Phase 3 Implementation Planning

I really like the implementation plan document. I would like to have my students create a more complete ecosystem model of Yellowstone or some other ecosystem. This sounds very complicated but I wonder if it can be done. I would love to see very complicated simulations that have already been made by code.org or GUTS.

I am feeling less confident than I did before for a few reasons. One is that I have been away from it for too long and I am having a hard time remembering what we did (totally my fault on that one!) The second is that after the last session I felt like I had some tentative possibilities for opportunities to do this in some classes, but right now, Iā€™m not sure who I might team up with or when (I do not have a classroom/student f my own).

I would like more help from the facilitators when doing the challenges. I have students like get ahead of the rest of the class and always try to complete the challenges located in the book - but Iā€™m not as confident with what they are creating.

It definitely is easier when there is another teacher in your building that is also doing coding - you can feed off each other. Unfortunately, I do not have that at my school.

Having done this course last semester I feel ready implementing a better version of what I did. I started last semester feeling pressured to give content in a relatively short amount of time. But having seen what the kids do and how I adapted to it I think I can do a far better job next time around. The code itself is no problem, itā€™s the leap between sequential thinking and creative thinking, that students often struggle with. My students jokingly refer to it as ā€˜worksheet feverā€™.

  1. I started implementing this, but it was using 1/2 of the class period to do this. This process does NOT work. I need to dedicate a whole week for implementation of each module that I will be using.
  2. I really need to have more time to play with the coding and do all of the extensions that are written. This is not really possible during the school year as I am too busy.
  3. A ā€œsolutions manualā€ would be a wonderful addition to the program so that when we cantā€™ figure out how to do it, we have a reference to go to.

I am confident in the content but am still having difficulty with the program. I get frustrated when it freezes or when I do the right thing and nothing works.I need help with troubleshooting.

I am unsure how long it is really going to take my students to develop the prerequisite skills necessary to implement a simulation module. I feel confident that I can implement the program, but I feel like many components of the plan are areas that I will be able to fill out more completely after experiencing it the first time. I will not be implementing the program until the last quarter because of other high need projects that have taken away from the content core. I am feeling confident in meeting all of the primary grade level standards by the beginning of 4th quarter - leaving me a good chunk of time to implement the CS in Science module with my students. I want to implement something that is different than what has been prepared for us - so it will take me dedicating some time to developing this different, but similar module.

I also felt comfortable and even excited to start this project. (How hard can it be? :smile: )
It went pretty well although I think it will go better next year since I know what Iā€™m doing. (It was hard sometimes!)

I just completed doing part of Module 2 with my honors Earth Science classes. I spent hours prepping myself and for the first class felt very much like a novice. By the third class I felt much more confident in the code and facilitating the group. Fortunately, many of my students had been picking up on the coding quite well and were a tremendous help. I believe that I just need to continue to practice and dig in deeper.

I am feeling more ready and confident after completing Module 1.
I could use more time to play with the coding and to look through Project GUTS resources.
No need for Code.org help at this time.
The implementation document is a helpful planning too.

My Coding Club this year has taught me lots. These students want to learn to code. They are very motivated and bring some background coding knowledge with them.

Their are many skill levels. Some students can follow directions and simply take off with a lessons that I prepare. These students benefit from a recap of the preceding lesson and from reading through code to see what we expect to happen. They also have shown me some spectacular new things to try. Other students are stuck remembering the slnova password. Sheesh.

I am proud that I have learned to scan code and find errors that prevent students from being successful.

I feel better having had eager students to work with initially. Going through the process of having an after school club, takes some of the anxiety out of the possibility of having another club next year. I also can see the benefit of using the simulations with all students, even the less motivated ones.

As I was completing my implementation document, I realized that there is lots of planning and time that goes into teaching the modules from Project GUTS. I feel ready to teach module 1 because I taught it last year. I will still review it during the summer when I have more time. I will also be working on the debugging challenge we were given on one of our training days. We are going to use the debugging challenges to help our students review coding next year. I will need to study the ecosystems module on my own before I teach it next year. I donā€™t need any extra help from code.org.

ā€¢ I feel ready and confident to teach modules 1 to 3.

