Abstract:

The present work was developed in the framework of the curricular unit “Online Seminar in Technological Tools for Playful Learning” - Tufts Early Childhood Technology (ECT) certificate program (https://asegrad.tufts.edu/academics/explore-graduate-programs/early-childhood-technology). For my curriculum unit I chose "The Traditional Children's Stories, for the integration of programming and robotics" as my curricular theme and "powerful ideas". This theme can be worked on, with the same lessons, using several traditional stories for children. In this case I chose the story of the "3 Little Pigs". My great general learning objective is that children learn to program the KIBO robot, through the retelling of this story. This curriculum unit is linked to other subjects outside the STEM, because it starts with children's literature and goes through the conception of the global project, that is, the construction of 3D scenarios using the work of artistic, plastic and musical expression, associated to the story I chose. The work before the development of the curriculum unit is integrator of several areas of knowledge that are not associated with the STEM, but that are fundamental to create the context where the child will subsequently learn to program the KIBO robot. We realize that this curriculum is interconnected because “The proposed K–12 Computer Science Framework is itself an amalgamation of such principles and draws on Papert’s (1980) “powerful ideas” to articulate specific computer science concepts and practices for the K–12 learning environment. (…) These Pre-K computer science concepts and practices build foundational knowledge and understanding for later engagement in computer science at the elementary school level” (CSTA, 2016, p. 184). The project I intend to develop will allow children to know a traditional story and learn how to program KIBO, to retell the story.

This project will be developed in kindergarten with children between 4 and 6 years old. Before the implementation of the KIBO curriculum unit I will start with reading the story of the "3 Little Pigs" and watching a musical video of this story. Then the children will build the 3D scenarios of the story (the Forest and the Straw, Wood and Brick houses), with recyclable materials. For the development of the unit curriculum I consider the inspiration "The Engineering Design Process" proposed by Professor Marina Bers (2018, p.76). The curriculum development can take approximately 20 hours, during 3 weeks. It includes 6 structured activities that have a duration of 60 minutes and a final project, which allows children to explore other stories that have a Wolf as a central character. In all activities the child is asked to build the robot (with motors and sensors needed) and program it to reach a certain place. All the lessons take place around the great "powerful idea", which is to tell the story of the 3 little pigs. I used the “Sample KIBO robotics curriculum structure” (Bers, 2018, p.82). I present the first step towards the development of other themes, which are of interest to children, from traditional stories. The child is also invited to explore programming and robotics in themes that are happening in their family or educational context. The intention is always to take advantage of our children's "Powerful Ideas" and that they make sense for their learning process.

Keywords:

Programming, Computational Thinking, KIBO Curriculum, STEM, Early Childhood Education.