I would say the most challenging Module for me was the one with the water cycle and building wells and on aquifers. I am still confused on adding water pumps, customizing water pump model and experimenting with water pumps.
I was challenged by making the connection between the instructions and the choice of blocks and also just locating the blocks I wanted to use. figuring out what block was what color was hard. Having a partner seemed to be mandatory for success, not just optional.
The most challenging part for me is becoming more familiar with the code blocks and how to effectively integrate them together within each of the levels. I understand it is a time, patience, and practice kind of thing, but I want to do more than I am and know, with the start of the school year, that the factor of time will now be an issue with what I can accomplish. I am not good with a “start, pause, come back to it” mentality. I like to “start and finish” and finding chunks of time long enough for me to work through learning at my pace is an issue for me.
The part that challenged me the most was trying to get the program Starlogo Nova to do what I wanted it to do. I would also say that the most difficult part was getting to know the blocks. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was a difficult task. It was a lot of fun to be challenged and stretched as well as being frustrated with not being able to solve a problem.
I found that what blocked me the most was myself. As things moved along I did well. During the programming I noticed that when it didn’t run as I expected my frustration level would increase leading me to get frustrated and upset. I learned I need to walk away for a minute and then come back refreshed.
I loved the challenge of the module that my partner and I set up. We used the epidemic model to simulate Falcons/Saints football fans scenario. I could see students doing the same thing. It was definitely a challenge to come up with a real world scenario that might be interesting to students but well worth it. I liked the partnering that took place for this scenario.
In general, the most challenging thing for me was getting the right codes and placing them in the correct order so the agents will function properly. I had many issues with the water pump module but I got through it before heading to lunch!
For me the most challenging part of code is finding the blocks you need and putting them under the correct folder. I had to repeatedly check back with the book or instructor to get my code right. I am still trying to conquer the same issue.
I found identifying the correct block a challenge as well. At times, I found myself writing down the code on paper “old school flowchart” and planning my program. Our students are so use to living in a digital world that they will be able to navigate quickly through the block commands.
I think the most challenging part of the training for me was doing paired programming. I usually prefer to work on my own, at my own pace. It was great to get to experience this, because I know that I will have students who will want to work on their own and will need to be encouraged to work with a partner. Even though I have that tendency myself, I’ll need to convince students that working in pairs is the best for learning.
I think what challenged me the most was when the coding got more elaborate and I’d get stuck. I would get frustrated and had to walk away for awhile. After I wen back to it I was able to look at it with fresh eyes.
What challenged me most was at times working in a group with others that were not as computer literate as I was. I found it extremely frustrating that we did not work well as a group when I was either the driver or the navigator. My partner was not willing to either willing to follow my direction or give me direction. I ended up working by myself because my partner never listened.
One of the most challenging things was when I was working at home alone and didn’t know what to do and there was no one to help me. At the summer session, what I found most difficult was getting the logic order correct so the program would run correctly.
The most challenging thing for me was figuring out how to place all of the blocks in correct order and understanding the meaning of each block. After given a “cheat sheet” I felt much more comfortable and at ease.
During our training the computers kept crashing so made finishing our module difficult. Before that it was challenging to figure out why our predators would reproduce too quickly or our rabbits would overpopulate too quickly. So trying to make it resemble real life was hard.
I think the thing that challenged me the most was working with people not-like minded as me. I was always quick to get the coding down and wanted to get to the extensions. I tried lots of "what if"s which I wasn’t always partnered up with something like that. I feel I could have explored more with a similar group member. As the water module wasn’t an option during our 3 day face to face, I went to the Chemical Reactions. I struggled with some of the concepts as I focus mostly on Earth Science and only cover the basic of chemistry. So trying to remember my college chemistry class and understand all that was going on in the simulation and why was a challenge.
My background is in coding for websites. Programming is a little challenging for me but I want to conquer it.
The most challenging part was the 4th module. The coding for that one was a bit tricking, but I just kept working on it until it worked how I wanted it to…sort of : ) …I plan to conquer it eventually.
I think what most challenged me was to think in the code language. Some individuals took off and got it. Not me! But, I am always willing to learn new thoughts. It excites me to see young, vibrant new teachers jump on board. Thank you!
The most difficulty we had in our partner coding was technology issues. We’re not sure if it was the internet at the PD sight or the Chromebook we were using, but it caused us to fall behind on the disease transmission project. We were able to catch up, but made note to consider these issues while lesson planning.