Unplugged activities?

[Jared OLeary]

What do you like about using unplugged activities? When have you used them (e.g., don’t have access to devices, internet goes down, reinforcing a concept in a project, etc.)?

Here’s a link to 100+ unplugged activities.

[Jared OLeary]

Previous responses:

• I love unplugged activities because the physical aspect of following code helps students to understand what is really happening in the code, debug, and it drives home how the computer is obedient, however, cannot think on its own.
• I love using unplugged activities as a starting point (or close to starting point) for coding. It’s a great way to show students the general idea behind coding and specific lines of code prior to getting into a program such as Scratch. My favorite one was with a Kinder group of kiddos where they were “coding” a dog (another student) to move to grab a bone and then to the dog house.
• Response to above – I believe you’re talking about Rosie’s Runtime. I can see kindergartners loving this activity. It also has built-in adjustments so it adds more coding concepts to be appropriate and fun for older grades.
• I like how unplugged activities require the kids to collaborate and communicate. We use a lot of these “problem solving or debugging” activities at the beginning of the year to help build our classroom culture, and set our norms for working in collaborative groups.
• I have used unplugged activities when introducing a coding concept at the beginning of some lessons that relate to that online project given to students.
• I think the unplugged activities give the students a very beginning way to understand coding.
• I like unplugged activities because they help students connect with what they are doing on technology. Misconceptions can be addressed and it’s a great way to assess if students truly understand as they get started.
• I would use the unplugged activities to jump start an understanding and a comfortableness to coding.

[Jared OLeary]

Here’s a website with a lot of suggestions for unplugged activities.

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