Inspiring great teaching through Kodu
On October 6th, the second issue of the Micro:Mag came out. It features my guide explaining how to use Kodu Game Lab with the micro:bit, using the micro:bit as a controller. This uses the micro:bit's accelerometer to control a character in a game, You can also make the micro:bit spell out a word or sentence... Continue Reading →
BCS Certificate in Computer Science teaching Part 3 investigation. Question investigated is: 'Can the same programming objectives be achieved when pupils are creating different types of programs or must a class always work towards the same goal to ensure that no one misses out on a key concept?'
For this activity, I asked pupils to work in pairs to plan a Christmas-themed game. I demonstrated my own planning using the planning sheets that I was providing them with as well as providing the game I had created based on the planning: The game is available here I was building on some of the... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/tg8-1Sk1Ugg Today I had a great day at the CAS South West Regional conference held at Plymouth University. It was a fantastic opportunity to find some new ideas to test out. I particularly enjoyed learning more from Nic Hughes (@duck_star) about the crumbles and testing out the crumble bots. I can't wait to begin making... Continue Reading →
Gruffalo cut scene planning Designing my Gruffalo World A far more complex skill on Kodu than creating a simple game is creating an animation or cut scene. These are really impressive when they are achieved as they allow a storytelling element to be added to the game. They can be triggered by a range of... Continue Reading →
This is a project that I carried out with Year 6 pupils. Initially they had to design their world and we looked at the different characters in a Mario game and their behaviours (e.g. when they bump a flower, they can shoot bombs, etc.) This was a project for pupils who had already had plenty... Continue Reading →
Files and planning for this unit can be downloaded here This unit is taught in Year 5 after pupils have been introduced to Kodu through the Kodu Basics unit. It is taught at a time when pupils are learning about Greek myths and they are studying these in their English lessons. This unit focuses on... Continue Reading →
Have a look at some of my help videos on my YouTube site. They are aimed at developing specific skills on Kodu based around the schemes of work I have developed. These include aspects to help make a maze game based around Theseus and the Minotaur, and elements like behaviours to help with Mario-inspired games.
Here are some resources for Kodu lessons that were completed over a period of four 2-hour sessions with Year 5 and 6 pupils. Pupils have a checklist for each lesson focused on a different aspect of the game and its development. Pupils develop their own skills by working through game task ideas and skills aimed at... Continue Reading →
