And the Shapes, they Go Round and Round: Coded Geometry with the Finch and TurtleArt

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In Creative Computing with Judith and Yuri, Third Graders coded the Finch robot to draw squares, triangles, hexagons, and octagons and to get those shapes to spin around a center point. 

To continue exploring shapes, Third Graders also coded with the app TurtleArt. They used what they learned about regular polygons and spinning shapes and created their Shapes Projects.

With TurtleArt and the Finch, we talked about the good number combinations that help us build regular polygons and get a shape to spin evenly around a center point.

Our student teacher Yuri interviewed students about the difference between working in the physical vs. the digital space.  Here are some of the ideas they have about that big question.

I like working in the digital space. We can make mistakes and easily fix them.

Third Grader

I like working in the digital space but I don’t want to be addicted to digital devices.

Third Grader

I prefer working in digital spaces because I can make more of what’s in my imagination.

Third Grader

I prefer working in the physical world because computers do things perfectly, which means that computers are better than humans, and I don’t think computers are better than humans.

Third Grader

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How We Use Technology at Home

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Third and Fourth Graders began the year in Creative Computing by  brainstorming about positive ways to use technology outside of school. This was part of our discussion of the Friends Seminary Third and Fourth Grade Digital Citizenship Agreement.

Our definition of technology was a broad one, one that we will continue to refine throughout this year.

The responses extended to many different types of devices, machinery and equipment.

Here are some of the examples of positive uses of technology that our Third and Fourth Graders wrote about and drew:

My fridge

Cars, so you don’t have to walk all the time

Fast cars

I play soccer on my Switch

An Xray helps a doctor see if you have a broken bone

Biking

My minimic

Playing videogames with my brother

Using an oven and stove to cook

When it was Covid I took class on Zoom

Playing Nintendo

Apps for keeping track of the NYC subway and bus

Google and Safari

Stack the States

Technology helps me pick my fantasy football team

Seeing my sister’s character in the Lego Star Wars game

Texting my cousins

My watch: When someone needs the time I can tell them so they won’t be late

Buying things online

Roblox

I do a play every summer and my teacher sends me lines

When I play roblox with my twin and we communicate and use teamwork

Learning Portuguese and Italian 

Learning languages

Vacuum

Polaroid Cameras

I text my friends who I don’t get to see every day

We made our own Air conditioner

I use technology to make and export my stop motions

Vroomba

Sneaky Sasquatch helps me make bigger friendships

Research

Watching the Yankees 

Taking Pictures of the Places I go

Making Videos

Lights so I can play sports at night

I watch tv with my brother on the couch

Playing Games: minecraft, roblox

Taking Selfies

Security cameras

Listening to books

Playing Subway Surfers

MLB

Scratch

Reading on Sora

I like to play minecraft with a friend

Texting my cousins who live in Nashville

Playing Goat simulator with my family on the bus on the way to school

Air conditioning is a positive because it helps you not be super hot

I use a printer to print out coloring pages

I use google to look up things I need to know

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Ten Years of Animation Assemblies: So Many Beautiful Films!

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The 5 – 10-year-old audience at the 2024 Friends Seminary Animation Assembly did not disappoint. Their heartfelt reactions to and smart insights about the films I showed were the perfect send-off to a sabbatical about animation, the goal of which is to find even more ways to bring smart and expressive shorts to children. 

These assemblies began ten years ago when Friends Seminary parents asked me to help promote the New York International Children’s Film festival. This was a joyful assignment because I had been taking my own children for years and wanted to share our delight in the beautiful and unusual films we watched each year. 

Because I am a huge fan of stop motion, and children are enthralled by the physicality of the stop motion process, stop motion is what I chose for the theme of the first animation assembly. Back in 2015 I offered grades K-4 a behind the scenes look at Ukrainian animator Katya Chepik stop motion short “Imagination”


 The Letter from the stop motion versions of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad Series, also captivated the students for they, like Toad, were hoping for their own letters as they participated in the First Grade post office project.

The behind the scenes documentary of animator John Matthews, the animator of bringing clay and cellophane to life is impressive, especially because the technical advances enjoyed by today’s stop motion studios were decades away.

Since that first assembly in 2015 I’ve developed a series of themes for the animation assemblies that  I cycle through – hand drawing in animation, CGI, Sound, and Story. 

These are screenshots from just a few of the beautiful films I’ve been able to showcase at Friends.

The assemblies occur in late January so that children can get excited about the New York International Children’s Film festival around the time when parents can get tickets. (In late October, I’ve added in a bonus topic, the idea of transformation in animation and how  Halloween is also about transformation.) 

Though a big part of these assemblies is giving children a chance to see films by lesser known animators,  to illustrate important points, I’ve also included show clips from favorite animated features such as Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Inside Out, Encanto, and Soul.

