Maker Jr

What did you learn from Maker Jr?

• We learned about electronics and how we use them.
• I learned that you can use new parts over and over.
• I learned that it's not only a big machine. You can take it apart and make something new.
• A lot of electronics are not fixed. They just get thrown out or recycled and you are forced to buy a new one.
• There is a Maker Space in Ottawa University and it is open to the public and free to visit every Sunday.
• I learned that if something of yours breaks and you fix it, you can feel really good about yourself.
• Sometimes it costs more money to fix it than buy a new one.
• Inside of electronics are lots of cool things including pulleys and gears and parts that look a lot like other things.

Take cover!

Hour of Code

Today we took part in the Hour of Code.

Yesterday, we looked at a graph from the Hour of Code website. We also watched a video about working in the computer science field. These are some things that we inferred from those two things:

• Not many people are interested in computer sciences
• That computer jobs are growing at a faster rate than students that are taking computer science in school
• This industry tries to make it really fun to work there because they want people to work for them and there aren't many people available to hire
• Because there is more technology in our lives, there are more jobs available in this industry
• When the environment is comfortable and enjoyable, then it is easier to focus and get creative
• Every job these days has some aspect of technology so everyone can gain from studying it
• Even celebrities like Chris Bosh, who studied computer science in college, and Will I Am, who is studying computer science right now, understand the importance of knowledge in this industry

So, to acknowledge the importance of computer science, today we participated in the Hour of Code. 

The Hour of Code helped us to program computers. We were coding the red bird from Angry Birds and the zombie from Plants vs. Zombies. Some examples of coding language that we learned are: move forward, turn right, move until, if this than that, if else, and repeat until.

It was enjoyable. There are other activities and tutorials that students are free to explore. You can find them here.