JICS community offers insight on coding to Education Today
Dr. Joan Moss shares insights on coding
The Robertson Program has been exploring ways in which coding can be integrated into the math curriculum as it is an important focus that many provinces have mandated as an essential component to future curriculum development. So, we are thrilled to be included in the cover story about coding in the latest edition of Education Today, the Association鈥檚 magazine! Author Jennifer Lewington spoke to our very own Dr. Joan Moss, Dr. Bev Caswell and Ben Peebles (Gr. 6 Teacher at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study) to offer insight on how coding can be a meaningful opportunity for every students鈥 mathematics learning.
Last March, The Robertson Program held a three-day Coding in the Curriculum workshop led by Dr. Brent Davis and Dr. Krista Francis (both from the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary). This was an opportunity for educators, researchers and Ministry of Education administrators to explore coding as 鈥渟omething for鈥 the curriculum, rather than 鈥渟omething more.鈥 It was also an opportunity for students to explore various mathematical concepts in geometry and algebra through coding using robots.
In the article, Jennifer also spoke to Antonio Santos (STEM Coordinating Principal, Toronto District School Board) 鈥 who was present at our coding think tank. He shares a similar view on coding, telling Jennifer that he believes coding shouldn鈥檛 be viewed by teachers as 鈥渁 stand alone or something extra. This is something we want teachers to embed into the regular curriculum, in what they are already doing.鈥
In this clip, Joan talks about how math and coding can be learned simultaneously as she discusses a 鈥渃oding unplugged鈥 (coding without a computer) lesson in the Kindergarten class at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Lab School.
In this clip, Joan discusses a lesson from the Grade 5/6 class at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Lab School in which students were given the opportunity to create their own 鈥渋f-then鈥 rules.
Dawn Britton, the Associate Director of Engineering Outreach at the 草莓污视频导航, also attended our Coding workshop. Upon seeing the lesson with the Grade 5/6 students, she had the following to say:
Coding allows students to create their own story and make it relevant. While they are learning the skills in math, which they might learn anyhow because of the curriculum, this approach allows them to create meaning for themselves 鈥 certainly faster than they would with just pen to paper.
*Thank you to the Ontario Public School Boards鈥 Association for the cover image of Education Today
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