Computational Thinking - South Lafayette Township School District: ISTE 2017

South Lafayette's approach to introducing computational thinking relied on transforming education through innovation.  They have built on small discoveries to end up with break through ideas.  There program has grown over time as opportunities have arisen which has led to embedding computational into the curriculum alongside extension programs for developing inquiry. MakerSpace Workshop Presentation

K-2
K-2 focus on Engineering and Design, Computer Programming and and Environmental Discovery Garden

Kindergarten:

• Create conductive play-doh and make circuits
• Kodable

Year 1:

• Create a model of the community in cardboard and record information about each place with QR Codes
• Construct a sturdy house the big bad wolf cant blow down
• Perfect the paint recipe
• design a better bubble blower

Year 2:

• Learn about programming with Scratch Jnr and Lego WeDo
• Create Digital Fairy Tales
• All about me projects
• Create a video game using Scratch Jnr
• Incorporate motors and sensors on a design for a working robot
• Floor Circuits using Makey Makey
• Stop Motion animation with book characters (Flat Stanley)
• Green Screen
• Use of QR codes to link to research

Year 3-5

The focus for Year 3-5 is developing fluency in computational thinking. Digital Literacy skills they develop are applied in maker centred ways during STEAM classes.

Year 3:

• Lego WeDo kits with scratch programming - developing Mars Rovers

Year 4:

• Create an Electric Community using Hummingbird Robotics

Year 5:

• Use of Lego, Hummingbird and Makey Makey in a range of projects
• RobotC programming language to deepen understanding of computational thinking
• Designing 3D models using BlocksCad - mathematical concepts of x, y and z space

Year 6-8

Diversification is the focus to enable students to discover their passion and build robust pathways in computer science, engineering and other opportunities in high school.

Year 6:

Continue to develop knowledge in VEX IQ incorporating sensors and motors on robots allowing them to make decisions based on inputs.

Focus on real world challenges that robots can solve

2D design using autocad and the manufacturing process

Snap, Crackle, Pop - PD that Sizzles: ISTE 2017

The team that delivered this session from Coppell DLCs - Brad Cook,  Nancy Garvey,  Trisha Goins,  Leigh Ann Howard,  Megan Kelley,  Tami Martins,  Amanda Mask,  Alli Pryor,  Brooke Sims,  Kelly Skillingberg,  Brian Timm and  Yolanda Williams introduced a framework for delivering quality PL to the back drop of making.

Coppell DLCs is a team of educator trainers for embedding IT in their district.  Their PL is delivered through Schoology and has a number of mandated elements:

1. One step directions
2. Call back signal
3. Call back song
4. Keep everyone feeling safe

To do this they use a range of strategies

• 4 Corners - This technique stimulates student learning through movement and discussion, and it can also be used as a formative assessment. Students are presented with a controversial statement or are asked a question. In each of the four corners of the classroom, an opinion or response is posted. Students express their opinion or response by standing in front of one of four statements, and then talking to others about why they have chosen their corner. Four Corners promotes listening, verbal communication, critical thinking, and decision-making.

• Window Pane Notes - Utilize window pane notes to provide a centralized location where educators can reflect. Window pane notes create meaningful places within their session for participants to stop to process.

• Visual Synectics - Incorporate this strategy into your professional learning sessions or classroom, first, by choosing 4 images. Ask participants to observe the images and make a connection to one of them. Provide a sentence stem. Example: Technology integration in education is like a _______ because _______.*Hint: Don’t over think the images you choose.*

• Hexagonal Thinking - Hexagonal Thinking is simple yet powerful. Students can make their thinking visible by writing ideas on a hexagon and forming connections. As groups rearrange the hexagons in a variety of ways, they begin to see how others view the world–the very definition of empathy. The shape of the hexagon itself allows for more creative connections due to the number of sides and the way your eyes and brain search over the whole thinking map to seek connections. When you make a list or work in boxes, the linear thinking that follows can be quite effective and speedy, but for creativity–hexagons win. Communication skills are strengthened since the thought experiment ideally requires collaboration. Students must communicate and petition one another while they reposition ideas and ultimately come to a consensus.

• I used to think...now I know...- This strategy requires individuals to compare verbally or in writing their ideas at the beginning of a lesson instructional sequence to the ideas they have after completing the lesson(s). Individuals have the opportunity to process and reflect using metacognition.

• Text coding - Text coding is a strategy to assist readers in using metacognition while they are reading. Facilitators provide a coding system and instruct readers to mark the text and record what they are thinking either in the margins or on post-it notes. Readers make connections,self-question, and respond to what they reading, ultimately enhancing their long-term understanding.

• Turn and talk - Utilize this easy participation structure in all content areas and PL! Turn and Talk is a strategy that provides scaffolded interactions to formulate ideas and share thinking with another. All​learners have a chance to share their thinking in a low-risk setting. Verbalizing thinking scaffolds understanding.

• Fist to five - Use Fist to five to provide learners an opportunity to express opinions, levels of confidence, comprehension, and readiness for task. This quick strategy serves as a feedback tool and can be used to rate the effectiveness of strategies and technologies.

They focus on a range of modalities for PL delivery - Face to face, online, personal reading, collaboration portals, etc

Their PL is based on their belief that all PL needs:

• Interaction
• Choice
• Differentiation
• Reflection
• Modality
• On-going

They strictly adhere to a timeline for implementation of each PL and introduced the iPad app 30/30 for timing a series of events.


