While completing my implementation planning guide, I am happy that I have the support of my administration team. However, I am not sure how our Science teachers will buy in to the use of Computer Science in Science classes. I have the technology and other materials needed, but I still need to have the PD for teachers so we can plan collaboratively when to implement the lesson.
I am thinking positively that I will be able to attain my goals.
I will use extra help from Code.org before I have my teachers PD so I can anticipate questions that will be asked during the PD and also to ask for some suggestions on how to implement CS effectively.
I need practice time. I can usually figure out how to do what I want if I have enough time, but time is the one thing Iām really short on. I need to be confident and prepare myself to answer my studentsā questions.
I need more time and experience in fine tuning the code to match real life scenarios of the simulations. Iām also worried about the time it will actually take in the classroom. But Iām pretty confident I can support my kids as they work through the trial and error part of the process.
Although I feel confident about SLNova and the curriculum, I am nervous about implementing it in my classroom. Iāve never done something like this before, so I canāt imagine how it will turn out. The great thing is that my team has been working hard to plan how we are going to fit this into our curriculum and to make sure that we are prepared as a school to get this project rolling. This is new for all of us, but as we are going through it we will be able to get feedback from each other and work together to make it a good fit for our school.
The teachers guide book is easy to follow and thus the lesson planning is not a big issue. I also feel confident in tying with ease to the curriculum being taught at the time. I am very wary of the technology available and how well it will work with the modules and resources. I will search and keep a copy of the best code for the specified module in order to help students trouble shoot. I also hope that the time allotted will be enough, or that students will give the needed time at home to complete the project by the due date.
Are there any areas where you feel completely ready and confident?
I do not necessarily feel completely ready to launch coding in the classroom but I am excited to do so! I know there will be bumps along the way but I am confident I can problem solve them and my students are excited about coding so that helps.
Are there any areas where you could use more time and experience?
I need to practice. I plan to set time aside each weekend to play around with slnova. I also need to think about ways to incorporate coding into an authentic project as I teach at a project based learning school.
Is there anywhere that you could use extra help from Code.org?
If we could have access to a video of a classroom teacher implementing the first lesson of the module I think it would be helpful to see how facilitation with middle school students works with coding. Thanks!
I realize that I need to start planning with my teachers to ensure I am a help and not a hinderance in this process. As a division specialist, I want to spend this first year supporting the teachers who have participated in this training with me by serving as an assistant during classroom implementation. I also want to alleviate some of their workload by managing the assessment portion of the activities. I also am willing to coordinate visits from school board members and the media, as well as ensure that the school community and Code.org are informed of our activities and progress. If needed, I am also willing to coordinate additional support from of high school programmers.
Ready and confident: Explaining the āpiecesā of the starlogo program; Creating a simple program; relating to content/labs
More time and experience needed: Creating a program from scratch; debugging
More help from Code.org: donāt know right now but will ask for help when I hit roadblocks when creating my own model. (hard to know until I get into it.)
I am feeling very nervous about implementing this in my class. Although I enjoy using the program on my own so I think itās just because Iāve never done anything like this in my class. I think I just need to try the first task in Module 1 with my students. They are amazing and if it something doesnāt work, I can always try again. There is another teacher at my school who is doing this to (in Math) so I think conferring with her will help. I really want to try Module 1 before I attend next training so I can get help at that points. I really think I have the knowledge to do this just not the experience yet.
I have a computer science background and did some educational research on intelligent tutoring system and simulations, so on the technical side, I feel I am ready. On the other hand, the science side I could use more time and experience, especially what to consider acceptable approximations. Code.org can help by connecting us like this forum so we could help each other.
Not fully confident yet, Iām sure there will be much trial and errorā¦ I am most worried about the 1: 36 ratio and even with pairing students, I canāt be in 18 places at once.
Although I know I am somewhat ready , I lack confidence in implementation . I will practice till I get all of my kinks fixed . That will make me feel better.
After laying out the sequence I feel clearer about the end goal. I am still not confident that I have enough knowledge to implement the code teaching adequately, but like anything else I need to just jump in and give it a go. There is no doubt this will be a learning experience for all
A great extra help I would be a video taped class where a teacher is using CODE.
I think that I learned from the in person PD, great protocols and strategies to use with my students to help manage the classroom while everyone is working at their own pace (paired partners for coding, three cups to demonstrate if they need help or not, and print out guides of the blocks). I feel confident in structuring the module out for my students however, I personally feel that I need more time and experience with the program to feel confident to lead the instruction with my students. I think utilizing student helpers in my class is a great strategy but I do not think that will be able to help address all areas of difficulty. I think I wonāt really know what I need extra help with until I try it out with my students and experience coding with them first hand.
