Time for another idea about how I might improve my Code Clubs next term. I’ve explained that I’m concerned that the Code Clubs encourage kids simply to copy the code from the worksheets – not so different from when I was kid and we typed in programs from magazines. But even so I don’t think it encourages the kids to understand the code so I’m planning on some kind of weekly puzzle. I’m going to try and produce a series of little chunks of code for the kids to look at each week. There will be a question to go with them along the lines of, “What does this code do?”, or, “Find the bug in this code”, or, “What would I change to make this run 5 times then stop?”. I’d like to give a reward (Haribos probably) to those kids that try to answer the puzzles. I don’t know if this is a good idea or not. I welcome feedback from those of you with more teaching experience about whether that might be divisive.
I’d like to give a reward (Haribos probably)
May be worth checking with the school? Confectionery is often banned in schools, even at after-school clubs – they are trying to promote healthy eating!
Yeah that’s exactly why I was nervous about suggesting Haribos. At the end of term last year I carelessly brought a box of chocolates in to share with my Code Club kids and then of course I realised that some of the chocolates would contain nuts and.. gah.. I got away with it – no kids went in to anaphalaxis but I did learn that it’s not so easy to do something nice for the kids.