Transcription
AboutCoding KidsandScreaming CarrotsWelcome to my talkAbout CODING KIDS andSCREAMING CARROTSAnd just to make sure. In thispresentation I talk about kids in theage from 6 to 12 years.I hope you enjoy it.
Georgios Kaleadis· Living in Munich, born 1984· Principal Frontend Developer forSinnerschrader· Kids Coding Trainer· Origami addictedMy name is Georgios KaleadisI'm 34 years oldand I live in Munich working for Sinnerschraderas a Principal Frontend DeveloperIn my spare time I teach coding to kidswhich inspired me so much that it brought meto this stage today.I'm also Origami addicted.
.since Takeshi taught it to mein front of Osaka castle twoyears ago.Today I fold nearly every dayand I also created a projectabout virtual origami folding
Nostalgia FunwithThe coding kidLet's start.First some nostalgia fun withme as the coding kid.
That's meTo make sure you have someinner picture. That's me. I'mten years old.
1994Magazine HoarderIt's 1994. I call this chapter ofmy life Magazine HoarderFor a reason.
At that time I love to play withmy Super Nintendo and SegaGame Gear.
My favourite place to be,month by month, is the storewith the huge shelf ofmagazines.
DriversPatches&Most magazines had some CDattached.The ones about computers containedapplications, trials, drivers & patches.Why? Because internet was notavailable to everyone.Could I use those CDs ?
Not at all.I didn't even owned acomputer yet.
I only got in touch with realcomputerswhen my sister took me to heragency office.There I had the opportunity totinker around with a Mac runningthe wonderful OS 9.
Photoshop was my favouriteapplication.I created dozens of thosegalaxy spirals.
1997My first PCLet's jump to 1997, the year ofmy first PC.
Actually I had to wait untilChristmas 1997.It's now three years since Ibought my first magazine.
My computer was runningWindows 95 and had a 4GB harddisk.This thing had of course nointernet.And what does a kid do with acomputer ?
1998PC GamingOf course. Playing games.It's 1998 and I enjoyed mynew computer day and night.
My very first game I boughtwas Blade Runner fromWestwood Studios.It was distributed on 4 CDsand consumed half of my diskspace.
1999InternetLet's hurry to 1999. The year Igot my internet access.
I had a 56k modem to connect.Which was slower than your throttleddataplan on your smartphone.Let's listen to the iconic sound for aquick flashback.After Video: I still canʼt believe theinternet worked back then.
Some day in April 1999.I was watching my favourite tvstation NBC GigaWhere they talk about games andcomputersThis particular day two guys wereshowing a new application
They let a red ball bouncearound.It must have looked like this.
!I was impressedI was impressedThey mentioned the name of theapplication.But I had to hurry back to afternoonschool and didn't write it down.After school I wanted to search for atrial version on all of my magazine cds.
I forgot the name!But I forgot the name.The week went by quickly.It is Saturday
This means getting up as earlyas possibleand watching series like SaberRider, Captain Future or DuckTales.Around lunch time.
I watched Giga TV againAnd I could not believe it.It was the repeated show fromearlier of the week.--- I was frozen in front ofmy . TV
I holded my breathI waited for the moment theywould tell me that name Iforgot.and then
There it was.
It was Macromedia Flash 4.Released just weeks before.
Genesisof myprogramming careerThis moment just now?This was the genesis of myprogramming career.
Flash looked like this.A timeline, some layers andtools.And of course the stage whereyou can see things movearound
I quickly found the place tocode.
Yugop NavigationSoon I was able to program thevery famous Yugop MenuIt's an horizontal navigationwith the illusion of infinity.I was so good in programmingthis thing.
.that I could sell it toagencies.To earn my first money with 15years.
It was an amazing time full ofamazing websitesWhat you see here is THE PORTALfrom derbauer.Yes this was a website.Stuff like this drove my ambition toget me where I am today.
So what's my point ?So what's my point you'reasking?
Remember the genesis of myprogramming career in front of the TV ?I wish I would have had some guidanceduring schoolSo that more than a single moment infront of the TV would have guided meto my career.
InsteadThe most digital thing I had inprimary school was this
Later the computer classes Iremember were more like this.
Computer classes today arestill bad.The hardware, if any, outdatedMost teachers are noteducatedThe curriculum is boring
Make adifferenceI want to make a differenceand change things
That's why I'm teaching kidscoding in my spare timeAnd I want you to know why Iam doing thisand that you can do it too.