ā€¢ I could use more time and experience with module 4.

ā€¢ I donā€™t believe I need any extra help from Code.org at this time; itā€™s really a matter of me continuing to practice what, and build on, what Iā€™ve already learned .

ā€¢ The implementation document seemed more straight forward this time.

Working with a team of teachers during implementation of module 1 really helped me. I feel confident that I will be able to implement module 3 next year, but I will definitely need to spend time reviewing the module 1 content before making this next step. It feels like coding with slnova has become more intuitive but I will still need to collaborate with my fellow teachers to develop a complete implementation plan for module 3.

I also feel thankful for the insight and help from my cohort of teachers at my school who also participated in this program. Together, we were able to plan, implement, discuss/reflect and analyze next steps. I feel fairly confident implementing module 1 in my classroom but will also need to review. I could use more time and experience with the additional modules and would love to see additional modules being added to help enhance our curriculum needs. There were some glitches with the code.org website so I was unable to work on the site at times, however, the implementation was a bit easier with more practice and guidance throughout the year. I appreciated the last code.org session training in February, as it was the most helpful to me. I, too, will need to review and collaborate with fellow teachers in order to implement future modules. Working with others was most helpful during this process.

  1. Iā€™ve already taught the introductory module in my classroom so I feel pretty confident about that module. Out of the three modules we worked with, I feel most comfortable with the life science module.
  2. I could definitely use more practice and experience with the earth science and physical science module. I wonā€™t be teaching either of those modules in any of my classes, but I will be facilitating code training for other teachers in my district so it will be necessary for me to become comfortable with them.
  3. Resources that explain how to code each challange more efficiently. Iā€™m sure that there are multiple ways to code each process, but I honestly donā€™t have the time to work them out during the school year. Having a guide to help me figure these things out when I encounter them with students would be great.

Are there any areas where you feel completely ready and confident?
Having implemented module 1 already in 6th and 7th grade, Iā€™m feeling more confident.
Are there any areas where you could use more time and experience?
I need to spend more time figuring out how to assess and share projects. Iā€™ve heard lots of great ideas like Google docs and classroom, but I just havenā€™t worked with these things much.
Is there anywhere that you could use extra help from Code.org?
Not at this time.
How did this time feel compared to the last time that you worked with the
implementation document?
More confident, again, because Iā€™ve already implemented.

My advice to all, trust your training, and dive in!

I feel confident with the overall implementation of each lesson in module 1 and module 3. My students have used CS-first and scratch and are therefore comfortable with basic coding. We also have great technology resources, transitions, and procedures within our class to help it run smoothly. Areas where I feel like I could use more experience is with differentiation and engagement from all students. Some students have difficulty following the logic based nature of coding and are not readily engaged. I plan to reflect on implementation to target areas where I need to differentiate and ideas for how to best differentiate. I also feel I have a basic understanding of computer science and therefore cannot specifically communicate to students what it would be like to pursue a career in computer science.

These year I took advantage of Code.orgā€™s connections with computer scientists in my area and had them come visit my students and share information about how they use computer science at their job. I do not feel like I need extra help from Code.org at this time, but need to budget in time to explore more of its resources. I also feel like using the implementation document was easier this time than when we used it at our in-person PD because I myself am more experienced using slnova.

I am not as confident with implementation as the rest of my science team since module 1 was implemented in 6th and 7th grade so that 8th grade could get into module 4 next year. I will have quite a bit of support, though, going into it next year. I would like to find an efficient way to assess students and for students to share their coding/scientific models and analysis as a class. This time I feel like working through the challenges that the language is a bit more understandable.

  1. I enjoyed the first module because it teaches the basics, and I have already tried this in my classroom.
  2. I could use more time with the Earth Science module 2 because it was the one I used the least.
  3. I wish Code.org would be able to contact teachers back in a better response time (instead of 2 days turn aroundā€¦sometimes we need to move on with the lesson and do not know how.
  4. I feel better this time than last time because I am comfortable with google docs and also have already implelmented the chemical reactions module 4
  5. Here is my plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VbNUA_0ySmKeC-mPFJlH6Vf6G-IvPnnGIrQa7GWbICo/edit