Coding is a necessary skill in today’s world, but it is relatively challenging to master, especially for kids. Its complexity is not necessarily because it is incomprehensible, but because it is a new concept for most students. This is especially the case for students in inner-city schools where technology is inevitably scarce due to systemic factors beyond the students’ control.
With numerous programming languages available, it can take time to pick a starting point. Educators have found a solution to this problem: gamification. Platforms like CoderZ offer virtual programming services where children can learn code through games. These games make learning code both fun and engaging for kids.
Through the CoderZ Robotics curriculum, kids learn to create, manage, and communicate with cyber robots in a virtual setting by inputting code. Block code is used because it is easier for children to understand and execute instead of complex text-based code. Learning is more accessible because virtual robots do not require hardware, space, or other associated costs.
I used the CoderZ League platform to help my students develop basic coding skills as they played their way through entertaining bite-sized missions. Once I saw how they possessed both drive and tenacity, they participated in a virtual robotics competition–the Fall 2022 CoderZ League Robotics Competition. The competition involved simple and complex tasks completed by the robot that the students programmed, such as direction of movement and angles of rotation to instruct the robot on how it should move to complete its mission.
Some of the missions the students completed during this competition:
Applications
CoderZ League Robotics is founded on using block-based code and game-missions to engage and teach children about programming. Grounded in STEM, these exercises help kids develop computational thinking and technical ability, which improves their real-world problem-solving skills. Students must adapt to complete further missions and challenges, thereby strengthening their resolve and developing skills they can use beyond the classroom setting.
In particular, the CoderZ platform offers a complete curriculum for programming cyber robots. Educators who wish to teach coding can do so even if they are not skilled in programming or robotics. All they have to do is follow the curriculum and learn with their students. However, this is also limiting because educators cannot create new challenges for students to complete. They must stick to what is provided on the platform. Nevertheless, it is an engaging experience that helps introduce children to complex concepts in a fun way.
Programming: Efficiency, Automation, Replicable Actions
I found the CoderZ virtual robotics program to be an excellent teaching tool due to its carefully curated platform. A high-quality program should contain features that enhance its efficiency, automation, and replicable actions.
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This program fulfills these criteria in the following ways.
Block-Based versus Traditional Text-based Programming
In the past, programming involved using a mouse and keyboard to type out text-based code. This can be complex for children, especially when it comes to internalizing syntax. These are the rules that define the structure of a programming language. Furthermore, traditional input can make programming abstract and challenging for young students who benefit from visual and auditory learning.
Block-based coding has emerged as a tool to introduce students to coding. It allows them to explore these concepts in a friendly environment. These systems use colorful, draggable blocks that simulate coded language. Students choose functions from color-coded categories and combine them in a canvas work area to create a sequenced program. The benefit of block programming applications or websites is that the categories are clearly defined. There are blocks for adding specific functions, such as movement, control, and other variables.
However, block-based programming is only useful to a point. Once students are comfortable with block-based code, it is crucial to introduce them to text-based code. While block-based code is fun and engaging, text-based programming languages have real-life applications in computer science. Educators should let students experience both block-based and text-based coding. When students are ready, they should transition from blocks to text, as text-based code for projects will be the most marketable in the industry.
Other Lessons Learned
The CoderZ virtual robot competition is effective in helping students with STEM learning. However, I was surprised that the program also taught my students practical life-skills as well. They include:
Next Steps
Now that the months of hard work and the competition has concluded, members of the school and greater community are trying to raise funds for the teams to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I hope the experience and opportunity will not only broaden their level of exposure, but will continue to encourage them to excel academically and to engage within the field of STEM.
Dr. Yuvraj Verma is an inner-city teacher at Martha Gaskins Elementary School within the Birmingham City Schools System in Central Alabama since 2022. Previously, he taught in New York from 2017-21 at PS446 Riverdale Avenue Community School, Our World Neighborhood Charter School II, and Growing Up Green Charter School II. Verma holds a BA from Iona University, a MAT from the Relay Graduate School of Education, and an EdS and EdD from William Howard Taft University. He recently led a team of his students to become the Eastern-US Champions of the Fall 2022 CoderZ League Robotics Competition.
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Note that any programming tips and code writing requires some knowledge of computer programming. Please, be careful if you do not know what you are doing…