1. Why it matters2. How to teach3. Where to teachSo for the next 20 minutes Iwill talk about1. Why coding matters.2. How to teach it.3. and where to teach it.
1. Why it matters2. How to teach3. Where to teachSo why does coding for kidsmatter at all?Let's start with somethingeasy.
combustion engineWe all can describe to a childhow a combustion engineworks more or less.Right?
human bodyWe can tell how the humanbody works.
youtube play buttonBut when you a press the playbutton a youtube video.
what would YOU tell thatkid?Yeah. What would you tell thatkid :)It's hard for many of us.It's like something was missing inschool.So let's fix this for our children by.
"teaching - coding - to - kids"— everybody talks like this.teaching - coding - to - kidsThe whole world is talkingabout it.
ConcernedIt's like people are concernedabout the future of our kids.
Fear ofTechnologyor that we fear that technologyleaves us behindNo matter what, the demand isthe same.
Kidsshould learncoding.Our kids should learn coding.Is this justified?Iʼm biased in this question forobvious reasons.So let's step back and take alook at the bigger picture.
The mechanicWe start by looking at amechanicand apply the whole codingdiscussion onto it.It goes like this:
ObsessionIt's sort of like an obsessionwith being an auto mechanic
Tons of carsThere are tons of cars, there'stons of driving .
littlesillybut I think it's a little silly to goaround saying
Everyonethat everyone should reallylearn to be an auto mechanic
Essentialjust because cars are soessential to the functioningof our society.
Oh Yeah!that would be silly indeedYeah! That would be sillyindeed.But what do we do?
There is tons of technologyand we go around and telleverybody how importantcoding is.
ArE wE silly?!So are we silly then?Or.Are we just talking aboutsomething else than coding?
codingWhat if the word coding isborn out of confusion?
What do people actuallymean with coding ?The question is: What dopeople actually mean withcoding.
Plankalkuel1943 Konrad ZuseIn 1943 Konrad Zuse built hisfamous Z3And together with it the veryfirst programming languagecalled Plankalkuel
The Z3 looked like that.Technology escalated thenpretty quickly
70 years laterTechnology iscomplexWith your smartphone you hold adevice that combines everythingwe learned in the past 70 years.Thatʼs a lot and very complexIt makes computer science noteasy to talk about.
Coding?Sure, I know thatCoding on the other side iseasy to grasp.
Take someoneAdd a keyboardAnd watch that person givingcommands to a computer.Thatʼs coding and the peopleunderstand it.
Let's try aTheoryIf coding is such an easy wordMaybe that's why it's mixedup.Letʼs try a theory.
When people talk aboutcodingtechnologythey actually meanWhen people talk aboutcoding they actually meantechnology.
our kids need to learncoding technologyAnd people demand our kidsnot to learn codingthey actually say "our kidsneed to learn technology"
The Discussionsuddenly makes senseThe whole coding discussionsuddenly makes sense.
Exposure to technology, computerscience and programming.It's not about coding anymoreIt's about exposure to technology,computer science and programmingso kids can understand the biggerpicture, the connecting lines.Most of the kids will never be acoder anyway.
no magicOur children should learn thatsmartphones and technologyare not magical.That there are limitations,benefits and possibilities fromusing them.
Learning to Codestill makes senseTeaching Coding still makessenseIt's only one part ofunderstanding technologybut you benefit in many wayswhen you learn to code.
"Learning to write programsstretches your mind."— Bill GatesIt stretches your mindand it creates a thinking whichis useful in all domains.
be a producernot a consumerAs a coderyou make the transition frombeing a consumer to aproducerwho can tell stories and createown worlds in the computer
Codingis likepainting & musicThe room for creativity isendless.Itʼs like painting and music butoften more accessible andaffordable.
ChancesSpeaking of affordable.Coding gives you chances.Computer's are cheapnowadays.Even poor kids can afford it.
DiversityDiversity. The computer justdon't care who you are.Everybody can become acoder.
1. Why it matters2. how to teach3. where to teachI hope I have convinced you bynow why teaching coding mattersSo let me show you somepossibilities how to teach kidsabout technology and computerscience.
My favourite toolsetTinkering, Robots, CodingI will present you now a list ofmy favourite tools I love to usewhen teachingIt's about Tinkering, Robotsand actual Coding
TinkeringLet's have a look at Tinkering.This is all about playing aroundwith electronics.
