Teaching events

[scself]

I also teach history. I feel like teaching timelines and sequencing of events would help students understand this topic. They could see how a chain of events or cause and effect would or could be similar.

[scself]

I also teach history to middle school students. I feel that teaching timelines and sequencing would help teach this topic too. I think students could correlate that cause and effect of an event is related to this computer science concept.

[rclifford]

I teach 2nd grade and I like the idea of going outside and playing Red Light, Green Light or Red Rover, Red Rover, I Dare ___ To Come Over. I also like the idea of reading aloud the If You Give books by Laura Numeroff. There are so many and students love the books. Both these activities can show events or cause/effect

[nichole_jasper]

Games seem to be the popular idea. I think I could incorporate the language into a physical game as many of my students (4/5) are very active. Things like dodge, or fireman sam all have "events" that are triggered by something, if your hit with a ball you sit down and depending on version "action" people to save you.

[jennifer_trout]

Event - an action that causes something to happen

[wmattsongrosso]

Events in K-2; I believe this might be the most challenging concept, but most important as students realize the logic behind the "magic" of the computer. I did ponder this a bit, as im going into my first year teaching the concept.

[Real-life connection]. Let's consider a vacuum cleaner, I push the button and nothing happens; what could be wrong....[conversation]...plug connection...

I will remind students that they are the teacher, teaching the computer, as the computer does not know what to do till you tell it. (I will insert the unplugged lesson with buttons and sound...the kids will respond well to it!) in conversation, "Let's say we push an arrow on the screen, but it doesn't respond...what is wrong? [HOT QUESTIONS] ...how is the connection made?...what can we do to fix it? [Student directed conversation]...bringing us to, the computer won't work efficiently until the programmer provides instructions within the Algorithm. Let's consider the example with Sid....

Now, I realize K-2 does not wholly identify events, but little friends are curious and questions will arise within differentiated learning levels. I'm happy to keep learning and relearning to maintain pace with our students. I'm so excited to teach what I learned within my BBA program many "ahem" years ago. I am seeking knowledge from young people in the fields of Engineering and Cyber Security; all leading back to Code. On the East coast we are even behind the West coast of the US; this is a shame as these concepts are not new.

This is a wonderful program; very well-structured and user-friendly. Thank you for stimulating the synapses in my brain...ready to roll K-2!

[elizabeth.bagish]

There are some great ideas in the forum. Connections to video games and cause and effect in other disciplines appeal to me. I also think it would be fun to have students break into groups with one tablet each. Then using the tablet, brainstorm different events that must be programmed. For instance, a right or left swipe on an iPad.

[ndeckert]

an event is something that happens

[aedington]

This will be the first year to teach the the "Event" concept. Based on previous years, I feel my fifth grade students will have fun with the paper control button idea and I will probably use the video to introduce the idea, choose a song with a chorus and use the suggestion of the demonstration teacher.
I find my students are very impressed with themselves when they feel in charge. Depending on the time allottment, I may use partners or groups to let them develop a short event code and over the course of several class meetings allow one or two groups to start class with their exercise.

[paul.gianola]

I would explain to students that events are intended to make a computer program more interactive...when you click a button or an arrow, it makes the character perform an action. In a nutshell, this gives you more autonomy over an event an your ability to change what happens within it.

[zhbreeze]

I will play domino games with my students to explain events are triggered by an action.

[melinda.barry]

I love the idea of using unplugged lessons to teach events. When kids are physically active and participating in and unplugged lesson they will much better understand what the event is and how it works. They are all familiar with events without even being aware of it. Using an unplugged lesson to have the kids act out events (I'm teach K-5) will help the kids "get it". With my kindergartners, I asked one of the kids to be our robot. We all programmed the robot. The robot wouldn't respond unless we used the correct language. The kids got it!

[seetha]

To introduce the concept of events in my class, I use the unplugged activity. I start by asking students how they interact with their video games, and go on to tell them that in programming, any action that allows the user to control a program is called an event, like a click of the mouse or push of a button are events that allow user to interact with the program. And then we play the paper remote game which the students enjoy very much.

[wesleywade]

Because students today often have phones, tablets, videogames, etc, I think the concept of an 'event' in programming is perhaps more intuitive than it used to be. Unplugged, there's lots of great examples - I really liked the suggestions from the Xbox programmer: when you're hungry -> get food; when you hear the mail -> get the mail. Chaining events, as suggested in the extended learning piece, is really excellent, and connects further developments in loops, recursion, algorithms, etc to events. I anticipate students asking "what's the difference between an event and an if-then statement?" I think in some sense... there isn't one! Events use sophisticated programming to make things appear simple and intuitive. Older students can explain an event out loud and maybe get a more natural sense of this: "If I click a mouse, then the computer will recognize that click"

Is there any chance we may see the code occurring behind the event puzzles in blockly? I assumed the javascript appeared a little thorny, and so it's left off, but I did miss looking at the code I'd just assembled!

[lindsey.tanner]

I do think that using video games is a good example of EVENTS. I also think that any kind of call and response activity to work. "When I say hey, you say ho!" Using the example of raising hands, I love, because it gives the students the "control." They are using the EVENT that causes the teacher to respond. I might even do a Smart Board activity and ask questions about why things are happening when students do different functions - the same can be used with iPads. If I wanted to go unplugged, though, I think the call and response idea is where I would land. I also like the idea of giving them a set plan - like singing a song - and then interrupting them with EVENTS.