This week during class our assignment was to build a computer. At first, I was scared by this daunting task, and I continued to feel this way throughout the assignment as I have never done anything like this before. I have never been very good with computers beyond the basic functions so hearing that we were doing this was worry-some to me. When I first saw the box of computers to build and heard it was for ages 7 and up, I wrongfully believed it would be easier than I anticipated. When my partner and I opened the box, we first could not find the blueprint to build the computer, and from then it was still downhill. The blueprint not having any words on it made it very confusing to find parts, and figure out exactly how to fit all of the pieces together. Although challenging, my partner and I had fun doing this together.
My partner and I had to use the 4 C’s continuously throughout this project. Critical thinking and communication were the most important ones that we used. Without communication, we would not have gotten anything accomplished. Through communication, it became easier for us to work on different parts, and figure out what exactly we needed to do. Critical thinking came into play when we realized the blueprint did not have any words on it. We had to use context skills to figure out which part the blueprint was talking about, and how to put the pieces together. Thinking about the 4 C’s and utilizing them in the classroom can be east with coding. By putting students in groups like we did, you emphasize communication because it becomes a group project. Coding is also a language so communication in this language can be essential. Collaboration can also take places in groups. Critical thinking takes place because you can use code to solve problems. By having students do different activities with the code, they can work on the problem solving skills which will help them think critically. Of course creativity takes place with code. Having students learning and perfecting code helps them to be able to code whatever they desire, such as different shapes or different worlds, which is important to young learners in allowing them to have fun with what they do.
Neither of us had ever built anything before, so the blueprint with no words was a large barrier for us in the beginning. After becoming accustomed to the blueprint, it became easier to read and understand as we went along, but still not easy!
A photo of the struggle
Once we got the main part assembled, the wiring and the “programming” was much more enjoyable and fun because it was like playing a game! I definitely learned many different skills while doing this project. For example, I have never read a blueprint and now I can confidently say I am able to. Another skill I learned was collaboration. My partner and I had to effectively communicate each step we were doing to make sure nothing got mixed up. I enjoyed doing the programming part the most. Going through the module and learning how to set the wires up and how they worked was something I have never done before and I thought I was much better at it than the actually building of the computer part.
I believe I will be able to use these skills in the future especially going into teaching. Students can greatly benefit from doing projects like this. I know I wish I could have been more exposed to coding during my life because now it is a skill I would like to have. According to blog learning resources, coding is important for young minds. Coding is essentially another language, like learning Spanish or French. Coding also fosters creativity. With experimenting with code, you can build whatever you want within it, as long as it works. Coding also helps kids with their math skills, which is something I know I personally could have used when I was younger. Coding allows kids to visualize abstract ideas and apply math they learn to real world situations. It also is a great problem solving tool. When we had to figure out which code was wrong, it was easy, but it tested us to see if we actually knew what we were doing, and this would be great for kids. It is one thing to know how to do it correctly but it is another thing to do it from the bottom up. I would love to expose the kids I teach to something like this because I was never exposed to it. In the 21 century this is definitely essential as we move toward a more technologically advanced society. The more I get exposed to projects like this, the better I hope I become to be able to teach this. I know there are some coding softwares made specifically for kids, and this is something schools have now and something I would utilize in my own classroom.
At first, this project seemed daunting, but with the help of my classmates and my partner, it made it into something that I actually enjoyed. I would recommend building a piper to any of my classmates as it was a great learning experience, and the 4 C’s (communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity) with an emphasis on communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Resources:
Coding: Strategies for Integrating the 4 c’s and the Common Core
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