As I reflect back on these assemblies, what consistently made for a successful assembly were the riveting stories the stop motion, 2D and 3D animators told through their art and the compelling personal stories about becoming animators.

Here is the slideshow from this year’s Friends Seminary Animation assembly

The theme was the Importance of Story in Animation.

Stay tuned for more classroom activities to support the animation assembly themes.

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Checking in with Robots

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As part of a new First Grade series of Creative Computing lessons that weave together computational thinking, robotics, SEL and literacy, first graders engaged in a robot “check in.” First the homeroom teachers and I asked students to choose a robot from pictures of many imaginary ones. Then in a turn and talk with a partner, they let one another know why they chose that one. How does this robot make you feel and how is this robot similar or different from you are other questions we also asked them to talk about.

As a follow-up to this activity, students drew their own picture of a robot. Before they began we asked them to think about what their robot would be able to do. Their robot could be one that was based on one of the earlier robot choices. They were also free to devise one entirely out of their imagination. Here are some of the robots the First Graders came up with.

In both activities were chosen to become friends or because they had similar characterisics.

One of the goals of this activity is to help children articulate the difference between robots and people. When we talked about this some of their responses were,

A person comes from the mommy’s belly; a robot is made of electronics.

A person eats real food and a robot does not.

One of the most interesting parts of this work so far has been seeing that like stuffed animals, children naturally want to connect, befriend and care for robots, especially the delightful-looking imaginary ones. This relationship, like the one between a child and a beloved stuffed toy, can be an important step in learning how to take care of oneself.

As AI seeps into our lives, we do want our children to be able think deeply about what makes people unique. This is opportunity to ask big questions about the differences between humans and machines so a next generation makes sure that machines don’t go awry. At the same time, making an emotional connection with a playful, imaginary robot is a natural and healthy part of growing up.

In subsequent lessons, we’re looking more closely at “real” vs. “imaginary” robots. First graders also write simple code to control their own and then the Bee-bot robots physical movement.

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A Warm Welcome to the Finch!

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The first time the Third graders encountered the Finch robot, they drew it, made detailed observations, and asked questions about it.

The second time the Third Graders encountered the finch they started to label their drawings and answer their own questions. After a brief demonstration on how to pair the Finch with an iPAd and launch its coding app, FinchBlox, small groups took to the floor to explore.

Grade Three students learned that FinchBlox coding was challenging but not frustrating. They figured out what some of the buttons on the Finch were for.

The room erupted in excitement as learners coded Finch to move, turn, light up and play notes. After coding in the app’s “Level 1” I asked “what else would you like to be able to code the Finch to do?”

Some wanted to be able to simultaneously light it up and have it play sounds. Others wanted it to faster. A few of the children were very particularly curious about they might program the Finch to draw.

Level 2 of FinchBlox gave Third Graders more choice. It offers a wider range of notes and colors and enables students to move the Finch further with greater speed.  But still, Level 2, didn’t accomplish everything they wanted it to do!

On to Level 3! Stay tuned.

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Third Grade Discuss their Responsibilities as Digital Citizens

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Students discussed their responsibilities to themselves, their community and family and to the world.

In the homerooms of 3C, 3Je, and 3Jo, all Third Graders all began a series of Digital Citizenship lessons by watching the Common Sense Media video “Rings of Responsibility.” It’s about how our actions can influence our lives, our communities and our world. 

We then spoke about how actions in the digital world can also have ripple effects. According to Common Sense Media,

Teaching digital citizenship is all about helping kids think beyond themselves and recognize the ripple effects of their actions. Personal responsibility is important, but understanding their responsibilities to others can help kids unlock new ways to learn and connect with their communities — and even change those communities for the better.

To help students connect their own experiences to their understanding of  Digital Citizenship, we then asked them to discuss and then use color coded  post-its to write how  they can be responsible to 

Themselves

Their Families and Communities and

the World 

when they are online. all the Third Grade homeroom teachers and I were impressed with our students’ thoughtful responses!

Brainstorming ways to be a Digital Citizen

 

Here are a few examples from the inner  ring where students  provided examples of being responsible to themselves:

Make videos to make myself laugh

Give myself screen limits

Try to get off my device and do more things in real life

Doing more mindset before doing a digital task

Charge my iPad and make sure it doesn’t die.

