Sunday, November 3, 2013
New website and we have moved!
Our new website is a work in progress but all new blog posts and information will be posted at http://www.coderdojogorey.com/ from now on. Thanks for your interest in our dojo.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Coderdojo Gorey back in action
We took a long recess over the summer but our dojo is back in almost full swing. Well done to all 80 children who came today to Coderdojo Gorey to learn HTML or Scratch today. Thanks to all our volunteers mentors and parents.
HTML and Scratch groups are up and running. We have mixed all the age groups together our thinking is it will build collaboration and add to our ninja coders experience, bringing a mix of different ideas and skills in the room. Scratch has two classes, starters and every other level. Unfortunately we have not been able to offer Python at the moment but we hope to see Dave back mentoring again soon. We are looking for more python mentors, if you know someone send them our way.
We started a new four week course 'introduction to dojo' for those on our waiting list. Today we looked at Scratch. It was very busy but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Thanks to our young mentors who came from Scratch and helped out.
There is no dojo next week as its the bank holiday weekend.
But were are back on the 2nd of November with a special dojo and a BIG announcement.
HTML and Scratch groups are up and running. We have mixed all the age groups together our thinking is it will build collaboration and add to our ninja coders experience, bringing a mix of different ideas and skills in the room. Scratch has two classes, starters and every other level. Unfortunately we have not been able to offer Python at the moment but we hope to see Dave back mentoring again soon. We are looking for more python mentors, if you know someone send them our way.
We started a new four week course 'introduction to dojo' for those on our waiting list. Today we looked at Scratch. It was very busy but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Thanks to our young mentors who came from Scratch and helped out.
There is no dojo next week as its the bank holiday weekend.
But were are back on the 2nd of November with a special dojo and a BIG announcement.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Hardware Autopsy
We offered a hardware autopsy class yesterday for any of our regular ninjas who wished to learn about the components of a PC and how to take it apart and put back together. We had a generous donation of 5 old computers, mouses, keyboards and monitors.
There was huge interest but as we had five computers we limited it to ten kids for each session. We had two sessions one immediately after the other so twenty kids attended altogether.
Chris demonstrated taking apart a computer and explained the function of each component. Then the ninjas paired up and started to take apart the computers. There was amazingly different reactions to the task, some kids used military precision, taking note of exactly what they were doing so they could put the parts back again correctly. Some were almost scared to start unscrewing things, and others just dived in and worried about how they were going to put it back together again later. Some of the kids told me of their plans to build their own pcs and others are hoping to troubleshoot their own computers at home. Chris, Ray and I helped out if they needed advice, but the ninjas were quite capable. All the computers worked again when they were put back together. For the second demonstration, Aran and Seán who attended the first session, stayed back to mentor the second group.
All in all it was a great success, the kids seemed to enjoy it and feedback was good afterward. We will be running it again next week as there were ninjas who wanted to do it but didn't get a chance yet.
Laura Kenny
There was huge interest but as we had five computers we limited it to ten kids for each session. We had two sessions one immediately after the other so twenty kids attended altogether.
Chris demonstrated taking apart a computer and explained the function of each component. Then the ninjas paired up and started to take apart the computers. There was amazingly different reactions to the task, some kids used military precision, taking note of exactly what they were doing so they could put the parts back again correctly. Some were almost scared to start unscrewing things, and others just dived in and worried about how they were going to put it back together again later. Some of the kids told me of their plans to build their own pcs and others are hoping to troubleshoot their own computers at home. Chris, Ray and I helped out if they needed advice, but the ninjas were quite capable. All the computers worked again when they were put back together. For the second demonstration, Aran and Seán who attended the first session, stayed back to mentor the second group.
All in all it was a great success, the kids seemed to enjoy it and feedback was good afterward. We will be running it again next week as there were ninjas who wanted to do it but didn't get a chance yet.
Here is a link to the hardware autopsy handout.
Laura Kenny
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