Hi. I hope I didn’t any of this info in any of my searches. If this is redundant, please delete.
I am finding the first chapter of Unit 4 very strange. Lesson 5, in particular. there are way too many moving parts, and its so difficult to understand. I couldn’t even easily figure out “who gets what” handout. THen, you have Lesson 8. Attempting that today, We’ll see.
So…has anyone eliminated, modified or shortened any of this chapter 1? Advice?
Hi @rblasz,
I hope Lesson 8 went well today! Here are my brief thoughts on your questions…
I have always thought of Chapter 1 as teaching the students about design thinking or user centered design which is the framework for solving problems based on others’ needs. I have found that students have a very hard time with this concept. Lesson 1 and 2 focus on the new component of empathy to the problem solving process.
You might try searching the forum for “design thinking” to help you modify Chapter 1 and teach the concept of empathy in user centered design. Hopefully others will reply to this as well. Keep an eye on The Teachers Lounge - The Design Process Chapter 1 and hopefully over time the forum will populate with ideas for these lessons.
Looking forward to seeing ideas from others,
~Michelle
Thank you. Marking period 1 is about over, and I think I’m going to have to re-think Unit 4 in its entirety. I only have 23 classes to work with, and I am thinking I may have to work backwards so that the students finish their app. I would still love to talk with someone who has experience with both chapters. True, the open ended thinking is challenging, but the bigger challenge was around some of the handouts. The paper prototype, for example. The cut-outs. So confusing, and very connected to other lessons. Therefore, difficult to eliminate. Later on, there is a second paper prototype as well. Some of the activity sheets seem redundant. If there is anyone I could talk to who has Unit 4 experience, I’d greatly appreciate it. Units 1, 2, and 3 were a lot more straightforward.
Sorry you are having difficulty with the lesson. I think the best place to go to find a resource to talk to is your regional partner. They should be able to direct you to a local facilitator who can answer questions. The regional partner for your area can be found beginning on this page. There is also an option to submit a request and or give feedback on this page. The curriculum developers take this feedback into account as when they review the curriculum.
Good luck,
~Michelle
For anyone wanting to skip the complications of the Txt Ur Grndkdz paper prototype, here is a digital example. App Lab - Code.org