Hello!
I am starting fresh with using code.org as a full year curriculum and Im on overload getting it set up. Long story short, Im a science teacher who teaches our district online and now my CTE credential has brought me the CS classes online as well. I have to set up a full year course in a week! The kids come in 2x weekly for 45 minutes but district has given me NO hands on items. Anyone have any help/suggestions/guides on how to set up, start etc. I am totally stressed about the set up so it is organized correctly and so I can monitor with deadlines. We are just creating the CS pathway and its a mess! Thank you all so much!
Hi @sduncan,
Sorry I am just seeing this. I hope your year started well!
You stated you have 90 minutes per week with the kids. Here are my suggestions:
- Start with a lesson or two in Unit 1 so they understand the problem solving cycle. This will lay a good foundation as you move forward. Let’s say this takes you 2 weeks. There are many useful and engaging lessons you could complete these 2 weeks (or 180 minutes)
- I would then move to Unit 2. I feel this unit is the most useful as students view webpages everytime they look at their phone or browse the web. It is also a unit where they feel successful early. If you are looking at the whole unit layout (like here), there is an option to adjust the calendar (see screenshot of button). When I adjust it to 90 minutes a week, this unit will take you 13 weeks.
- So this is almost the whole first semester. You could extend Unit 1 or do some web projects in Unit 2 to fill out the semester.
- For 2nd semester, I would move to Unit 3. When I adjust the calendar to 90 minutes a week, it tells me that will last 17 weeks so most of the whole semester.
- Another option is to only get to Lesson 18 of Unit 3 (the interactive card lesson) and then move to another unit. I would recommend AI (Unit 7).
These are just suggestions but if you use the adjustable calendar and the lesson plans, it should help you plan your year. I hope this helped. Perhaps others will have good suggestions.
Good luck!
~Michelle
Melynn,
Thank you so much for this info! If our district wants them working more than the 90 minutes weekly, so they work independently as well do you feel it is doable without a direct teacher in front of them? They are being really difficult about minimizing how much work they do vs what is left out.
Thank you for the guidance!
Shannon
