Apps for Computational Thinking and Programming
Programming Game Apps:
Kodable is a problem solving game that the makers say is for kids ages 5 and up.
Students use "procedural programming" to order the necessary steps to guide the "Fuzz" characters through a maze, collecting coins along the way.
Teachers can enter an email address to receive a free teaching guide and answer key. There are also several in-app purchases that extend the program and offer additional teaching activities.
Students must guide the "Fuzz" characters through a maze, collecting coins along the way. Starting with skills in sequencing, it later introduces conditions, (both singular and multiple) and finally loops.
The biggest draw-back is that it is limited to retaining 5 user names. Advanced levels are $1.99 as in-app purchases. There is a "Pro" version, for $6.99, but I am not sure if it extends the number of users. (Free as of October 18, 2013)
Cargo Bot is a problem solving activity in which you must give the commands to move a stack of color-coded crates to another location in the indicated color configuration. This starts off with rather simple puzzles and become extremely complex. The biggest draw-back in a classroom environment is that the solutions are saved unless you expressly clear them, and there is no way to set it up for multiple users. (Free as of October 18, 2013)
Light-Bot LITE Create a series of commands to guide the robot light up the blue tiles The biggest challenge in this software is that students must be able to orient themselves in the direction that the robot is heading. The lite version offers 12 levels. (Free as of October 18, 2013)
Scratch-Like Programming APPS:
Daisy the Dinosaur is a program designed as an introduction to visual programming, created by the same developers as the app "Hopscotch".
The program only offers 9 commands, and seems geared more for early elementary kids. The one drawback is that in the "Challenge Mode", some of the vocabulary is above the reading level of early elementary readers.
In the "Challenge Mode" the students create commands to program the dinosaur, Daisy, to reach a gold star. (Free as of October 18, 2013)
The program only offers 9 commands, and seems geared more for early elementary kids. The one drawback is that in the "Challenge Mode", some of the vocabulary is above the reading level of early elementary readers.
In the "Challenge Mode" the students create commands to program the dinosaur, Daisy, to reach a gold star. (Free as of October 18, 2013)
Hopscotch is a visual programming language that is great for kids.
Similar to Scratch, students start by choosing an "Object" to manipulate. Students then create a program of steps for the Object to execute. To see their program, they touch the Play icon.
This app offeres a large variety of commands, including Rotate, Repeat, and the use of variables. Students can set the opacity of the object which is really helpful when they draw a picture that is small and hidden under the object. (Free as of October 18, 2013)
Similar to Scratch, students start by choosing an "Object" to manipulate. Students then create a program of steps for the Object to execute. To see their program, they touch the Play icon.
This app offeres a large variety of commands, including Rotate, Repeat, and the use of variables. Students can set the opacity of the object which is really helpful when they draw a picture that is small and hidden under the object. (Free as of October 18, 2013)