Coding unplugged and Ruby: interview with Cristina, STEAM teacher
Do you speak coding? As we know, computer programming is the language of technology and being able to "speak" this language is fundamental not only for the future IT or mechatronic technicians and engineers, but for all of us: in a world that will be increasingly rich in IT applications, technology and digital devices, knowing what they are, how they are made and how they work, allows us to use them wisely and awareness.
The foundations of the programming language are based oncomputational logic, which to quote Linda Liukas, (below you can listen to her words at the CERN Ted Talk) writer of popular coding books for children, “…is the abilityof humans(not machines) to translate the world around us into something understandable for computers”.
Coding, therefore, is not just made of chips, software and algorithms, but first of all of logical connections between different elements. Connections if we want, complex and intricate, but still logical links that can be broken down and analyzed in a small way, subsequently creating a more intricate path of actions. What a computer does is apply these connections quickly and repetitively, making man's work easier.
Training computational thinking, then, does not necessarily require digital programs or PCs or tablets or smartphones, one can also start from very simple analogue activities: a recipe, for example, can be considered a coding activity.
Let's reflect... when we prepare a dessert we need ingredients: first of all, therefore, we check that we have them at home and, if they are not present, we recover them. Then we begin the preparation by following the recipe (algorithm) step by step, which may require multiple preparations at a time. Each step is linked to the previous one and the next one and if we do something wrong we risk ruining everything!
If you want to try some programming exercises that are neither IT nor culinary, there are many games coding unplugged, i.e. activities that do not require the use of digital devices. You can start with a simple squared notebook, drawing with binary logic (Pixelart) or use more complex and creative exercises, such as those of Ruby, the cute little girl protagonist of “Hello Ruby. Adventures in the world of coding” e “Hello Ruby. A journey into the computer, the two books by Linda Liukas, which introduce boys and girls to the basics of programming.
To talk to us in more detail about these creative tools, we invited a friend of Tata's, Cristina, a permanent teacher at the “M. Buonarroti” of Ravarino(MO), who has made these tools his own and puts them into practice every day with his students. Curious to meet her?
Hi Cristina! How did you approach the STEM world and coding in particular as a teacher? Did you have prior knowledge on the subject?
«Hi Tata! I met STEM in a somewhat casual way, about two years ago. I started with Tinkering courses, partly out of curiosity and partly out of search for something new. In the summer, I then continued my research with an online Coding course, from there a world opened up to me. It was precisely because I had no prior knowledge on the subject that I became so passionate about it. And then I met you!! You immediately had faith in me and encouraged me to try, try and try again
Why do you dedicate part of your lessons to programming/coding?
Because I think that today's children have an extreme need to understand and experience technology firsthand, in all its forms. They need to interact with the world around them, not passively, but actively. Coding, in all its forms, incredibly develops their creative thinking. I quote Mitchel Resnick: “Life as a creative thinker brings joy, satisfaction, purpose and meaning. Children deserve nothing less."
Coding unplugged, what do you think? Can it be a resource without the constraints of devices?
I really think so. The fact of not having devices always seems like a negative factor, but it isn't at all. If we think about it, inducing the fundamental concepts of IT without using a computer or tablet is exceptional and even a little magical. I am a big fan of Pixel Art. In addition to introducing children to the logic of programming, it stimulates them a lot. But I'm also a big fan of Ruby!»
What do you like in particular about Ruby? What do your children think?
«“Teacher, are we doing Ruby today?” is the question that bothers me all week! It's fun because, starting from a story, children understand and become passionate about basic IT. Ruby is apparently an "outside the box" child, and that's what I would like to teach my children: think outside the box! I try to organize one lesson a week, lasting about an hour and a half. I think continuity is fundamental, even a few things, but constants
What was the activity you liked most?
«Definitely “What does the Internet look like?” - “What does the Internet look like?”: Since no one really knows what the Internet is like, it was fun but at the same time difficult for the children. They designed the world of the web, designing what they couldn't see. Thinking about the data passages that take place within the Internet is definitely an incredible effort, both for children and for us adults. A cloud? A star? Explosion? A ball of yarn? I leave you some drawings to note the reasoning and creative thoughts of my students
To conclude, do you believe that coding activities are a tool for training other skills as well?
«I am convinced of it. Coding activities not only develop computational thinking, but also logical-mathematical skills and creative thinking. Just think of the acronym STEAM (yes, I prefer it with an A): Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics: a modern and interdisciplinary approach to research and innovation >. I quote Resnick again: “Those who dare, who act, who create things. These are the creative thinkers.