Coding with SWIFT Playgrounds in Seventh Grade
Source/Author: Dr. Anna Baralt, Director of Educational Technology and Christine Idinge, Math Teacher
September 06, 2018
Fearlessness and perseverance are not usually topics associated with a middle school Pre-Algebra classroom. Add logical thinking and you have the reasons for incorporating Apple's coding app, Swift Playgrounds, into the curriculum.
Most Shorecrest students enter seventh grade with some knowledge of coding, mostly through Scratch or another drag-and-drop method. This prior knowledge makes the first chapter of Swift Playgrounds enjoyable and stress-free. As the class progresses through the chapters using the Keynote presentations and discussions of coding-specific vocabulary, as well as blog entries and reflections (recorded in their electronics portfolios through PowerSchool Learning), the students begin to realize Swift Playgrounds is more than just getting the character Byte to collect gems. The students are challenged to code with efficiency, creating functions and loops instead of one giant program, to move Byte step-by-step through the puzzle. They are told repeatedly that there is often more than one solution and that they should think about the puzzle with a logical mind and a willingness to attempt a solution without knowing if it will work. Perseverance is key! Students are encouraged to brainstorm with a classmate and run their program step-by-step to find the bugs, much in the same way they would find the errors in their math homework.
Getting students to accept failure as part of a process and not a reflection of their intelligence is a tremendous challenge. Starting the year with Swift Playgrounds establishes a classroom environment that allows students to take chances and feel more comfortable making mistakes in a low-stakes setting.
Most Shorecrest students enter seventh grade with some knowledge of coding, mostly through Scratch or another drag-and-drop method. This prior knowledge makes the first chapter of Swift Playgrounds enjoyable and stress-free. As the class progresses through the chapters using the Keynote presentations and discussions of coding-specific vocabulary, as well as blog entries and reflections (recorded in their electronics portfolios through PowerSchool Learning), the students begin to realize Swift Playgrounds is more than just getting the character Byte to collect gems. The students are challenged to code with efficiency, creating functions and loops instead of one giant program, to move Byte step-by-step through the puzzle. They are told repeatedly that there is often more than one solution and that they should think about the puzzle with a logical mind and a willingness to attempt a solution without knowing if it will work. Perseverance is key! Students are encouraged to brainstorm with a classmate and run their program step-by-step to find the bugs, much in the same way they would find the errors in their math homework.
Getting students to accept failure as part of a process and not a reflection of their intelligence is a tremendous challenge. Starting the year with Swift Playgrounds establishes a classroom environment that allows students to take chances and feel more comfortable making mistakes in a low-stakes setting.