DrawbotFor example with a drawbot.This is a toy that every kidstarting with 4 years can buildby himself.
The parts cost less than 2 EURYou have three legs made ofpens, a battery and a rotatingmotor.
When activated the robot willvibrateand start walking around drawing onthe underlying surfaceThis looks like real art in the endIt's so much fun for the kids towatch their robot to be alive.
Makey MakeyA Makey MakeyIts simplicity is awesome.
Itʼs basically an electronicboard that pretends to be acomputer keyboard.
When two connected objects toucheach otherthey close a circuit on theMakeyMakeyand you virtually press a defined keyAnd what can you do with it?
Build a Super Mario ControllerFind a mario game that you cancontrol with your keyboardTake some play Dooh - which issuprisingly conductiveand design your own gamecontroller to move and jump.
RobotsProgramable Robots!
They are everythereMany of them can beprogrammed with childfriendly programminglanguage.Let me show you some.
DashDot&Say hello to Dash & Dot.Those are robots with manysensors, LEDs and speakers.Together they cost around200 EUR
You can use the app WONDERwhere everything is aboutexploring and adventures.You don't create programs but yousolve missions by usingcommands for light, sound ormovement.
There is also an app where youhave more of a codingexperience.This gives the kid a focus ontheir own creativity with therobots.
mbotmbot- my favorite robot.
He's based on Arduino uno andOpenSource.This means you could theoreticallycreate all parts yourself and use thesoftware for free.You can of course buy it as a package for80 EUR.What's so special about it ?
That the kid will assemble it.Usually within 20minsYou can then start anautomatic program, use anapp or code your ownprogram.
When you activate theautonomous driving mode.It will use its ultrasonic andspecial line sensorto follow a line and avoidobstacles in front if it.
CodingLetʼs look how coding is beingteached.You usually tackle it in threedifferent parts.Analog activity, playing games anddive into the actual codingexperience.
The Human RobotLet's look at the analog activity.If you want to control a robotyou have to behave like a robotfirst.So let's play the human robotgame.
One kid or you dresses up as a robot.A helmet is usually enough for the illusion buta full costume like this is never wrong.You explain the kids in the round that they canonly use five commands to control the robot.forward, turn left, turn right, backward andstopLet's begin
ROBOT: TURN RIGHT Imagine this task:You want the robot to turn to theright and walk in that direction.So you begin with a turn right, right?Let's see what happens after thekids yell that command to the robot.
The robot will spin forever and ever andever of course.The command was correct but not exactenough.They should have said turn right - a quarter.While spinning around, somebody willhopefully scream a stooooop to thedesperate robot
In the end kids really love thatgame, collaborate and understandthe limits of a machineThey also understand therequirement of exact commandsAnd to put one command afteranother - just like in programming.
CodingGamesYour crowd is ready for somemore fun.Letʼs play some coding games.
Hour of Codeone-hour tutorialsThere is a movement called Hour ofCode to do soThere are dozens of one-hourgames and tutorial translated in 45languages.Everybody is encouraged to try itout.
The games are themed afterkidʼs darlings like Ice PrincessElsa, Minecraft or Angry Birds.And they teach the principalsof programming while playing.
I usually pick a labyrinth style gameto follow up with the human robotexample.This is the Zombie Level where azombie has to be guided to hisfavorite food.A sunflower of course!
CommandsCommands are given with colorfulblocks and snapped together like ina puzzle.You use a simple set of commandsto do so.Like move forward, turn left, turnright
Kids will usually place one command afterthe otherThat's simple and it's workingBut it results in a huge listThey canʼt even complete the level asthey are forced to use a new block.The pink one here which is used to repeatcommands.
I then show them the patternof 4 blocks they can repeatinstead of the huge list.forward, left, forward, rightand let them reorganize theircode
And success! They usually justknow what to do.Pick the pink loop block andplace the repeating patterninside.I love this moment.
I explain that this is what acomputer is for.The computer should repeat theboring stuff, it's not your task.After an hour the kids should haveinternalized those block basedcommands.
and they are ready for Scratchto do some real coding.Scratch is the most famoustool in kids programming.
It was invented by Mitchel Resnick atthe MIT Media Lab in 2002.Scratch can be used as an applicationor online in the web browser throughflash.The next version 3 is based on HTML5and will be released this August.
