Tools and resources for computational thinking

Annotations:

• Based on https://www.edutopia.org/blog/15-ways-teaching-students-coding-vicki-davis

1. Programming and coding
   1. Under 8
      1. Tynker games

         Annotations:

         • Use these age-appropriate games to teach your elementary students coding concepts. From Puppy Adventures to Math Art and Maze Craze, you’ll find games that students in grades 1–8 will enjoy. Tynker also has a curriculum and STEM product library that you may want to peruse if you’re interested in combining programming with social studies, English, math, and science.
         • https://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/
      2. Kodable

         Annotations:

         • Kodable started as an app targeted to students as young as kindergarten age, but it’s now a complete curriculum. The first 30 levels are free, more than enough for an hour of code. Kodable is recommended for ages 5 and up, but there are stories of kids even younger using the app with great success. Students don’t need to know how to read in order to program using this game.
         • https://www.kodable.com/
      3. ScratchJr

         Annotations:

         • ScratchJr is a version of Scratch intended for ages 5–7 and available as a free iPad or Android app.
         • http://www.scratchjr.org/index.html
      4. LightbotJr
      5. Robot Turtles
   2. 8 and up
      1. Hopscotch

         Annotations:

         • Hopscotch is a free iPad app for upper elementary and above. Wesley Fryer has curated resources for Hopscotch in the classroom that are full of challenges that you can use with students. He also recommends activating the emoji keyboard (go to Settings > General > Keyboards) for use with the program
      2. SCRATCH

         Annotations:

         • Scratch is a programming game that can be downloaded or used online and is supported by MIT. It has a powerful Hour of Code tutorial in which students can program a holiday card in their web browser. If you want options for other times of the year, use the one-hour Speed Racer activity to teach your students Scratch. Teachers can watch this tutorial, visit ScratchEd’s Hour of Code Ideas forum to ask questions, or search “hour of code” in the forum for lesson plans using everything from coordinate geometry to Latin. Scratch is considered acceptable for beginners. (Some educators use Snap, originally a version of Scratch but now written in JavaScript; it is supported by University of California at Berkeley. There are several alternatives to Scratch with a similar interface. Give this list to your IT department if there are technical reasons why you can’t run Scratch or Snap.)
      3. Lightbot

         Annotations:

         • Lightbot is a puzzle game with a free version that lasts an hour and full versions for sale on iTunes and Google Play. It teaches planning, testing, debugging, procedures, and loops.
      4. Alice

         Annotations:

         •  is a popular platform with a unique storytelling aspect. You can use it to create a game, tell a story, or make an animated video. Like Scratch, Alice is free and supported by a powerful community of educators. There are two versions of Alice. The newer 3.0 version still has a few bugs but sports many new, very cool animations. This long-standing platform is a rewarding tool that kids will want to keep using past the initial hour. Alice is considered more for the intermediate student, but experienced teachers can use it with beginners.
      5. Kodu
      6. Gamestar Mechanic
      7. Game Maker: Studio
      8. SpaceChem

         Annotations:

         • SpaceChem is an interesting mix of chemistry, reading, and programming for ages 12 and up. As students read the 10,000-word novelette, they have to solve puzzles by assembling molecules. SpaceChem created a helpful guide for educators. This tool is available for download on Steam and installation on Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu. (Download a free demo.)
      9. CodeCombat
      10. MineCraft

          Annotations:

          • Minecraft: Education Edition continues to be popular as the new owner of Minecraft, Microsoft, continues to collect and share best practices from classrooms.
          • https://education.minecraft.net/
          • In the classroom: https://education.minecraft.net/how-it-works/in-the-classroom/
      11. Code Monkey Island

          Annotations:

          • Code Monkey Island is a board game designed for children ages 9 and up. This is a great addition to your game corner.
2. Hardware

   Annotations:

   • I am in love with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit—it makes Arduino easy. An Arduino is basically a motherboard that you can make, plus a programming kit. I have one of these in my classroom, and the students are fixated for hours. (A kit is around $100.)
   1. Lego mindstorm

      Annotations:

      • Lego Mindstorms are part of my curriculum every spring. Students love Legos! I have six older kits that we’ve used for years. The newer NXT kits have cool robots that can be made and programmed. This product has been around for years, so there are many resources for teachers. If you purchase an older kit on eBay, make sure it will work with newer operating systems.
      • https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/mindstorms?domainredir=mindstorms.lego.com
   2. Hummingbird Robotics

      Annotations:

      • I am in love with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit—it makes Arduino easy. An Arduino is basically a motherboard that you can make, plus a programming kit. I have one of these in my classroom, and the students are fixated for hours. (A kit is around $100.)
   3. Arduino

      Annotations:

      • An Arduino is basically a motherboard that you can make, plus a programming kit. I have one of these in my classroom, and the students are fixated for hours. (A kit is around $100.)
   4. Dash and Dot

      Annotations:

      • Dash and Dot are two endearing little robots that can be used with ages 5 and up. These robots have apps that can be used to program them, for which children ages 8 and up can use Blockly, the visual programming language created by Google. Older students can use Objective C or Java to program the bots.
   5. Sphero and Ollie

      Annotations:

      • Sphero and Ollie are fantastic robots that can go almost anywhere (my students have taken them across water). The SPRK education program gives teachers and parents a curriculum for using the bots and teaching programming even while the adult is still learning.
3. Sin informática
   1. CodyRoby

      Annotations:

      • http://www.codeweek.it/cody-roby-en/ecw-edition/
      • Y cartas de iteración (más bien para secundaria): http://codemooc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/special-cards-EC.pdf