While doing research for my project on Kodu, I stumbled upon this website http://koduclub.org/default.aspx at Explorer Elementary in Caledonia, MI. This school has formed a Kodu Club under the direction of Derek Braman. According to the website:
"We hope to reach a variety of children in our Kodu club and provide a life-long interest in technology skills.
Explorer Elementary partnered with Microsoft Research to bring Kodu to Explorer's kids in the Winter/Spring of 2009 and is happy to continue this year.
Kodu is a new system created by Microsoft Research that can teach programming and logic skills to kids as young as 8 (3rd grade) with an innovative visual interface. The interface is familiar to most kids as they are actually editing and creating their own games."
I'm very interested in everything that they have done with this program and am currently trying to contact Mr. Braman for help in my research. I can't wait to see what he has done with this program or what the students have done.
Wow! This program is amazing! I love how comprehensive it is!! It allows a catagory, after subcatagory sections for each special part of the game. I wonder, does it reveal the script for each section? Is there a backdoor to understand script even in a way to recreate this very program? I think to add an option like that would improve on an already impressive program. I would love to get my kids involved, but it would require a curriculum down here in Texas.
ReplyDeleteJessica,
ReplyDeleteThat is cool. I think they will find that learning programming at a young age will work as well as learning other foreign languages.
Carnumbernine: I think you make a great point and will look at that aspect as I am researching the program. I also love the categories and subcategories that are offered.
ReplyDeleteEdgertonbilly: I agree with you. When it comes to languages, computer programming languages are just like a foreign language. Students learn languages at an early age....I don't see why this would be different.
That is great and I love that you are trying to contact him. I don't think many of us would think of forming a club around a free web 2.0 softward application until now. It makes me think of doing a PhotoStory club since I am so into photos and now how to make it more than just a "photo story" with the help of the program. Kids would love this as well as many other free applications we are learning about.
ReplyDeleteAs someone that teaches adults on a daily basis, it is refreshing to see children being taught at a young age how to manipulate and utilize technological advancements. There is a saying that it's never too late to learn something new, and while this is accurate to a degree, learning things like technology are much easier at a young age. These are skills that can be used throughout life, so are very beneficial.
ReplyDeleteKari - I think that is an awesome idea. I might have to steal it! You could easily incorporate digital photography into it and have them create stuff for the school!
ReplyDeleteCody - I agree. I wish I had the opportunity to use and learn programs like these when I was younger. It amazes me how much students can learn at a young age.
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