Starting code club mid term

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Tara Avila

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Aug 27, 2015, 5:54:39 AM8/27/15
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Hi there,

I am about to start my first code club this term, but I cannot start until October.  Does anyone have any views on whether you can start a club mid term or is the material designed for a term duration only?  Any advise form experienced voluteers much appreciated.

Tara

Dan Powell

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Aug 27, 2015, 6:50:40 AM8/27/15
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Hi Tara,

I think it's fine to start mid term, was talking about this yesterday with a couple of people. Hope that helps.

Good luck with the club!

Cheers

Dan

Zoe Deeley

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Aug 27, 2015, 10:24:49 AM8/27/15
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Hi Tara,

I started my first code club 2 years ago mid-term in fact it was the second half of the spring term. It wasn't a problem, we just decided which projects we were going to do within the time we had available. As we only had half a year with the year 6's we concentrated on doing Scratch and ended up having a 4 week 'make your own game' project to finish off the summer term.

Good luck with your code club.

Zoe

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Paul Tansom

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Aug 27, 2015, 10:37:53 AM8/27/15
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I find the kids work at different speeds so working to terms is largely a case
of who signs up for the next term more than what projects to do. Last term I
had to lads that finished both lots of Python projects comfortably within the
term, and others that didn't complete the first set. I tend to start something
new each term because of new starters. If you want to drop something I'd go for
the HTML/CSS, the first time I tried that I had to think on my feet to keep
their interest. The second time I re-wrote the whole lot and it worked much
better, but the Scratch, and to a lesser extent the Python go down much better.
I'm reworking everything for next year as the Scratch is proving less exciting
as that is done in class now. I'm more 'code club' than 'Code Club' now!


** Zoe Deeley <zoe.d...@gmail.com> [2015-08-27 15:24]:
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> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
** end quote [Zoe Deeley]

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Tara Avila

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Aug 27, 2015, 4:05:48 PM8/27/15
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Thanks so much guys for your advice.  I will look at the material and come up with a 'core' and 'backup' plan.

Tara


On Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 10:54:39 AM UTC+1, Tara Avila wrote:

Zoe Deeley

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Aug 28, 2015, 4:03:25 AM8/28/15
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We started this last year with HTML/CSS as the school asked us not to cover Scratch as they would be doing it in class - we found it really hard going and lost quite a few club members in the first term. Some of them picked it up quite quickly but I noticed that the projects didn't seem to flow very well at a project each week. 

One thing I learned is that I need to spend the first session teaching basic file and folder manipulation as that is a prerequisite for manipulating HTML files but something that our children didn't seem to have much of a grasp of.  

If you have rewritten the projects and would be willing to share I would love to have a look at them.

Another thing that I am constantly being asked is 'when are we going to do java?' and I'm wondering if there are likely to be some java projects coming from Code Club soon or maybe I should just develop my own.

Zoe

Winkleink

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Aug 28, 2015, 4:38:32 AM8/28/15
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Zoe,

Thanks for the heads up.  I've noticed that file/folder knowledge can be a bit mixed in primary school Year 5/6 as well. I suppose it's all the iPad usage.

I'd we slow to commit to Java. If they are finding HTML/CSS hard then Java could tip them over the edge.  I'd suspect the request for Java is because that's what Minecraft is written in, so they may expect that if they can program in Java they can make their own Minecraft or create mods for Minecraft.

If they want to do a full program language the Python is a much better place to start. With the Raspberry Pi version of Minecraft or a full PC version of Minecraft with a library created by Martin O'Hanlon you program Minecraft to do some funky things.  Martin's Youtube channel show's the types of things that can be done. https://www.youtube.com/user/martin26071976/videos
 Martin has also written a book on programming Minecraft.

Looks like baby steps are needed before tackling anything as complex as Java. 

Albert.

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Dan Powell

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Aug 28, 2015, 5:10:47 AM8/28/15
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There are plans for Java projects, but it will be some time as there are the others before them in the queue. I'd say Q1 next year at the earliest.

Zoe - the school asking you not to do Scratch is a bit of a worry as it's a core part of our curriculum. Are they using our projects in the classroom do you know? I'd quite like to have a chat with them about it, what do you think?

Cheers

Dan


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** end quote [Zoe Deeley]

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Winkleink

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Aug 28, 2015, 5:31:15 AM8/28/15
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My kids school is also doing Scratch as part of their Computing Curriculum.  
For the 1st Code Club I had them install Scratch on the computers in the ICT Suite.
When I was in there last there were copies of the Code Club material on the teachers desk, not left by me.
So, the school is using it but I have no idea what year or in what way.

I think this is a real opportunity for the Code Club material to become the de facto material used by primary schools to support the new curriculum.

Albert.


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** end quote [Zoe Deeley]

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Dan Powell

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Aug 28, 2015, 5:49:32 AM8/28/15
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I think most schools are using Scratch in the classroom - that's my impression anyway, and we know a lot of schools are using our materials in lessons. The thing about the projects is that they're linked to the curriculum but they don't have the milestones a curricular project needs and they don't fit strictly with the national guidelines. 

It feels like some schools are using them as there isn't much else they can use, but if they are going to start asking us to stop using Scratch in the clubs then that's going to be a problem - as Zoe said, some of her code clubbers have dropped out as going straight into HTML/CSS or Python is too much for them.

I'd like to talk to the school to tactfully make the point that the projects support the existing curriculum but aren't written to deliver it and see what they say.

If there are any teachers or LSA's on this board I'd like to hear their thoughts on this if possible :)

Cheers

Dan

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** end quote [Zoe Deeley]

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Zoe Deeley

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Sep 10, 2015, 12:29:38 PM9/10/15
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My school is trying to use the Code Club projects as part of the curriculum - hence the request last year for me not to cover them as the code club kids would be be bored in class. As it turned out I don't think the teachers were confident in offering the material so it was pushed later and later into the year. I offered to run through the projects with the teachers beforehand to try to speed the process along a bit but we couldn't make that happen.

This year I have no restrictions so I am definitely starting with the Scratch projects. 

Regarding Java - maybe you are right regarding the Minecraft link. I've got Martin O'Hanlon's book so I'll have to find some time to sit down and work through a project or two to see if I can adapt it for code club depending on how far we get into Python this year.

Zoe 


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