This chat includes a discussion of topics of interest to K-8 teachers who teach and/or integrate computer science.The Computer Science Teachers Association is a membership organization that supports and promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines. CSTA provides opportunities for K–12 teachers and students to better understand the computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare themselves to teach and learn.
As we slide toward summer, we welcome you to the Sliding For Home #csk8 chat. Tonight we’re talking about the Thrills of Victory, Agonies of Defeat, & Plans for the Future in our K-8 CS Classes.
#csk8 is a structured chat so questions are numbered Q1 for Question 1, Q2 for Question 2 and answers should start with A1 for the answer to Q1, A2 to answer Q2, etc.
Before we get started with questions, please introduce yourself: Name, Location, Connection to CS education for 5-14 year olds, & Favorite Baseball Team. #CSk8
April Chamberlain
Birmingham, Alabama
Technology Coordinator
On state writing team who developed Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study for K12, PD Facilitator, volunteer to teach CS at elem schools and local science museum
Atlanta Braves #CSk8
Hi #CSK8 friends! Amanda, Innovation TOSA in Cali trying to jump in for a few :) And favorite baseball team is absolutely the @SFGiantshttps://t.co/dUzU3SbZA1
Q1: It's a HOME RUN!
What lessons / units / activities in your K-8 computer science class(es) this year were home runs? Share links if you have them. #csk8
Are u interested in integrating Algebra & Comp Science? Sign up for limited seats to an exclusive SoCal @Bootstrapworld Workshop Aug 6-8 at a reduced rate 4 CUE members. https://t.co/uuMD3jp1fz - Contact Rose Roman to secure ur seat today! rroman@bwscampus.com #CSk8#WeAreCUE
Grant Smith on our company Twitter account, I'll be in and out of the chat tonight. I provide K-8 PD for computer science. Sorry, I don't think I've ever watched an entire baseball game... #csk8
Owen, San Francisco, TOSA SFUSD CS Content Specialist, I work mostly w/k-5 Ss and Ts, and I teach a digital making class once a week in 6-8 #CSinSF#CSk8
Zac earns Tynker time by completing all his responsibilities each morning....and he hasn't missed a day in 3 years!
Learn why Zac is so motivated by Tynker: https://t.co/HDGjKcI5aL#csk8#STEMeducation
A1: I am using CS First Game Design and Fashion and Design with two different groups of 5th graders and they are really taking off with their skills. We enhance with reflection journals, stop and give feedback, and online website to showcase work. https://t.co/VSGsyRVYgo#csk8
A1: #microbit with the 5th graders - they have programmed it to control LEDs, buzzer, motor and use the light and tilt sensor. And they really get it - wonderful to see them do the wiring and coding on their final projects they built in the #makerspace#csk8
I don't follow any sports #CSk8 I tried to avoid that part of the Q, though I did take a photo of the new Warriors stadium being built on my morning bike commute today
I used Turtlestitch and the kids had a blast! Even teamed up with a local embroidery business and the printed the kids designs on T-shirt’s https://t.co/PnVNJtnUts#csk8
The website is in construction phase right now. We have been using Google Classroom for shoutouts and online feedback. A team of three is building the website to have an easier way to the school and community to play their games. I will share the link soon. #csk8
A1: I used Turtlestitch and the kids had a blast! Even teamed up with a local embroidery business and the printed the kids designs on T-shirt’s https://t.co/RGyqldqsJJ#csk8
A1 - our teachers saw the value of doing unplugged lessons like Rosie runtime, loop handshakes, and algorithms creatures to help link the CS standards to plugged lessons #csk8
I actually had my 2nd graders do some things with my #Microbits awhile back. They did a great job! I'm doing an after school program starting this Tues for 4th/5th. #csk8
Q2: 1 ... 2 ... 3 Strikes, You're Out!
We know it's not all successes. Let's share some strikeouts you've experienced this year. How might you revisit these and turn them into hits? #csk8
Somebody wake me up when there's a cricket reference ok. I'll be having a spot of tea and a nap. 😉🤣 #immigrantsbelike
Carla, Chicago, Digital Curriculum Developer for @everydaycs@UChicagoSTEMEd#CSk8
In reply to
@Todd_Lash, @everydaycs, @UChicagoSTEMEd
I am seeing the Ss use the skills in later games without prompting. Also, I have purposely building in collaborative work and feedback time live where I listen to them sharing their knowledge and become leaders. #csk8
Q2: 1 ... 2 ... 3 Strikes, You're Out!
We know it's not all successes. Let's share some strikeouts you've experienced this year. How might you revisit these and turn them into hits? #csk8
A1 pushing into a few really challenging schools this year, hard to honestly say there were any home runs, but day 1 of Scratch Jr when they tinker to learn the blocks had Ss feeling successful confident and able to learn #CSk8
A2: Programming @Ozobot Bits on Ozoblockly is fun, but can also be frustrating when it doesn't work. We love our ozobots, but they give us the most trouble out of all the tools we use... #csk8
A2 Makey Makey lessons were hard, mostly since none of my SS had ever done anything like it, don't have my own lab so it's hard to setup in advance, and saw many Ss give up when it didn't work right away #CSk8
A1: My Tech Leadership team and Open Tech Time before school kids loved doing a web meet up with @aidanchopra from @bitsbox and are going crazy coding now. #csk8
Welcome, Mark. We're on Q2: 1 ... 2 ... 3 Strikes, You're Out!
We know it's not all successes. Let's share some strikeouts you've experienced this year. How might you revisit these and turn them into hits? #csk8
A2 so I'm breaking down Makey Makey lessons into tiny parts and only trying to do one small part each class, they still struggle but I see more siccess #CSk8
#csk8 Q2 Most unsuccessful effort this year -- an afterschool program for disadvantaged girls, middle school level. They stated on Day 1 that they had done coding before and did not want to do any more of it.
