Coding in SOE
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Our experience in CODE Camp during the summer was so successful. Teachers and students came out learning something new and fun, and since it was our first camp ever, it wildly exceeded our expectations. But I have to say that it was the Parents reaction that floored us the most. They kept asking when were we going to implement more of these Camps because their daughters and sons could not stop talking about "loop and sequencing", and although they did not quite understand exactly what the kids were saying they recognized a new sparkle in their eyes, a new hunger to learn. And our Parents wanted more of this for their children. A lot more
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During our CODE Camp all Second Grade Teachers came in to help. We also had Teachers from other SBISD campus come and join our Team. We decided to keep it as simple as we could so we organized the CAMP around stations. Each student had opportunities to learn basic Coding vocabulary and apply these new concepts in various plugged and unplugged activities represented by each Teacher. We used books, cups, cards and IPDAS with Tinker and Swift playgrounds and other Apps that allowed students to record their own learning.
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So of course after that amazing experience, we had to pose the question on how to continue a CODING program during the school year?
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Hour of STEM-Coding
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This year at our Campus, we have been implementing a new program called Leader In Me.
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"Leader in Me was originally developed by a principal and teachers who wanted to teach their students life skills alongside academics; as a cohort, they believed leadership, responsibility, accountability, problem solving, adaptability, and social-emotional skills were just as important as math and reading" - Leader In Me web site
Read more about this framework:
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As part of the Leader in Me, every morning we have 30 minutes allotted for what we call Empowerment time. On Wednesdays, we have a STEM slot. For STEM a group of teachers worked during the summer to plan Science and Math lessons - activities that are fun and easy for Teachers to implement and for the students to do. It goes alongside academics and students can problem solve different tasks and activities that encourage their creative side and collaborative spirit.
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Eureka! This is where we can bring CODING. It gives the students the opportunity to problem solve through pattern recognition, decomposing, to create different solutions to a problem, work in collaboration, explore and become risks takers unafraid of failure recognizing the unique set of circumstances that come from moments of discomfort and learning from mistakes.
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I think here is where we have a great opportunity to start implementing CODING in our elementary schools in SBISD. Even though all our SBISD schools do not have Leader in Me most have a STEM allotted time.
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As it is right now, STEM is mostly science oriented with some components of engineering. The majority of Teachers have been exposed to lesson and activities of these types. Technology is used more as the product where to write their findings, conclusions and/or reflections. But what we propose with CODING is a different use of the Technology component. We need a STEM- CODING hour for all schools to push new boundaries. With a new focus in projects and activities that have CODING and Computational Thinking at the heart.
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My innovation proposal is to formally create an Hour STEM-CODING in all SBISD's elementary school with CODING front and center in an equal partnership with Science, Engineering and Math anchored with the Digital Environment for CODING to teach, offer resources and support Teachers in elementary schools.
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While teachers are familiar with STEM, CODING is still new too many.
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To this end we need to create a Digital Environment where Teacher can find lessons, How to's, Tutorials, recommended books, websites and links and /or a pathway on how to Teach CODE and Computational thinking at their grade level.
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Digital Environment to implement Hour of STEM-CODING
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To start, the primary grades lessons would be kept simple, easy and mostly focused on Coding Literacy as to build a foundation on what Coding and Computational Thinking is through plugged and unplugged activities on itslearning.
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What is CODE, COMMAND, SEQUENCE, LOOP, BUG , DEBUG & ALGORITHM would be the foundation make up of Coding Literacy following our successful model during CODE CAMP.
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We can also offer links to CODING resources, Tutorials videos, How To, tips and recommendations.
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The new STEM -CODING hour would go alongside of instruction. An hour to explore, create, collaborate and have fun. One 30 minutes dedicated to a science/ math/ engineering activity and the second 30 minutes dedicated to a CODING.These could be done during two separate days of the week, as Empowerment of the Brain time.
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During CODING time we would apply some of the principals of computational thinking "using special thinking patterns and processes to pose and solve problems: Decomposition, pattern matching, abstraction and algorithm." -Jane Krausee and Kiki Prottsman Computational Thinking and Coding for every student, 2017.
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Lesson plans and activities can be plugged and unplugged and could easily also be shared with parents through apps in the lower elementary and itslearning on the intermediate grades. And even perhaps, invite the parents to a CODING Parent Night Out so they can see for themselves what CODING is about from their own children.
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As time goes by CODING could be incorporated in the intermediate grades through Social Studies, Math, Science, Reading as another venue to create, explore and apply content, which could be added and organized in our Digital environment as it grows and improves through trial and error or bug and debug to put in CODING language.
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Why is CODING important?
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If we teach CODING and Computer science alongside our core subjects giving students real opportunities to develop 21 first century skills related to collaboration, problem solving, communication and creativity we can help our students change the way the see themselves and create a growth mindset that will enable them to lead a successful academic journey with a toolbox of social emotional gadgets, a perspective of looking at problems and not feeling defeated but curious to find a better way. Lessons that would hopefully propel them to not be afraid to challenges and work tirelessly to achieve their dreams.
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Students in my school Shadow Oaks Elementary already face many challenges that come with being part of an impoverished population as well as being English as Second Language learners. For them an innovation program such as CODING in the classroom in parallel as Leader in me could mean breaking the Cycle of Poverty in their families and fulfill their American dreams.
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So what do we need to start CODING in SBISD?
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Elementary schools mostly have chrome books in our District. Some schools have 5 IPADS per classroom for their lower primary grades.
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It's true that plugged activities Coding can be done in different websites that are compatible with our chrome books but Swift playground and Tinker which is what we successfully used in our CODE CAMP can only be found on IPDAS.
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I propose having at least 10 IPads per classroom (to be shared in pairs) and up until 20 for students to use these CODING apps along other educational related apps in the Apple environment that work with all core subjects.Classroom with IPads should have Apple TVs to work with the IPDAS. The teacher should have at least IPad and a MacBook.
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Another alternative is to create Apple CODING labs for each grade level from 2-5 grade, with 25 IPADS each where students can do CODING as part of their specials and /or clubs.
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Per our experience in CODE CAMP it would helpful to have some form of unique identity for students so when they use their IPADS they can track their progress and Teachers can have reports as well.
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IT department should have a dedicated appointed team for the IPADS network. So far the experience with APPLE related products and IT support has been very poor.