Talk to my grandparents more so they know more about me

I don’t share too much personal information

The middle ring was for ways to be responsible to one’s family and community. Here’s a sampling of those good ideas:

Play games with my friends nicely

Help my grandma with her device

Looking at photos with my friends to bring back memories

I make games in Scratch for people to play

Call family on holidays to celebrate with them

I talk to my family on FaceTime and we talk about what’s going on

Drawing online and sharing it

When someone needs help in a game you are good at you could help them

Make nice comments or do not comment

Don’t share things about friends or family online

Stand up for each other if someone has a mean comment

Don’t click on something if you think it is a scam

Show Scratch project to Kindergarteners

Say nice things about people’s games in Scratch

Finally, the outer ring was for ways that students can engage digitally in the world.

This proved more challenging. Students were still able to come up with some powerful instances of helping others even beyond their family and community.

I turn off the lights when I’m done in the room

Be kind to people on video games

Don’t use negative messages online

Create an educational videos

Don’t send something hurtful online

We are following up these discussions by going through the Friends Seminary Third and Fourth Grade Digital Citizenship agreement and asking parents, caregivers and their children to read it, discuss it, and bring it back to Friends signed.

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Tech Returns to 308

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Welcome Back Fourth Grade!  Welcome Third Graders! Last year we did the best we could. Now in the fall of 2021, it is wonderful to return to a dedicated space for Third and Fourth Grade Computer Science, Design and Robots. … Continue reading

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Third and Fourth Grade Technology Classes for 2020 – 2021

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Students in Third Grade have Tech Class first semester. Starting in January, Fourth Graders will have Tech class for the rest of the year.  The 70 minute classes are once a week.

So far, spending over an hour each week with Third and the Fourth Graders in their pods has been a wonderful opportunity to support children as they learn classroom technology. In the separate DLOP section, I try to make sure they are comfortable with the technology they need to connect with their homeroom friends and teachers and learn along with them. In all the Tech classes, I also provide ample opportunities for your children to explore programming, graphics, and data science through playful activities that build problem solving and computational thinking skills.

What’s Different this Year? 

Class Size

These classes are smaller. Over the past nine years at Friends, I’ve had 18-20 students in my classes.  Though I had the mechanics of 18 students down,  the smaller size and calm environment provides more opportunities to work one-on-one with students, helping them overcome tech glitches and to encouraging them to find creative solutions to problems

iPads instead of Computers

We are using iPads rather than computers of our makerspace.  Scratch works well on iPads, making it possible to explore many, if not all of the developmentally appropriate coding concepts I’ve taught with computers in a dedicated space.

Greater Integration of Technology throughout the Curriculum

Yet another change is that this year’s Third Graders are hitting the ground running with  tools they need for their homeroom and tech class work. For example, in year’s past it took longer for all the students to get to know their Google usernames and passwords. This practice in the homerooms is freeing us up to explore computational thinking with Scratch earlier than I anticipated.

New Ways to Share and Collaborate

Necessity brings about innovation. Social distancing means that we need to find new ways to share and collaborate.  We can’t rush over to one another to share discoveries or provide assistance the way we used to. Now with the new polycom cameras, zoom and airplay technology, students can share their digital work or a photo of their work by hand. They love seeing their art and their projects displayed at the front of the room or on Zoom.

Finding Safe Connections with Buddies during this Unusual Year

The buddy program has been a big part of Third and Fourth Grade. The portion of that program that I have been responsible for, something called robot buddy time, is when Third and Fourth graders teach their kindergarten buddies about the Beebot and Bluebot robots and ScratchJr. What better way is there to reinforce understanding than to know you have to consolidate your understanding and teach someone else? Last year the Third Graders did send letters to their kindergarten buddies and they wrote back. This year, we’ll find new ways for Third Graders to teach their buddies about programming.

What Has Stayed the Same?

Digital Citizenship

How our students interact with devices, with one another and the broader community is as important as ever. Our Digital Citizenship Guide, located on the Friends website, still holds up. It’s infused with Quaker principles. We will also have discussions in which children bring to light specialist

Art as a Pathway into Programming

Over many years the curriculum I’ve developed has been infused with art. Perhaps this because I have an art background. It is also because I want the programming to be accessible to all the children. If learners create a character that they then code then they become more engaged in their work. It’s also a lot more fun to look at. This is a way of leveling the playing field and allowing all the children, whether or not they have a programming background or their parents are in tech, to do well. I have been teaching programming for so long I am also able to provide those students who come to class with some knowledge of programming opportunities to extend their learning.

Drawing isn’t easy for everyone. For those who would like more support, I have wonderful books about how to draw characters and animals. In Google Classroom, I have scanned in pages from these books or provided links for comparable resources. Of course there are children who love to draw from their imagination. However they get their characters in as long as they are original, they come together and form a team in the digital sphere.

Teamwork

Working as a team is another part of technology class that has not changed. We just need to find new ways to do make it work.

For example we can share a spreadsheet in Google Classroom in students type in challenges they are encountering in coding. This is a good place to find others who may be able to help.  When they help each other, they grow strong.

