Jefferson students program robots

Students at Jefferson school have been learning computer programing including coding this year.

Charlea Lewis, computer instructor, teaches students with hands-on computer coding lessons. In past years, during the National Computer Science and Hour of Code week in December, she let students experiment with coding lessons on code.org, a website with activities geared toward students.

After taking a summer class on coding, along with student interest in code week, Lewis decided to integrate coding into all off her classes in every grade level.

“I feel that it is a hot topic. I like it because of the critical thinking and problem solving skills,” Lewis said. “Kids today want definite answers. Coding is all about trying it out and finding a solution.”

One of the ways Lewis has introduced coding is with the use of Dash, the school’s robot. Dash uses a simplified block coding iPad app. The app features tabs that contain bits of code language. Each tab can be dropped to complete a line of code without students typing each phrase. Dash’s programming reads the lines of code and performs the activity. He can talk, respond to voice commands, move and more.

Another robot the students can program is Oz the Ozobot. Oz uses a type of color coding. Each color is programed with a task. Students create code in lines of various colors. Oz will travel the line, and when he reaches a color, perform the assigned task.

“The students think it is a game, but they are really using thinking skills and programming,” Lewis said.

The fifth and sixth grade students have worked on two programs called AgentSheets and AgentCubes. They created Frogger and 3D Pac-Man games from scratch using coding. They used if/then statements and pre-coded tabs.

They designed the game course and characters and coded the rules and how to win each level.

“It can get really complicated. These are the basics,’ Lewis said. “As we go and learn, I may add harder programs.”