Our makes during the session included art brush bots and makey makey musical instruments

 Art brushbot

Makey Makey Flute

CISD - Learning Framework



CISD - Facilitation Framework

A Framework for Maker Education: Frontloading and Reflecting: ISTE 2017

This session run by Jackie Gerstein (@JackieGerstein) provided a framework for looking at Making.  The focus on Front Loading making and students documenting their learning, being publishers and having an audience key to authenticity.

We looked at the stages of making as experiential learning that starts with copying and ends with creation.

Front loading or setting the scene requires the teacher to set the seed for making by focusing attention and identifying the purpose.  This can be done in a range of ways:

• Using scenarios
• Using essential questions
• Asking questions to scaffold
• Specifying standards - metacognition
• Asking questions about the use of collaboration
• Asking questions related to personal skills 

 

  
Frontloading is making clear the purpose of an activity prior to actually doing it.  The idea is that if participants clearly understand the purpose or lesson upfront, that lesson will repeatedly show itself during the action component. (http://chiji.com/processing.htm)

 The practitioner tells or guides participants before the experience on how what they want them to focus on in the activity. It is about guided attention before the activity. (http://www.aee.org/tapg-best-p-matching-facilitation-strategy) 

What are the benefits of frontloading?

• It helps participants use the upcoming activity to build on prior knowledge and experience
• It helps participants set purpose and intention for the activity
• It distributes expertise to the participants before the activity begins, as opposed to the facilitator or instructor being the only expert (http://experience.jumpfoundation.org/what-is-frontloading/)

Some of the general themes and ideas for frontloading making activities include:

• Using and Reviewing Essential Questions – explicitly discussed prior to the maker activities. For example –
  • What are the attributes of having a maker mindset?
  • What skills do you need to be an inventor? an engineer?
  • What are the steps to the design process?
  • How do inventors, engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and/or artists solve problems? How do they overcome challenges?

• Using Scenarios – for example –
  • You have been hired to create a new invention to bring kindness into the world. This invention will be shared with all of the kids in the United States.
  • The kids at the local shelter would love to have one of the latest and greatest of toys. Make them one of these.

• Specifying Standards – the Next Generation Science Standards include some good examples. The educator can introduce the standards and explain what they mean in terms of the upcoming maker activities. For example:
  • Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
  • Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

• Asking Questions Related To Personal Skills – for example –
  • The following maker activity will draw upon your imagination, creativity, and innovative mindset. What do you consider your strengths in this area that can be used during your maker activity?

• Asking Questions to Help with Scaffolding and Sequencing the Activities – the facilitator can review previous activities and then ask participants prior to the next learning activity –
  • In this next activity you will be asked to do _______________, what skills did you learn in the (previous activity) that will help you do ____________ in this upcoming activity?

• Asking Questions Related To Using Peer Support-Working Collaboratively – for example – 
  • How might you use your co-learners support if and when you get stuck or reach an impasse while working on the next activity?

The process should always have reflection as a critical component:
Critical reflection is an important part of any learning process. Jack Mezirow states that “Critical reflection involves a critique of the presuppositions on which our beliefs have been built. Learning may be defined as ‘the process of making a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of an experience, which guides subsequent understanding, appreciation and action’.” To reflect is to enter a space of co-incidence, where the beginning of the learning process, and its end, meet to consult about the result of that process. Without reflection, learning becomes only an activity -- like viewing a reality TV show -- which was never meant to have meaning, but was only meant to occupy time. - Sean Michael Morris

We had our own opportunities to make during the session - a place name with LEDs, Chibi Circuits as well as toy hacking and toothbrush art.  We also had a chance to play a reflections game:

 

 Circuit Stickers

Brush Robot Art

'Documenting is more than staying organised or writing down what will be or was taught. Documenting is PART of the learning process' -
Jackie Gerstein

We finished off the day by documenting our learning:

MakerSpaces with Impact - TCEA Learning Academy: ISTE 2017

The TCEA session at ISTE 2017, run by Peggy Reimers (@preimers), was a great introduction to an organisational model for MakerSpaces.  Their Makers website was a great inspiration for a structure to arrange our MakerSpace.

• Build it! - Keva Planks, LEGO, Makey Makey and Zoobs
• Coding - Apps, Scratch and Scratch Junior
• Flexible Making - Origami, etc
• Robots - BeeBots, Dot&Dash, Ozobots, Ollie, Sphero and LEGO Robotics
• Repurpose - Cardboard, etc
• Bead it!
• Hyperduino
• Textiles
• Circuitry - Littlebits, LCDs. etc
• 3D Printing
• Drones 
• Even more making
• Design

Peggy talked about being a Maker from way back, tinkering on her parents farm, crochet and her love of arts and crafts and I could see the parallels for me - My craft room literally has floor to ceiling supplies for a huge range of maker activities - paper making, card making, scrapbooking, crochet, knitting, patchwork, painting, multimedia canvases, baking,  etc, etc. I am already a Maker!
With this love of craft also comes a love for technology and inspiring Making in others.
 


 
The 2016 ISTE standards are a good place to start for justifying the need to have Making in schools:

 Making is a perfect process for instilling the 4 Cs of the 21st Century - Creator - Collaborator - Communicator and Critical Thinker.

During the session we had the opportunity to participate in 5 Maker stations - my choices are highlighted above.  I tried to choose stations that I was unfamiliar with, but would be fun :o)

Some of my/our projects:

 Paper Shape Challenge

 3D Doodling

 Looming

 Building

Getting started:
Peggy suggested a format for getting started starting with taking inventory!

What space do you have, what is your storage like, what do you already have that can go into your space?

Start small, build your capacity and find your current experts.

Make sure students have a voice in the process and start with the passions of your staff

Celebrate your achievements with a showcase