Reflecting on Summer PD

Take a moment to reflect here on your experience in the Summer PD. What elements of the pedagogy and curriculum do you feel more comfortable with? In which areas do you see a need for growth? What can Code.org, our facilitators, or your local cohort do to help ensure your success throughout the year?

After taking the course in person and attending the classes the online material makes sense and it’s more easily understood.

I feel empowered! Within two days of learning about the Design Recipe, I found an application! My husband wanted a formula to calculate how much “in-game” gold he’d need for his character upgrades, but the per-level costs of the upgrades weren’t linear, and he wanted the sum of multiple upgrades. The long and short of it is that I was able to create a design recipe that helped me solve the problem!

With the elation I felt solving that problem, I can imagine how empowered my students will feel when they catch the vision of what this can do!

I have always thought that a strong connection between CS and Math existed. After taking the PD, I better understand this connection. I also realized that my math stills (especially Algebra) are not a good as I thought. I will be relearning Algebra while teaching CS. Scary, Fun, Exciting.

I really like how the course is set up with the check mark green circles when each stage is completed. I think my students will respond well to this also. I have never had a online PD that was so user friendly and enjoyable. There were times that it was challenging but I was proud of my achievement when I completed the puzzles or functions. I think a way that code.org might support us is to have videos of teachers using the strategies in the classroom with real students. I am excited to start in using what I have learned with my students but I know there will be some kinks to iron out as there always is when starting something new. I think our next face to face professional development will be much more enlightening as we will have gained real live experience.

The course work was better than I expected. I think that the contracts are something that will lead my students to be critical thinkers and, hopefully, better understand the transition from seeing a challenge and constructing a method for problem solving. I am excited about the coming year and I can’t wait to see how my students do with this.

I’m excited to try this. I found it interesting so I won’t have to fake that part of the teaching process. I still need to work on conditionals but I think I’m just overthinking things.
I like how the videos at the end of this walked thru the basics of setting up the classroom and how to access the materials. Phew!
I just need access to someone who can answer questions when I get turned around. Once I’m on my way - good to go!

Replying to my own reply

I am excited to start using this in the classroom!

i’m taking the course right now( CS\ Algebra) and i need help in stage 2 (convert blocks to math), it’s like no matter what arithmetic expressions i wrote it always not the correct answer. Ex:( 4+5) i wrote it (evaluate four plus five), (take four sum five),(four plus five), (add four and five), and other answers and all of my answers are wrong :(… i don’t know what to do???

Are you writing it out in English like the examples you’ve given? Did you try just 4+5?

yes, i wrote it just like i explained, and no i did not try it this way, but i will,
thanks

I am really looking forward to having students work on these puzzles and using the connections to algebra. I like the teacher resources I have seen on the website. They seem really straightforward and easy to use.

I really like and feel comfortable with the evaluation blocks. I would like more practice with writing definitions. I wish the videos gave more examples of what the practice problems require.

I am excited to begin teaching this course, but I am nervous since I took the course at the beginning of the summer. Reviewing in this 2nd part was helpful, but I will still be completing everything again just before the students as we progress through the program. Will we be provided the PowerPoint that was used during our training?

Taking the courses online and in person has helped me understand the process to find the different ways to solve the puzzles.

I feel comfortable with coding itself but I find that to find time for teaching CS in Algebra in a 2 quarter Algebra 1 can be challenging. When I start to implement it, I’m sure I’ll have more questions on how to best teach a certain lesson

I was challenged when learning this new program language so I can only imagine what my students may feel at times. I will need to let my students know that we will be learning together.

I did feel that the in person training is best as I like the face to face help rather than just watching videos on my own.

After going through the blending online Phase II, I understand the different concepts.

The online PD was great. My colleague and I was able to talk when I got stuck on certain complex puzzles. The online phase helped me reflect on Phase I.