This week I took a risk to break away from our programs that our district provides for us like: Journeys, Everyday Math, Foss, and Harcourt Social Studies, to teach our students standards and concepts using Makerspace and Coding through the conceptual lenses of diversity, adaptation, and literature. Our plan for the week was developed through the help of internal and external expertise like: Twitter PLN members, grade level team members, Code.org resources, and even included an observation by our principal. The design and structures for this week’s unit can be found here.
Each day students reflected on their learning while in rotations, and after rotations were complete. The majority of time students were asked to reflect, they were asked to do so through speaking or writing. Many of the pictures and examples for the week can be seen on our Classroom Facebook page.
On the final day, students were asked to form an opinion and look back through their previous reflections to answer this question: Should students learn about coding? If so, at what grade levels and why? If not, why? Some Students wrote their final day opinions, and others chose to take a risk and videotape what they believe. They did not revise these other than think out loud with someone else. SO, they are rough, but I love their authenticity.
Reflections
Video: (Students recorded with the help of each other and uploaded to Youtube to share with me)
Written: ( Couple of examples were chosen. I found most wrote, because I said when they were done, they could go back to coding...silly me)
Student 1- I think coding should be taught in school. I believe it is a fun way to learn and you get to be creative, collaborative, and tell feedback. That is why I think coding is important.
Student 2-I think coding should be taught in school. Students can give each other feedback which is good. I coding should be for every grade level because it can be so diverse. Kids can use it for science, literature, and math.
We haven’t worked on forming opinions formally this year, however, these will be great examples to springboard our learning for our upcoming opinion unit..
Personal Reflection:
As I sit here at my desk at the end of this week feeling exhausted, I am so grateful that a parent asked me way back in August...Are you going to participate in the hour of code? I am so grateful that a parent said, “I heard you are learning about the design process. I am an Engineer and I would love to come in and teach them more about what I do and how I use this process everyday.” I am so grateful that I see the question that comes up from time to time on my Twitter feed, which asks...would YOU want to be a student in your classroom? I am so glad that I decided to take the risk, and jump head first into the deep end of the pool with the kids. I let them show me how they can connect concepts and reflect upon their learning naturally infusing words like debugging, function, and diversity, without me needing to explicitly teach them how to respond and reflect. I didn’t have to show them how to be reflective and creative. I didn’t need to referee disagreements. What I needed to do, and what I did was facilitate the structure, and have conversations with them. I got to ask probing questions, listen and see their creativity, and you know what...I got to know them better as people as well. I got to live a week of teaching just as I hoped teaching would be.
I hope that questions and wonderings inspire you to take a dip. I am exhausted, but I would do it again everyday, if it continues to mean that students are driving their own learning, reflecting, growing, and are excited to come to school every day!
