{"id":13469,"date":"2020-01-30T12:13:22","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T12:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?p=13469"},"modified":"2025-04-01T11:57:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T11:57:43","slug":"programming-for-middle-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/blog\/programming-for-middle-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Programaci\u00f3n para la escuela secundaria"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>El siguiente es un blog invitado escrito por un&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/teachers\/ambassador-program\/meet-the-ambassadors\/?utm_campaign=cm_impact&amp;utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link&amp;utm_partner=Coontxmedia&amp;utm_source=impact\" target=\"_blank\">Embajador de CodeMonkey Teacher<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I teach computer science at my middle school. The class isn\u2019t an elective; I teach a somewhat diverse group of 7th-grade students: some love school, others struggle, some are very excited to learn coding, some have little interest in anything to do with computers; some view themselves as creative while others do not. I gather this information about my new students as they fill out an online questionnaire on the first day of class. The questionnaire helps me to understand the challenge ahead of me. I want all of these students to have a positive experience in my class. I want to surprise and spark interest in those who entered apathetic or fearful of the class, and I want to nourish and deepen the excitement of those who entered eager to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?utm_campaign=cm_impact&amp;utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link&amp;utm_partner=Coontxmedia&amp;utm_source=impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">aprender a codificar<\/a>. In other words, I have my work cut out for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been teaching computer science in some form for about 8 years. I have explored many different tools, courses, and languages, and I have carefully observed how different tools <a href=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/blog\/fun-coding-projects-to-learn-with-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">and projects<\/a> affect the students\u2019 interests. Some of the project and\/or tool features I think middle schoolers thrive on are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The ability to create their own finished product. For example, mobile apps, art scenes, games<\/li><li>Completing a program that includes graphic design and\/or artistic ability<\/li><li>Fun game-oriented, self-paced courses that level up to challenge all skill levels<\/li><li>Activities that can be worked on with partners and\/or teams<\/li><li>Projects that can be shared with a wider audience at an exhibition or open house<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, I am teaching a few different groups of students using three different programming tools. I use CodeMonkey\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/courses\/banana-tales\/?utm_campaign=cm_impact&amp;utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link&amp;utm_partner=Coontxmedia&amp;utm_source=impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cuentos de Bananas<\/a>&nbsp;course to teach my zero-period Puzzle Math and Coding Class as well as a group in my school\u2019s makerspace club. The kids love the immersive environment of Banana Tales: the impressive graphics, music, and humor built into the challenges. Although the students have their individual accounts and exercises, it becomes a group effort for some challenges. Kids are laughing, sharing, problem-solving, and showing persistence as they advance through the course, all while learning increasingly challenging features of the popular Python language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Estudiantes que aprenden Python jugando Banana Tales de CodeMonkey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"368\" height=\"491\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Kids-learning-Python-with-CodeMonkey.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"13475\" class=\"wp-image-13475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121008\/Kids-learning-Python-with-CodeMonkey.png 368w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121008\/Kids-learning-Python-with-CodeMonkey-225x300.png 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"487\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Kids-learning-Python-with-Banana-Tales-1.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"13481\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?attachment_id=13481\" class=\"wp-image-13481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121042\/Kids-learning-Python-with-Banana-Tales-1.png 400w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121042\/Kids-learning-Python-with-Banana-Tales-1-246x300.png 246w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In my general computer science course, I teach students to design and code apps, and I teach them Python Turtle. I enjoy teaching these two topics for a couple of reasons. One is that we use block coding for app development (MIT App Inventor) and we use textual coding for Python Turtle. I want to give my students experience in both types of environments. Secondly, both modalities offer the opportunity for a creative, individualized final project. Students create both a final app that they can optionally work on with a partner and a final individual Python art project. Both projects have rubrics, and in addition to assessing process and coding style, the rubrics reward creativity and originality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Proyectos de arte de estudiantes codificados en Python<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"462\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Art-made-with-Python-2.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"13484\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?attachment_id=13484\" class=\"wp-image-13484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121113\/Art-made-with-Python-2.png 462w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121113\/Art-made-with-Python-2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121113\/Art-made-with-Python-2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121113\/Art-made-with-Python-2-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Image-made-using-Python-2.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"13485\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?attachment_id=13485\" class=\"wp-image-13485\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121116\/Image-made-using-Python-2.png 458w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121116\/Image-made-using-Python-2-296x300.png 296w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121116\/Image-made-using-Python-2-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As time goes on, I am finding that some students are coming to my class with more experience from their elementary years. This is another reason why it is important to have open-ended projects as well as coding courses\/tools that have a high ceiling. I want to keep fueling their interest with new experiences and challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students of all levels revel in the chance to display and explain their projects to an audience. On our exhibition day, we organize the class to look like a trade show. I invite parents, administration, teachers, and their peers to come through the class. The coding students demonstrate their apps and show off their Python art projects. It is rewarding to overhear the animated, young computer scientists explain their design processes, and to hear their comfort with vocabulary such as&nbsp;<em>diagrama de flujo<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>algoritmo<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>sintaxis<\/em>, y&nbsp;<em>interfaz de usuario&nbsp;<\/em>during their presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Estudiantes demostrando aplicaciones en la exposici\u00f3n<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"441\" height=\"587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/kids-in-middle-school-1.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"13486\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?attachment_id=13486\" class=\"wp-image-13486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121229\/kids-in-middle-school-1.png 441w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121229\/kids-in-middle-school-1-225x300.png 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"497\" height=\"587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/programming-for-middle-schoolers-1.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"13487\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/?attachment_id=13487\" class=\"wp-image-13487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121232\/programming-for-middle-schoolers-1.png 497w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30121232\/programming-for-middle-schoolers-1-254x300.png 254w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On the very last day of class, I had my students complete another online questionnaire. The completed questionnaire included student comments like: \u201cI really enjoyed making the apps, because we had a lot of freedom with what we wanted the app to look like, and the way it worked,\u201d \u201cThe teamwork was fun because before coming into this class I wasn\u2019t very familiar with coding and me and my friends had a fun learning experience,\u201d \u201cI really enjoyed creating my art project and having creative freedom with it,\u201d and \u201cThis class was pretty fun and I liked how we got to make apps and show them to a bunch of people.\u201d For me, this feedback reinforced the need to continue to offer and extend open-ended projects that allow freedom of expression and ownership, paired programming, and the opportunity to showcase student work to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SOBRE EL AUTOR:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Pam Rissman es maestra STEM de escuela intermedia de San Jos\u00e9, CA. Ella es embajadora de CodeMonkey.&nbsp;<\/em>Puedes seguirla en @pperfectsquares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.codemonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Pam-Rissmann-CodeMonkey-Ambassador.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13472\" width=\"205\" height=\"205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30113833\/Pam-Rissmann-CodeMonkey-Ambassador.png 500w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30113833\/Pam-Rissmann-CodeMonkey-Ambassador-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30113833\/Pam-Rissmann-CodeMonkey-Ambassador-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/d3sujgifhk94se.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/30113833\/Pam-Rissmann-CodeMonkey-Ambassador-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 205px) 100vw, 205px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following is a guest blog written by a&nbsp;CodeMonkey Teacher Ambassador I teach computer science at my middle school. The class isn\u2019t an elective; I &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/blog\/programming-for-middle-school\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Programming for Middle School&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":13470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[527,704,744],"tags":[700],"class_list":["post-13469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-codemonkey","category-coding-for-kids","category-for-teachers","tag-homeblog3","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13469"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20297,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13469\/revisions\/20297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wps.codemonkey.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}