The session started with learners turning a phrase into a song "I'm somewhere in the future and I look much better than I look right now" this was a phrase composed by Thandiwe at Emthunzini Primary School when we were launching their science club.
We significantly use this phrase at Vuma Primary School for the grade 4s to picture their future that will definitely look better than right now. “Our workshop can be summarised in one word "JuicyGemScratch" sounds fantastic as I say it loud”. Keninda said.
The workshop introduced the kids to coding and robotics using a Juicy Gems App developed by Dutoit Agri, a leading producer of fruits and vegetables farm in South Africa. Juicy Gems is a mobile game app that teaches learners how to code through play. In the game, learners pause for a question about farming. A cool game indeed.
A well-known coding app Scratch was also introduced to these learners, where they learn about the Scratch Editor Interface and they were assigned to edit the Costumes of their own preferred “Sprites”. Sprites are characters in Scratch. This activity also assessed their level of creativity and art competencies. “Children love playing with colours and creating their own stories” Mashinini confirmed.
Keninda promised that this workshop was not a once off event with Vuma Primary, they planted a seed that would be nurtured by teachers led by Ms Veronica Mahlangu and the two Tangible Africa Coding Ambassadors, Duduzile Mashinini and Bayanda Zulu.
