Your Summer PD may be over, but this isn’t the end of your support for teaching CS in Science. During the school year you’ll receive two separate days of in person PD as well as some additional online support. As you leave this phase of your professional development, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned and what you have yet to really master. With that in mind, head back to the forum and share both the things that excite you, and the elements of teaching CS that you still need some support with. We’ll use this information to help craft the followup PD offerings to better fit your needs.
I’m still trying to figure out how to use the different blocks in an effective manner. How things fit together to get the desired results. I’ve definitely learned things for the course, but I’ve got a lot to do.
I agree, me too you are not alone
I am still trying to get comfortable with drawers and which drawer are all blocks in. Also, I am still confused on selecting the correct locks and the order I put them in. As I have mentioned few times in the previous several reflections I am still not ready and confused on the module where students experiment on water cycle and adding wells and experiment with them. I hope at the in-person PD we are given more time to create some more simpler activities and given more time to practice with creating activities that will help us easier teach the Module that pertains to the content area in my case Earth Science-The Water Module. I am a visual person and I need to be shown how to do something before I can do it myself.
I definitely think having little ‘cheat sheets’ or access to a document that provides a full-color drawer key would be helpful. It would also be helpful to have some basic-moderate examples uploaded somewhere within the slnova for one to decompose. Many individuals learn better by taking things apart or dissecting the components. I am still confused on key components of the logic and sliders. I think if I could easily search these issues under an indexed online catalog, I might be able to figure it out after a little perseverance. Also, the kids really like to see things occur before they jump into a program. They want to see the potential of what they might be able to create at some point in the future. Mostly, the program and lessons need to be relevant to the students. Maybe allowing them to code a simplistic game before they are asked to code an experimental design would create the ‘hook’ they need to become motivated with what they will be required to do within the context of the content…
At this point, I am trying to organize and think of ways to present the lesson and activities that I currently have available without overloading students with information but still remain on pace with the curriculum. However, I am confident that this will be a great year and I look forward to this challenge.
I am excited with the deep thinking and problem solving that are naturally incorporated with the project. I love the extension ideas, and I’m always open to more.
What would be helpful would be a library of small coding snippets with an explanation of what the code does. For example, an explanation could be, “In this code sample, when there’s a collision between a wolf and a deer, the deer gets deleted and the wolf’s energy increases…”
Also, the way to get better at coding is practice, practice, and practice.
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I’m still trying to figure out how to use the different blocks in an effective manner.I am sure with some more practice I will figure it out.
I am excited to take on something so different in the classroom. I like the way this will help me differentiate learning and present students with a unique challenge. I hope the in person PDs will allow us to refresh the coding skills we gained over the beginning of the summer.
I really enjoyed the summer PD with Code.org. I learned an awful lot and can say that it is a lot of fun trying to run the models. It really does stretch a person in their thinking and their evaluation of learning. I am excited to see how my students will enjoy the programming and I am sure they will find it challenging and fun as well. I am sure there will difficulties but that is the journey in learning. It is difficult but fun at the same time.
My students have just met me this past week and I am looking forward to being able to draw out their strengths and teamwork during our time working with Code.org and Starlogo Nova. Thank you for including us and me in this adventure.
I feel really good about coding in SL Nova (and supporting students in this) and about overall implementation. The content portions of the modules seem weaker, so I anticipate needing to think about how to integrate Project GUTS into my curriculum content.
More concrete examples about how to use the blocks (how does each one work with descriptions) Examples of how each module should look like and work then we can modify and play (you can’t expand if you do not know the basics) These suggestions should decrease the fears of implementing the modules in the classrooms.
I have learned lots this summer about coding. I especially enjoyed the 3 days of in-person training. All of our instructors were great and very helpful. I have not enjoyed the online portion of the trainings when we were asked to write code. As a new learner, I found it often frustrating to write code on my own with no one to help me when I got stuck.
For example, in one of my coding attempts, the Setup and Forever button disappeared. I have no idea how to fix that error!
I am still struggling to recall all of the information taught in person.
When I am stuck there is no one to help me.
I thought the PD was helpful but I too am struggling to remember all of the information which I am sometimes getting mixed with the Math code as well. I have other teachers in the school to help me remember but I have a lot to do to make sure I teach this class the way it was designed.
I have many students excited and interested in learning how to model/simulate after doing the turn and walk activity. My concern is students who are advanced and try to do more while I’m trying to get others caught up.
I spent a couple weeks after the face to face trying to write my own code to simulate some activities I do in class. Trying to understand the logic of coding is a little confusing.
I am excited to see the work my students will produce. I completed a few lessons on Scratch and students loved to computer programing process. The engagement during the lessons were excellent and I know they will continue as I implement this new program.
My struggles/questions will come in the next month when I begin to incorporate the computer science modules into a portion of my science instruction. I have to find a balance between the instruction of computer science and the expected standards/objectives that need to be met in the science course.
I used the color copy as a reference to visually see what is in all the drawers at one time. This helps me know where I need to go.