I have not taught ECS yet this year…it is second semester. However, this will definitely be a different teaching style for me and I’m excited to try it and see how students react. From what I’ve heard from other teachers, the students really jump on board and run with it.
I have found this method of teaching takes a certain level of maturity from the students. I am slowly getting more out of my students, but find it a challenge with the age of my students - 14,15. They are use to having the teacher tell them all the answers instead of applying critical thinking for themselves.
The benefits have been varied and really depend on the individual student, which vary, by student. The older, more mature students have done pretty well and have enjoyed the class. The more immature students have struggled. Teaching in an urban high poverty school brings its own challenges, which definitely requires differentiation.
My students are starting to warm up to the idea I am not going to give them the answers and that they will figure them out. It has worked great with them taking pieces per groups and teaching each other. I have found they get more out of it that way!
My students are developing more collaborating skills, questioning skills and learning to support what they say using proof or a reliable source.
I feel students in my classes are beginning to get a better understanding of computers as a science. They are beginning to relate to the broad field and what computer science can provide to society not just as a machine. They are looking now as problem solving techniques and relating to the creative aspects of computer science.
I have such a wide variety of student learners in my class. It’s actually quite a challenge. I have some students who “already know all of this” while others barely know how to conduct an internet search. I’m finding it difficult to have class discussions to lead this type of learning for these reasons. As far as my students responding to this style of learning - this hasn’t been a problem so far as it’s really how I run my classes anyway. Again though, the learning levels are my biggest challenge.
The students have been responding well to the different method of teaching style but I tend to have a bit of a problem because my classroom is a computer lab and the students want to spend all the time fooling around on the computer therefore for the spring semester I’ll have the program office assign me a regular classroom because I do have a laptop cart.
My students appreciate the coaching style because they do not have to sit through lecture before getting to work on their projects. They ask each other questions in addition to asking me questions so they have a shorter wait time to receive help which they also like.
Students are really becoming independent thinkers. They are realizing that they can find answers on their own or from a peer. Students are realizing that they do not have to come to me as the teacher fro all of the solutions to what they want to learn and be able to do with the different projects.
I have notices students staying engaged; taking the time to teach each other in their small groups. Its not just me up in front of the class talking…
This class lends to many open discussions where the answer is not always definitely wrong or definitely right. The students are learning to thing beyond a simple answer and go into more detail as well as being able to defend their answer. The students also enjoy the mixture of hands on activities as well as mini groups.
Students love to be able to share, work in groups and work with projects.
I agree about the journaling! My students were really eager to get onto the computers and I’ve found that even some students who really aren’t engaged in the classroom became very engaged in problem solving with their peers when they were working not he computers.
I have found that hands-on activities work best in pretty much any classroom. Giving students a chance to research and find answers on their own before volunteering the answer is good practice as well. I think it gives them a greater sense of confidence when they find answers on their own, and they are also more comfortable asking each other questions.
My students have responded very well to the interactive, hands-on activities. They enjoy self-discovery and student-centric learning. They like they are getting a treat when they can do group work at their own pace, in a project-based learning environment.
When scholars are given opportunities to be part of the teaching-learning process they become invested. I can surely say that the students who would never raise a single question in my math class are the ones who are contributing in the dynamics of the discussion.
I have seen progress I teach two different groups the first one are kids highly motivated, which are really concerned about their grades, the second group most of them are level 1 and 2, struggling with academics, I must admit that it is a challenge to help my second group to persist and try to figure it out answers on their own. I have to give them more hands on, and visuals for them to get to understand the concept. But it is paying of, I see most of them trying to collaborate and solving problems together.
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Now in digital age when all information is so easily available , teacher can not afford to have traditional or instructor approach.Since we all have different interest, learning styles we need to provide students differentiated approach based on their readiness level and learning styles.
I believe we need to help students to produce out of information they are consuming and provide them with technology tools to create learning product.
It’s great seeing the collaboration that happens. It’s very organic now, and it even carries over to their other classes. At first they would get angry when I wouldn’t tell them the answer, or when a class would get multiple answers. Now they are much more willing to work through it.