Programming Concepts

Below are some of the concepts that Third Graders will be learning as they embark on their first major programming project. I’ll update the list soon with skills that are particular to the Fourth Grade maze game project that this year will happen in the winter.

If statements are important because the characters come together and only if they are a certain distance apart do they begin to talk. It used to be that they almost touched each other but maybe that distance will change this year for obvious reasons.

There’s math in context, x, y , percentages and angles that are Traditionally taught later but if they are they are exposed to these ideas in this playful way then when they learn about them later they’ll  be able to reflect back and it will make more sense.

There is importance in labeling.

Broadcast messaging is when the two sprites send messages to one another and therefore. can be more interactive.

Throughout the curriculum I emphasize the importance of debugging and how mistakes are really important. If you persevere you learn from those mistakes and it’s all part of the process.

Data Science

This year I am also going to reinvigorate the data science portion of the curriculum that I’ve built over the years. It’s so critical that our students know how to gather data, look at it, consider privacy issues, and be able to back up their assertions with facts.

Examples of Scratch Projects

Here is an example of Scratch project that I provided as an initial playground for the Third Graders . The students photographed their work and uploaded the pictures into Google Classroom. I created this sample with many different characters from students in Courtney and Jennifer’s class. Students are making copies of it and using it to explore basic Scratch commands.

A Third Grade Scratch Project

A Fourth Grade Maze Game

Friends Dance Party

And that’s about it for now friends. I’m excited about getting to know you children better and working with them for Third Grade and also Fourth Grade.

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Third Graders Branch Out with Physical Computing

During the first part of the 2019 – 2020 school year, Third Graders created their own digital characters, and then they coded these delightful creations with Scratch so that they  could meet and then have a conversation with one other. With Scratch, the Third Graders also make something surprising happen after the conversation ends.

This is an example of a Third Grader’s Scratch Project.

Third Graders Bring their characters and Backgrounds to Life

So far this year,, Third Graders have also received and learned to use their Friends Seminary Google Drive accounts. They are also preparing to teach their buddies how to solve problems with the Bee-Bot robot.

Now we are branching out with the Micro:bit chip. Instead of getting their digital characters to move when the space bar is pressed, Third Graders are learning to use a magic want (and concealed Bluetooth enabled Micro:bit chip) to activate their digital creations. When a digital world responds to something in the world of material objects, it’s Physical Computing!

Wand prototypes developed by 7th Graders.

As we create the wands with branches and art supplies, we are asking families for selected materials from home:

Fabric Scraps of no more than one yard. Make sure it’s light weight cloth that would be suitable for a decorating a wand that will wave. Perhaps it’s shiny or sheer or it glows in the dark? If you are not sure if the material will be suitable, feel free to email a photo to Judith: jseidel@friendsseminary.org.

Silk Ribbon. Please no gift package ribbons.

Beads, wire, and other small materials that could be attached to a branch.

We will be collecting these supplies in a marked box in the lobby starting Friday, February 21.

Don’t worry. If you do not have materials from home for the wands, Judith will make sure there are plenty of supplies on hand in Room 308.

And we will provide the branches! Can’t wait to make magic in Room 308.

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New Scratch Accounts for Fourth Graders

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This fall, Fourth Graders are using  the block-based visual programming language Scratch to design and program an interactive, maze game. This is an opportunity for the students to learn more advanced coding while also taking advantage of their artistic and creative skills! Previous classes of Fourth Graders have constructed visually compelling and exciting games, and our student teacher Kelly Grey and I are thrilled to help the class of 2028 create their unique variations on the project.

This winter, students will use the Micro:bit chip with Scratch to reconstruct and reimagine stuffed toys. When the button on the Micro:bit chips are pressed or the chip is shaken, animations will play, sounds will be heard, and stories will be told.

Kelly Grey and I are happy to let you know that this fall, we have given the Fourth Graders their own Scratch Student accounts. The randomly generated usernames they received do not reveal their real names or any identifying information.

 We created these Scratch accounts so that the Fourth Graders can easily access their maze games and Micro:bit projects from any computer at school or at home. Although we have not assigned any Scratch homework at this time, it is fine for your child to sign in to Scratch at home and show you what they’ve been working on. Please also feel empowered to continue to enforce your at-home rules for screen time!

Another advantage of setting up Scratch accounts is that we will be able to access student work easily and keep good track of student progress. This will enable us to provide the support they need to succeed. 

Please contact Judith (jseidel@friendsseminary.org) if you have any questions about your Fourth Grader’s Scratch Account or if your child forgets their username or password. Online Scratch can be accessed at Scratch.mit.edu.

We are looking forward to seeing all that your students create in Scratch this year!

 

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