Guest Blogger Michelle Vance has the following tips for teaching coding:
1. Produce a presentation about coding for the first day using project examples and videos. Two excellent sites to get you started are: scratch.mit.edu/ and code.org/.
2. Ease students into coding by starting with a beginner’s project.
3. Participate in the National Hour of Code event. Find all the information and resources you’ll need at hourofcode.com/us.
4. Differentiate Lessons using Choice Boards, Tic-Tac-Toe Boards, and Menu Boards to allow students to work at their own ability level and pace.
5. Invite the community to a coding event at your school where parents and others can learn how to code by working with a student. Students can also help plan and publicize the event.
6. Create hallway displays and bulletin boards with completed coding projects.
7. Have students write a coding newsletter featuring Web sites, games, and projects.
8. Try unplugged coding activities from the CODE Web site: code.org/learn
9. Create a Web page for your classes. Add links to coding sites, articles, tutorials, and videos and include photo galleries to showcase student coding projects.
10. Students use coding tickets to write coding tidbits to share with classmates.
11. Share and learn coding lessons with another school district.
12. Invite students to teach staff members how to code and integrate projects with classroom lessons.
