In my classroom I currently work with students who are invested in affirmation/provocation concepts when working in the science class. We consistently model good communication skills in our school classrooms. In science this works especially well when students give constructive advise to their peers. I think I could use the same model of communication when introducing coding to my students, working through trials and errors, and developing a community of middle school science students who would develop skills needed to persevere through activities that would not only engage their minds, but challenge them to think more critically about their learning and the world around them.
Open, non-threatening, mistake or opposing ideas, civil discussion, and problem solving.
For writing code- a limitation could be access to a computer lab so each student has their own computer.
I like to think that I am more of a guide and mentor in my classroom. I donât like to lecture so I try to find different ways to have my students interact with their content. There is always a lot of discussion and we use as many interactive materials as possible. I let my students learn from their mistakes as well as mine. I let them know that we are all on this learning journey together. I think this approach will work well in learnign how to code. Iâm pretty sure we will all be learning from our mistakes.
I love PBL and discovery learning which teaches students to problem solve. In problem solving, students learn from the mistakes that they make and they are able to help each other.
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Computational modeling promotes the culture of creative, independent learners. I am concerned with my lack of knowledge in the area of programing but aware as I have seen my own son work that students can take the lead in their own investigations and solutions. Another barrier would be time management and fully being able to assist large classes during one period.
Students should be willing and unafraid to try new things and make mistakes, they should be supportive of other students and make the classroom a safe place to question and think out loud. It should be where students feel challenged and rewarded with the experience of completing a challenge successfully.
creative and independent learners is what we should all e striving for
I strive to create a classroom culture in which students are always actively engaged. Students are allowed to explore and make mistakes. They are allowed to continue to modify their work with help and directions from the teacher
I have been teaching now for 16 years (14 years with honors students), so the idea that I may not always be right or know the answer has been something I have dealt with several times. At first I wanted the students to think âI know it allâ, but now I realize they appreciate my honesty. I also give them a chance to find the answers to their own questions and present it to class, and they LOVE this!!! It is a win-win anyway I look at it. So, when the module suggests that students can teach teachers, I definitely agree with this.
With regard to CS in science, I will be learning along with my students. From day one, my intended classroom motto will be âwe are all in this together, so letâs challenge ourselves and see where it takes us!â
I attempt to make my classroom a place of respect and responsibility. If students are able to successfully manage those two things then the class runs smoothly. I suppose the thing that makes me most apprehensive is insuring that I know the material well enough to teach it. I can picture things going south really fast if I donât.
I would like my students to look at me more as a coach rather than âthe keeper of answersâ. My students will often get upset with me when I ask them a question about THEIR question instead of giving them the answer they are seeking. I can immediately tell when students have never been encouraged to think for themselves. I think we do our students a disservice when we give them all of the answers.
I would like for the culture of my classroom to be a safe place where mistakes are okay and are used to learn instead of being shamed for being wrong. Students need to be able to state their thoughts without fear of the teacher or other students making them feel inadequate. Unfortunately by the time students reach middle school they are not willing to express their thoughts because they have been wrong one too many times in the past. Creating a safe atmosphere can take quite a bit of time at the beginning of the school year.
After reflecting on the video my new classroom culture motto will be: Progress not Perfection. I want my students to feel that they donât have to have the right answers and that it is ok to be wrong. I feel a lot of my students need to have the right answer to continue on with their work and they stop if they donât feel confident they are getting the right answers. Coding being new to me I need to resonate that mistakes are expected and the only method to learning coding is by making mistakes and learning from them. As with a new electronic game, you mastered it by exploring, playing and getting beat. With the game you learned from the experience of playing and you build on that new knowledge to go a little further into the game. I need my students to feel the same way with coding, every time they âplayâ they will gain new knowledge that will take them further to mastering this new skill.
There are three things I would like to promote in my classroom. First, I want my students to know that mistakes are a natural part of learning. Second, I want them to understand it takes time and work to get good at something. And third, most of the time new tasks are difficult when youâre first starting to learn them, but if you donât give up and you keep working, difficult tasks can become easier. I want a classroom culture where students learn from mistakes without being embarrassed, keep working even when the problem is challenging, and know they donât have to be good at new tasks right away. The biggest barrier I have to overcome is my tendency to want to âhelpâ. I have to learn not to give the answer and to allow time for students to struggle and figure things out on their own. I also need to help students learn that struggle is good.
Well said. It is easy to give answers but really difficult to watch students struggle with difficult tasks. Most of the time, they are not happy about the struggle and I need to remember that to âsaveâ them or give them the answer, actually hurts them in the end.
Like most others have said, I think creating an environment where mistakes are okay (but never ignored) is probably one of the most challenging things I face. It truly is difficult to guide students through a âmistakeâ without giving them an answer outright.
Incorporating computer science into PBL leads to increase learning opportunities for students.
In my classroom I instill in my students no matter what age or grade level that we learn from our mistakes and that mistakes are a part of growing and learning. I also inform them that there is no âsillyâ question and this is how everyone learns is by asking questions. Some barriers that one may run into would be that students do not actively partake in class discussions.
I strive to motivate students to embrace their mistakes and learn from them. In my classroom culture students do not ridicule each other and they are motivated to participate regardless of the right answers. All students work together to help each other progress on the project they work on as well as push each other to do their best. The barriers that are usually encountered in my classroom is the fact that the students do not know each other. The students come from many middle schools, there are many high schools to choose from and seldom does a big group end up together in our school. The solution to this issue is to build a strong and positive classroom culture where all students collaborate, cooperate and communicate!!!