I would explain looping as simply pressing the repeat button.
I have used the videos in code.org and I have drug over all the blocks in a puzzle with repeat blocks to show students how many lines it takes without a repeat block. Then I invite a student to come up and make the same action happen using repeat blocks. The students are able to âoutdoâ me in that their code is much shorter than mine and they successfully complete the exercise. They love this and tend not to forget to use the repeat block afterwards.
I think for older kids, the idea that you can write less, but still convey the same information is a big seller. IT seems liek âless workâ even though there is more thought involved in where/when to place loops.
Tech is a specialist class along with PE and music. It would be great to discuss loops and repeat in music and practice dance or sounds in patterns. I really like the suggestion from lavin of having the student walk towards the teacher and continuing the walk one step command until the teacher is exhausted. Any whole class activity that involves some theater will be remembered.
To explain the concept of loops to my students I would show them a pattern of shapes or numbers and ask them to identify the pattern. Once they identified the pattern I would then instruct them to circle pattern every time it repeats. Then I would have them write down the number of times the pattern repeats. I would then explain how when we are programming, these number or shapes become our algorithm (steps) and the pattern that we see repeat would become a algorithm that loops. The number of times the pattern repeats is the same as the number of times the algorithm loops.
I would definitely start with the unplugged lesson first!
Hi! The approach I use is to relate the concept of loops to Patterns in Math, where patterns are a sequence of events that repeat themselves. Patterns have to be identified in order to determine if loops can be created.
We have taught some looping through an app on the Ipads. More for the senior students For the juniors, I think a dance will be fun. Or a walking sequence.
Hi I teach 2nd grade, I am excited to use dance and movement as a loop.
Looping can be fun in a sports lessonâŚeg playing a game like T ball, rounders when the bowler does the same action many times!
Use the âGetting Loopingâ unplugged lesson is important when It isnât possible to have a good internet connection.
Loop is important to develop problem solving, find different solutions more efficient, code easily the same instructions
I think the iteration dance could be a good idea to make the concept of loops more concrete and thus comprehensible to all students. I would also ask them to work in small groups and create another iteration dance writing the instructions for it both in an âextendedâ way and in a shorter way using loops.
To connect the idea of loops with other subjects they study at school, I think addictions and multiplications are a good way to do it and to demonstrate that loops can really make our life easier.
I would begin teaching my students the concept of looping by relating it to something they are already very familiar with: patterns. They have heard the word ârepeatâ as it relates to patterns, so getting them to understand that âloopâ is a synonym for ârepeatâ and âpatternâ should be a rather easy transition.
-2nd grade teacher in Waldorf, MD
I think with my students the dance âgetting loopyâ will be great for my students. They enjoy movement and being up and about and I think the thought of having to write something repetitively to get the same result would boost their desire to use loops. Iâm sure many of them would love to have a loop button in RL.
Well, to be honest I have not really introduced those concepts yet-I have just found coding and I am loving the approaches that Blockly provide. I will use the lesson plans as a guide to show the students about loops.
just in math, instead of adding 5 into five times we just multiply five into five to get the answer quickly, here in computer programming we just write a single instruction and put this instruction into loops the no of times we want to repeat it.
To have students relate to âloopsâ the first thought that comes to mind is to identify events in their lives that actually loopâŚsleep, wake, eat, use the restroom, go to school, go home, eat, go to bed. This could also help teach the concept of embedded loopsâŚbig loop âŚwakeâŚsleep, inside that big loop, smaller loopsâŚeat, restroomâŚschool âŚhomeâŚ
I teach elementary school Spanish.
One example of loops and efficiency could be the lunch lineâŚthe cafeteria servers stand behind the counter and repeat the same actions to serve the students instead of delivering individual plates to each child sitting at a table.
I also teach media so in a timeline of film, there is a loop, repeated film, just like in coding repeated loops.