Analyzing Code as Data while Finding Hotel Room
Recognizing Musical Talent in Your Child while Computational Performing
November 4, 2018
Computational Dietitian In Your Home
November 11, 2018Play the find your hotel room game!
This is a game to play as you go on vacation to stay at hotel, with the kids at the check into your hotel room. Challenge your kid to make decision to find the the quickest way to find your hotel room. Can they maximize efficiency? Only if they think computationally!
How long?
20 minutes
What you need
- You and your kid
- Enough time
- Booked room
What age is it for?
7-11 year olds
How to Play
This is a game to play as you go on vacation to stay at hotel, with the kids at the check into hotel room. Challenge your kid to make decision to find the the quickest way to find your hotel room. Can they maximize efficiency? Only if they think computationally!
Step 1: Checking into your hotel
As you go on vacation, let your child know that it's time to play a computational holiday game.
While you are getting the keys, hand them to your child. Let him/her know the goal is to find the hotel room.
It's your child job to lead the hotel room in the most efficient way -- so that when you get to check in, you can carry luggage and start going in the quickest way possible.
However, It's their challenge: what's the best and most efficient way to go to the hotel room?
Step 2: Follow the Instructions
When you are ready to go after check-in, another prediction challenge for your child.
Which is the fastest and shortest way?
Let him/her observe hotel, elevators, signs, and objetcs a little bit, and talk through their thought process. And then ask them to make their choice, and follow his/her direction!
Step 3: Thinking it Through
As you're out of elevator or on the hotel room floor, ask your child to observe the signs. Compare the progress. Has he/she made the right decision?
While you're arriving, ask your child why they made their choice. Inquire how long it took to make a decision, and how they make decision based on the sign.
Ask your child after arriving the hotel room. What factors led to it being slower than expected?
Step 4: Replicate this process while traveling
Also, debrief how the hotel designed. Did anything make him/her slower to act? What would be the fastest way to get in hotel room?
As you're heading back home, talk it through. What would your kid do differently in the future? What is the smartest way to figure out the hotel room?
After all algorithmic design activity, encourage your child to apply while traveling.
Bekir M.
Doctorate in Education
Originally from Turkey, then Pittsburgh, now California
I got my doctorate in educating kids how to code, and how to think computationally so they can thrive in STEM. I have been researching how Offline Activities -- where kids aren't in front of a screen, but are playing in the real world -- can help kids get core concepts of coding.
Learning Outcome
How do you teach your child follow the instructions and directions? In other words, the algorithm. In this activity, your child will be able to be experiment, iterate verbal algorithm, and code interpretation. Before picking up the hotel key, let your child listen carefully that hotel receptionist instructs the hotel room. That all sounds complicated, but as you'll see in the hotel, it can be very intuitive as long as you're thinking in a computational way. In addition, your child will be able to interpret codes. In this case, numbers, letters or objects that are repeated over and over again help him/her learn about identifying the meaning of them.