorado. We are a kindergarten through fifth grade school with approximately 490 student. Approximately 53% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch. We have a 13.6 student to teacher ratio which is very low for the area. We try to keep it this way so that our students get as much attention to their needs as possible. We have a very caring staff that wants the best for our students.
Our students are some of the most motivated kids I have ever worked with.
I have observed students at other school and worked with them too, but I have never seen students as motivated and driven as the students of my school. They want to be the best and they always want to work hard. When my students see a new challenge in computer science, they want to figure it out. This is why coding and game design are such great subjects for my students to study.
My Project
Coding has become a major focus and subject in schools today. Teaching student not only how to use a computer, but how a computer works is necessary for students of tomorrow. Today's digital natives don't only want to use devices, but they want to know how those devices work. This is where coding comes into play. My students start to learn basic coding before many of them can even read. I scaffold my coding units to get harder as my students get older. I have found that no matter how much coding we do, they always love it! My students enjoy the challenges and the problem solving that goes hand in hand with learning to code.
After learning to code, the next step is to start making games.
This is where the Bloxels come into play. By having the sets of Bloxels in my classroom, I will be able to start a game design unit after my coding unit. The students will use the Bloxels to plan out and build their characters, background, and any special details. The Bloxels are made with different colored centimeter cubes that the students can use to build with. Then they will use a classroom iPad to take a picture of their designs and upload them into the Bloxel app. From there the students will be able to code their own game with everything they have created. The students can then publish them and share their games with the class. I plan to have students working in groups to help with their collaboration and communication skills while using the Bloxels. What I love best Bloxels is that the students will be able to create a piece of art, while telling a story and coding to make their own game.
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