Coding for Good: Brownie App Development

The third badge in the Coding for Good Series is App Development.  You can review the badge insert here. According to GSUSA, "when I've earned this badge, I'll know about user-centered design and the process computer scientists use to develop apps".  As with the other progressive badges, the badge insert provides information on the subject but no activities.  The plans for earning the badges are on VTK, and they are what will be summarized in this post.

Financial Literacy Time

GSUSA has gone to a lot of trouble to turn the necessary evil of fundraising into a fun and educational process for the girls.  Each level has a selection of "Financial Literacy" badges that often coordinate with the skills and processes for selling cookies.  My troop started their financial literacy badges this week.

Last year my Daisies earned two of their financial literacy leaves: this year we are working on Money Counts and Making  Choices.  My Brownies are working on Philanthropist.  For Money Counts the girls have to learn about different types of coins and paper money and they have to figure out the cost of fun.  For Making Choices they have to learn the difference between needs and wants, learn to set goals and learn to help others with what they need and want.

Philanthropist which requires the girls to learn the meaning of Philanthropy, find out what every person needs, investigate how to hep people who are hungry, find out how to help people who need clothing, and find out how to help in times of emergency.

My meeting plans for these badges are loosely based off the plans of Girl Scouts River Valleys and VTK.

Herding Cats: How to Keep Your Troop On Task And Out of Trouble

One question or topic that frequently makes the rounds on leader Facebook pages, particularly those aimed at Daisy and Brownie leaders, is how do you maintain order and keep the girls on task. Over the years, through trial and error, I've learned a few tricks I'd like to share with you today.  The main thing to remember though, is that it is far easier to MAINTAIN control than it is to REGAIN it.

Keep Them Busy

That is the #1 rule for small kids--give them something to do.  For the most part, if Brownies and Daisies do not have something to do, they'll find something to do, and it often involves running around the room.  If you aren't okay with that, you need to provide an alternative.  

If your meeting time/place is such that girls are being dropped off over 10-15 minutes, your meeting plan should include some "bellringer" activity--something the girls can do without much direction from you and which, preferably, can be put down at any time to finish later (or not).  Examples are play doh (the stuff is cheap, buy some for your troop supplies), coloring sheets or, if you have them and are willing to share with the troop, blocks or Legos.

Have your meeting planned and move from one activity to another.  Downtime is playtime, and once they start to play (and run around) getting them back  is tough.

Using Resources Wisely: VTK Really Can Be Your Friend

If you read this blog regularly (or go poking through past posts now) you'll find that I'm no faithful unthinking robot cheering GSUSA and its programming choices.  For an organization that is pushing STEM STEM and more STEM, I think they have picked horrible technology and/or implemented it badly.  However, the Girl Scout Law says we are to use resources wisely and VTK is a resource provided to leaders that will answer many of the questions I see posted on multiple facebook groups. No, there is nothing wrong with asking other leaders what they have done or whether activities have worked for them but so many people seem to have tried VTK briefly, found it wanting, and abandoned it.  While I have posted about my complaints (and compliments) about VTK, I encourage you to give it another try, but first, understand what types of programming are offered on it: