In my position, I will be working with teachers to help them integrate technology, and one of the most important areas I will cover is computer science in and outside of “computer class.” My plan is to introduce teachers and students to Code.org through a lot of the unplugged activities by co-teaching the lessons. I think this will give the teachers and students a chance to see the program in action without feeling like they’re on their own.
I will be helping the teachers see where they can insert these unplugged activities into all of their classes through out the year, because problem-solving and strategic thinking are skills students need in every subject.
Working with computer teachers, I will help them guide the students through the online coding activities, so that students are seeing the connection between the unplugged and plugged strategies and language.
As a technology facilitator, this year I I will working with teachers in a K-4 setting to bring Code Studio to all students in the school. I am also thinking about using the express course for my grade 6 students who will have had some experience with Code Studio. I am excited to use many of the lessons that code.org has already provide. Thanks to everyone at code.org for this great curriculum.
My initial goals for our new K-2 CS program are to establish Rituals & Routines for CS, initiate lessons to introduce devices (focus on iPad), highlight Cyber Security and follow Code.org lesson plans.
I’m so excited to begin this journey as it will so benefit the students as it stimulates higher-order thoughts and will prepare them for the future. Personally, I’m stoked to step out of the structured K classroom and bring the excitement of CS to our little ones!
Challenges always relate to devices; our first generation iPads have held-up thus far. They are strong little machines which should hold on. The internet is the internet…hopefully we can work some magic with a booster?! As I will be going class-to-class, everything must run like clockwork with lessons and probably a pair-share format. Concern for required differentiation within lessons requires some strategic planning. I was concerned about Second Grade as they have had no CS exposure; however, after running through the unplugged and (all) plugged coding, (So far, I’ve coded over 4000 lines and earned the student A-D certs!) I feel confident that they will catch-on quickly; I find the sequential lessons student and ability-level friendly. The more I write Block Code, the more comfortable I feel to teach and Code.
I’d thank the Forum for information regarding setting-up a class-to-class mobile unit! Some days I will dance down the hall with the iPad cart. Other days, I will have my Unplugged Cart….
For my classroom, I intend on pairing my students together and starting off with an unplugged activity on following a simple set of instructions. I teach a year 5/6 class and I have looked at the express course, however I think I’ll get the kids started on course F for the year 5 students. The year 6 students can do this also with them as they haven’t done this before.
My plan with Code.org is to help students learn how to use each other as positive resources in their learning, how to persistent, and how to manage their impulses. I plan to use code.org at least once a week with each class.
I teach both 4th and 5th Grade Computers Applications. I have a semester at both our 4th grade and a semester at the 5th grade school. About 5 years ago I began to add Code.org segments into my curriculum. My students loved the puzzles and were quick to understand many basics concepts. Over the five year time period I have added some of the uplugged activities. One of my favorite to teach is the paper coding using directional arrows in a grid. There is immediately a connection made between the grid coding and puzzle solving!
This year my plan will be to teach as required by our Texas standards, Keyboarding, Internet Safety, Google programs and coding with my fourth grade and Computer Science with my 5th. The 5th will review all 4th grade work through projects assigned throughout the time they are with me. I am not sure how much I will cover, but I will keep you posted on my progress. I will introduce each concept by using unplugged activities. I am looking forward to beginning soon.
Hello,
I am actually an English teacher gone CS:) Next year our school English department is planning to have branch classes in English. W e learned the hard way that to learn a language is easier if you also teach via production. So I found myself in code.org and scratch.
My goal is to teach the kids in primary school the fundamentals of Computer Science and to show them the tools they could explore as they grow up. I don’t want to frustrate them so I am planning to arrange unplugged activities followed by lab online courses. Hand in hand I will also implement some terminology with homemade worksheets and language games. I am really excited to be the first one to try this around here.
Wish me luck.
What are your goals for your classroom? My goal is to teach our 200 children to be computer scientists.
How will CS or code.org resources help you meet those goals? Code has provided all the resources we need.
What are you most excited about when it comes to implementing some of these resources? The children love Code and they want to learn.
What challenges do you forsee in trying to meet your goals? The older children are more skilled than I am.
My goal is to use CODE to help my students learn how to problem solve. I’m most excited about learning with my students and modeling how to overcome obstacles together. The biggest challenge will be to find the class time to incorporate these lessons in addition to my school standards which include: keyboarding, PPT, email, career exploration (ILP) and more within a nine week period for 6th - 9th graders.
What are your goals for your classroom? How will CS or code.org resources help you meet those goals? For the students to be introduced to and learn how to code - Code.org provided training for myself and comprehensive lessons
For students to learn about how learning Computer Science can lead them to the careers they want - Code.org provides real world examples for students
What are you most excited about when it comes to implementing some of these resources?
The step by step lessons that use figures familiar to the students will really engage the students
What challenges do you forsee in trying to meet your goals?
My own lack of experience. This is my first year teaching Technology, let alone coding
What questions do you have that this community might help you answer?
At this time nothing, but I’m sure as I begin teaching the Code program I will have many questions
I’m a media specialist at an elementary school so I’m helping teach computer science and also supporting the classroom teachers and students.
My goal is to help my teachers and students successfully access and complete their lessons.
It has been exciting watching teachers who may be apprehensive gain confidence!
The teachers have noticed that the lessons can quickly get difficult for the students. Incorporating unplugged lessons and having students work collaboratively will help. Knowing teachers can look and see what’s challenging the students and who is working through the lessons successfully will be a huge help!
What are your goals for your classroom? How will CS or code.org resources help you meet those goals?
What are you most excited about when it comes to implementing some of these resources?
What challenges do you forsee in trying to meet your goals?
What questions do you have that this community might help you answer?
Question 1: Student Goals in my Pre-K Class
1.) Students will realize that technology specifically computer science affects their lives.
2.) Students will begin to understand and demonstrate problem solving skills essential in computer programming.
3.) Through my efforts, I hope to make students’ life more colorful and enjoyable.
Question 2.
Students show each other’s achievements and communicate their own experiences
Questions 3:
Organization of activities and integration with other courses.
The teachers of my students’ other subjects need to continue their knowledge.
Question 4:
How to popularize the course effectively.
In our school, we started teaching CS to all our students from grades 1 to 10, in the year, 2015. Code.org resources have been a great help for our teachers and students in teaching and learning the concepts of CS. I find the unplugged activities especially helpful in relating the CS concepts to the real-world examples, which is very important in making students understand and value the concepts of programming and computational thinking. It will be great if more of teacher training or facilitator training programs could be made available in this region.
This is my first time using Code Studio, but I hope to implement the curriculum through this year and next, schedule, admin, teacher (and student!) allowing.
What are your goals for your classroom? How will CS or code.org resources help you meet those goals?
I want to use code.org resources to implement a computer science curriculum that will make our students better critical thinkers, better at working socially, and help each student find something they love about solving problems or computer science. code.org functionally lays out an entire curriculum, ready-for-use, and that plug and play mentality makes it extremely approachable. There will be bumps in the road, of course, but this is a great model to have available.
What are you most excited about when it comes to implementing some of these resources?
I can’t wait to our K-3 students become better in other fields just by virtue of working through these sorts of problems and curricula. I genuinely believe students that have the chance to learn computer science become better in everything else - and I think research bears this out! I’m also eager to see young students develop creative, healthy relationships with all the technology available to them.
What challenges do you foresee in trying to meet your goals?
If I’m able to implement code.org resources and CS curriculum, I will be a first-time teacher - this is daunting for a lot of different reasons! I also think there is a (misguided!) notion that computer science is unapproachable, or geeky, or not fun - I think I will face a great challenge in making this content approachable. Although speaking honestly, I believe I will face that sort of ‘pushback’ more from adults than kids!
What questions do you have that this community might help you answer?
I know I will return to this forum and community time and time again to learn about new activities to implement, and hear from veteran educators on the best way to develop a positive learning environment for young students, especially students that cannot rely heavily on technology outside the school. I will likely rely heavily on unplugged activities to develop important concepts for the younger students. Just like we teach students in CS, persistence is absolutely key, and that is an important lesson I will have to learn as well.
I am currently unsure of how successful I could be in implementing complete courses through CS or code.org. I would love it, however, my schedule is an as-needed basis. I work in the media center, so not only do I help with students literary needs, I also bring a small element of technology to the table. These technology pieces only happen when teachers request a lesson. I would love to have the opportunity to incorporate Computer Science education into our school. I originally started looking at code.org as something my students students could use sporadically - when we do have a lesson with them. I also thought this was a great resource to share with our Computer teacher. I absolutely feel that my students can use code.org, or even CS, as an introduction to coding, and I will move toward bringing this into our media center lessons. However, unfortunately, I don’t foresee it being something that would be a regularly scheduled class time. I feel like it is totally important, I’m considering setting up a class just for my personal children!
That said, my goal with Computer Science education, right now, is to simply make students, faculty and parents aware of its importance and impact. I will also have lessons to share with students when they ask for it!
I’m also a tech facilitator and I’m doing a pilot with some of my K-5 kids/teachers. I am a special education teacher, and SpEd is the focus of my coaching position. So I have five classrooms right now using code.org, with some play in Code Studio. Would love to exchange ideas with you about how you’ve rolled out. I’ve already learned so many things I wish I had done differently!
Thanks for reaching out. I just started with the kindergarteners and I’m deep into Events and Nested loops with grades 3 and 4. I’m wondering where you are and what you are struggling with. I find course D very difficult so I’m taking it slowly with grade 3.
I would say I will be using the App. Lab for my Coding students once they have completed the Java Script Course that I have them do at the beginning of the semester. So far I have not had any problems or challenges.
I am using the code.org Express Course for each of my MYP Design classes.
My main goal for each grade level is the same: To learn the basic programming fundamentals in an enjoyable way at the students own pace.
Year 11 will complete the Express course as homework with periodic unplugged lessons in class. They will be learning VB Net at the same time. Students will complete a reflective journal.
Year 9 and Year 10 will complete the Express course as homework with periodic unplugged lessons in class. They will be learning app Inventor at the same time. Students will complete a reflective journal.
Year 8 will complete the Express course and unplugged lessons in class time with a focus on key words.
The adaptable structure of the course makes it easy for me to customize my approach to each group. The immediate and easy to follow student progress section lets me see who needs help in lessons and who is making progress on their own. In addition it will inform my lesson planning if I see several students getting stuck in the same topic or task.
The lesson plans are detailed and will save me loads of planning time.
What are you most excited about when it comes to implementing some of these resources?
I’m most excited to see if the students’ initial enthusiasm is sustained over the weeks. I will check in their reflective journals to see if this is so.
What challenges do you forsee in trying to meet your goals?
I might find it challenging to use the unplugged lessons with the older students, however, I am considering pulling small groups for these lessons as needed. I might find it challenging to teach a second language (VB and App Inventor) at the same time.
What questions do you have that this community might help you answer?
I need to give traditional exams. Are there any available?
) I feel confident that they will catch-on quickly; I find the sequential lessons student and ability-level friendly. The more I write Block Code, the more comfortable I feel to teach and Code.
