Kodable is an app and website that is designed to teach kids how to code. In my school library, I have a set of 22 iPads that I use for instruction. Students also use these iPads after checking out books during our "centers" (Makerspace) time. Our STEM teacher recommended several coding apps to put on the iPads and Kodable is one of those apps. Students enjoy using this app. However, if a student has a question about how to use the app, I haven't been able to help because I've never used it.
In order for students to use this app, a teacher must first create an account on the Kodable.com website. This was easy to do. Once I entered the class code in the app, I was ready to go! Upon starting, there are three levels to choose from. I first chose Smeeborg as it's for the youngest students (K-5).
The first thing I noticed is the bright colors and upbeat (but not annoying) music. At the beginning of each level (lesson) the app walks the user through how to complete the task by pointing to what needs to be tapped on. The first lesson is sequencing. Here are some screenshots:
The user must use the sequencing arrows to make the "Fuzz" roll through the path, collect the stars, and out the other end. After several practices, the user unlocks a new "Fuzz" and is allowed to move on to the next lesson.
I liked that the program uses actual coding language as each lesson is named for what coding skill it teachers. For example, some of the lesson names are: Sequence Sector, Condition Canyon, Loopy Lagoon, Function Junction. Each lesson adds a new component such as conditions, loops, and functions.
Here are a few more pictures from my adventures in Smeeborg:
Smeeborg was fun. It was easy to figure out what type of code was needed. It's very simple and direct and I think even younger students would be able to figure it out without much help. After playing around in Smeeborg for a while, I decided to give Asteroidia (3rd-5th grade) a try. This world is similar in that each level starts out with a brief tutorial. The three levels in Asteroidia are Celestial Strings, Interstellar Ints, and Radiant Arrays.
Asteroidia looks and feels more like a video game. Users must decide which colors/numbers to shoot out in order to break the asteroids.
I definitely had a harder time with this "world". It was harder for me to figure out what the strategy was and what I had to do. Maybe this is because I haven't played many video games. While the tutorial showed what to do, it didn't explain what the purpose of it was. Perhaps I would have learned more and did better with some more explanation (or maybe not!!).
Finally, I tried Bug World (grades 4-5). In Bug World, there are just two levels: Instance Station and Property Point. In this world, users must try to stop the slime from hitting their Fuzz.
Again, I felt this was more confusing and I felt like I was just trying things at random. At one point, the app froze. This is how far I got in the app:
After using the app for a couple of hours, I decided to login as a teacher to see what the statistics the teacher sees.
As a teacher, I can see what percentage of each lesson the students complete and if they have met any standards. If I was using this program to teach coding, this information would be informative.
Overall, I liked the app. I think it has great kid-appeal with the bright colors, music, cute sound effects, immediate feedback, and a game-like program. The app is free to download and it's possible to play for quite a while for free. However, for unlimited play a teacher/school must purchase a license. This app would be useful to introduce some basic coding skills. It is also good for students to use in centers/stations to explore coding or to reinforce coding skills already taught.
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