Code Your Escape

Should our kids learn to code, or should they code to learn?  When coding, learners are developing transferable, life skills. Coding and computational thinking enhance problem solving skills that transfer to all content areas. The Turning Point educators at Victory Place @Coppell embrace this understanding and are using coding to inspire unlimited creative freedom, promote teamwork, elevate computational thinking skills, and develop leaders.

THE PLAYD8

High school learners at Victory Place learners were first exposed to the coding toys available to them through a “coding playd8”. We set up several different coding toys around the room and gave them free exploration “play” time with each toy.

THE ESCAPE ROOM PROJECT

Using the coding toys they experimented with in the PlayD8, the high schoolers designed and implemented escape rooms for the Denton Creek 4th grade learners. Each “room” had its own theme and several puzzles to solve. At least one of each room’s puzzles required a coding challenge for participants. Denton Creek 4th graders collaborated in teams to solve all puzzles in order to collect the clues needed to “escape” from the room.

Scooby-Doo Themed Code-A-Pillar Disco and Ozobot Maze Challenges

Lauren Billingsley - Victory Place Math Educator

EDUCATOR REFLECTION

What surprised you most about this project? 

How quickly they can pull their escape room designs together. Particularly, because the learners at first are a little unsure about how others will take their ideas and are very protective of their feelings. Once they start to weigh the options of having their idea shot down verses not being ready, they start to realize they need to communicate with each other. Ideas start coming and things get pulled together very quickly.

What did you notice most when you observed the high school learners interacting with the fourth graders? 

I think what I observed the most is that they severely underestimate the curiosity, tenacity, and intelligence of the fourth graders. We told them that “these are some smart fourth graders and we need to make this hard”. Getting our learners to challenge them in a real way is probably the most difficult part. I think that speaks to their character a little bit. They want to be nice and be helpful and then they realize it takes a little bit of coaching. It is ok for them to struggle. It is ok for them to fail.

What are the biggest take-away you see for your learners?

The elevation of computational thinking skills. It is severely underestimated how much of your day-to-day life encompasses computational thinking. To be able to take a problem, decompose into its smallest parts, look for patterns in both digital and life problems, and see where it is going haywire. Where can I make a change? What is a change that I can make that will affect several things? Computational thinking is not only good for their academic brain, but it is also good for their social emotional brain.

Designing the Escape Room

DESIGN YOUR OWN PLAYD8 

Interested in incorporating coding lessons into your curriculum? Want to set up a Coding PlayD8 with your PLC team or the learners in your class? Comment below or drop us an email. We would be happy to design an experience with you.