Everything you code can beshared on the Scratch websiteand remixed by others as thesource code is alwaysaccessible.
Let's have a look inside Scratch1. On the left you have a stage whereeverything will move around.2. And on the right you see the codingeditor.That's where you code with colorfulblocksThis is called block based programming.
and to complete this section Ibrought you something special A screaming carrot It's programed in Scratch, will makeuse of MakeyMakeyand is the obvious reason for thesensational title of this talk
1. Why it matters2. How to teach3. Where to teachThat was fun, wasn't it ?Whatʼs left is the questionwhere everybody could tryteaching coding.
EverybodycanteachI want to stress the wordeverybody.You donʼt have to be a programmerEverybody can learn coding andeverybody can teach about codingor robots.
DigitalwerkstattI started teaching coding to kids inmy spare time exactly one and ahalf year ago at HabaDigitalwerkstatt.They started in Berlin in 2016 andopened an office in Munich in2017
Their schedule is about codingwith Scratch, Robotics, StopMotion movies and exploringworlds in Minecraft.If you want to try it, just dropthem a mail like I did.
Hour of CodeYou could also host an Hour ofCode eventWhere you play games like thezombie game and explain thebasics of programming tointerested people
You might even find someHour of Code in yourhometown.Try to join and get in touch withthe organizers.
At homeDon't forget your family athome.You can start teaching yourown kids and relatives easilywith the tools I have shownyou.
officeYou won't believe it but designers,project managers or maybe yourclients are eager to learn coding too.They will have fun and understandyou better the next time you talkabout bits & bytes.BUT
what about me?Your benefitsWhat about me, the teacher?What do I get?
Entertainthe kidinside youWell. When did you play withtoys for no reason the lasttime?It's healthy and relaxes yourmind.It entertains the kid inside you.
Be morecreativeTeaching coding makes notonly the kids but you creative.You need to think about whatto do with a MakeyMakeyOr create coding challenges inScratch
And maybe you will useScratch for yourself to surprisesomeone special on theirbirthday.
Superchargeyour mentor skillsIf you're a coder, did you ever try toexplain someone programming?Yes it's very difficult.You have to reflect on the very, verybasics of programmingBut once you have mastered this.It will help you throughout your wholementoring career!
FunWorking with kids is fun.I always have an amazing timeand I'm still surprisedabout all the funny ideas theyhave!
ConclusionYou have a bag full ofknowledge now. Use it.A quick recap of what I havetold you
1. Coding mattersCoding matters because.
It was never about coding onlyit was never about coding only.
exposure. it's about being exposed totechnology, computer scienceand programming.
big picture.to see the big picture andconnecting the lines betweentechnologies
Codingusefuldiversity, chances, creativity,thinkingCoding still makes senseComputers don't care who you areand are cheap so many can affordit.It also boosts your creativity andlearns a thinking useful in alldomains
2. You know howYou know how to do it.
Tinkeringwith Makey Makey and DrawbotBy building Drawbotsand using a MakeyMakey tomake carrots scream
Robotslike Dash, Dot & mbotYou also know that there arobots for kidsRobots like dash & dot or mbotthat are easily programmable.
CodingHuman robot, Maze Games andScratchAnd finally let the kids play thehuman robot gamefollowed by some zombie mazesto prepare them for coding inScratchwhere they can unleash theircreativity
3. You know whereAnd you know where you canteach too!
Digitalwerkstatt&Hour of CodeAt Digitalwerkstatt, the place Istarted with locations aroundgermanyor you decide to host or join anhour of code event.
Home&officeDon't forget you can alwaysstart teaching your family athomeand also make your designershappy by teaching them a bitabout coding.
One last thingOne last thing I want to tellI still remember my very firsttime I teached kids.
The glowing in their eyes when theyconnected the pieces and finallyunderstood what I teached them.This is the reason I stand in front of youtodayI want you to experience the same andhelp some kids finding their way throughtechnology.
About Coding Kids andScreaming luxee (Twitter)@georgiee (Github)You can find the slides andlinklist under this URL.Thanks a lot for listening!
About CODING KIDS and SCREAMING CARROTS And just to make sure. In this presentation I talk about kids in the age from 6 to 12 years. I hope you enjoy it. About Coding Kids and Screaming Carrots. My name is Georgios Kaleadis I'm 34