Yes, I've started doing that with some grades myself. I do have a classroom but back-to-back classes so set up/clean up is a problem with my classes, too. #csk8
A2 the making a paper computer lesson we do after reading Hello Ruby has been a strike out pretty consistently, mostly because my k-2 classes are 30-35 mins and I can't set everything up in advance, Ts don't finish in their room and Ask get disappointed #CSk8
A1: Intro to @scratch lessons using @CodeClubWorld projects were a huge success! As were the Intro to Physical Computing w/@Raspberry_Pi Ss enjoy making LEDs blink! #csk8
Q1: It's a HOME RUN!
What lessons / units / activities in your K-8 computer science class(es) this year were home runs? Share links if you have them. #csk8
A2: Most recent strike-out was an Intro to Python w/MinecraftPi... not a total loss, but Ss so distracted by Minecraft, that focusing on learning the programming was tough #CSk8
Q2: 1 ... 2 ... 3 Strikes, You're Out!
We know it's not all successes. Let's share some strikeouts you've experienced this year. How might you revisit these and turn them into hits? #csk8
#csk8 A2 contd We tried everything we could think of. Microbit music output to a headset (usually a hit), Thymio robots to draw art, whatever. Most success was letting them create sticker designs for vinyl cutter. Not clear what they learned but at least they engaged in that.
I think I get it, I push into T classrooms, so I can't set anything up in advance, I tried in the fall semester to make it take 2 classes, but I left the parts w/ T and they lost them and we couldn't do it next week, I'm having some control issues #CSk8
They did end up learning some good skills, especially with additional practice using @CodeCombat but we ended up scrapping the final project build due to distraction 😑#csk8
#csk8 All-girl middle school after school program. Absolutely 0 interest in anything. I was told they were on soccer team so I tried soccer examples with Scratch and WeDo. They told me the team was disbanded by coach due to poor attendance at practice. It was very at-risk group.
The last PD we had, they wouldn't work on half the screens (old laptops). Turned up brightness, closed all other apps, tried every trick we knew but was super frustrating for teachers new to coding. Considering nixing them from our course but don't know what to use instead #CSK8
4th grade. With more time we could probably start with some play time to get that out of their system a bit, but the way my time w/Ss work, that’s not always an option. #csk8
A2: Most recent strike-out was an Intro to Python w/MinecraftPi... not a total loss, but Ss so distracted by Minecraft, that focusing on learning the programming was tough #CSk8
Q2: 1 ... 2 ... 3 Strikes, You're Out!
We know it's not all successes. Let's share some strikeouts you've experienced this year. How might you revisit these and turn them into hits? #csk8
I also don't have storage space in my schools and commute on my bike, so I can't bring them home and back next week, working on a solution, but none in sight yet #CSk8
Yeah, sewable circuits or art might be something to try if you haven’t yet. We had a little pushback from MS girls this yr until they started programming LED effects into artwork & then they ran with it #csk8
Q4: 7th Inning Stretch!
Now that spring break is over (or almost over), what are your plans to finish the year strong and end with a winning “season”? #csk8
Have you tried the new mini @Sphero yet? I keep meaning to get one but haven't gotten around to it yet. The think @Ozobot is good for is being device agnostic... #CSK8
In reply to
@robert_kalman, @Ozobot, @SpheroEdu, @Sphero, @Ozobot
#csk8 We heard that they had been forced to do Scratch by a very bad instructor a couple years before and so they had a gut reaction to basically refuse to engage in anything resembling coding. We paid the price for a previous bad experience not involving us.
As we all know (and research also shows) the power of a good teacher is the most important thing in a student's education. Wish you had gotten to them first Mark! #csk8
A4: Our strong ending will be sharing their work with the school and community through the online site and f2f times with adults from the community. #csk8
#csk8 yes, we have done sewable circuits and also smart stuffed animals before and that worked well but requires very high ratio of Ts to Ss. Still, I wished I had gone there on this group. After a tough start, it was too late to switch.
Yeah, sewable circuits or art might be something to try if you haven’t yet. We had a little pushback from MS girls this yr until they started programming LED effects into artwork & then they ran with it #csk8
A4 working with a teachers to create some new unit protects integrating scratch and their plants unit. Also thinking about ways to integrate CS in STEM fairs. End of year is a great time to try new things with students and new instructional practices! #csk8
As we all know (and research also shows) the power of a good teacher is the most important thing in a student's education. Wish you had gotten to them first Mark! #csk8
Q4 I don't see Ss for a whole year so I have no special plans, I have a new group starting this Fri and we'll have 9 classes together, last 2 classes will be robotics to keep their interest into the last 2 weeks of school #CSk8
Great questions...love the baseball theme:) Looking forward to reading through the responses more thoroughly after the kids are in bed. Go Blue Jays! 🇨🇦 Always love the #csk8 chat!
A4: I would love to host a Family Code NIght with students facilitating the learning of others. If not this year, for sure next year during Hour of Code week. #csk8
A4 Moving my 2nd graders from Scratch Jr to full Scratch, teaching my kinders to use Scratch Jr., 3rd & 4th using Scratch to teach concepts to younger Ss, and 5th grade working on a game development project. #csk8
A4 I'm also starting at a totally new school on Monday, K-2 classes, and I'll see them 8 times so I call it a CS greatest hits crash course, but we'll include 3 Beebots and 3 Scratch Jr lessons as they are general hits #CSk8
A3 #csk8 Curious how many CSK8 coding teachers would find time to interact with an online consulting service aimed at this audience, were it free. Especially if in conjunction with say a webinar series to get started?
Welcome. We're on Q4: 7th Inning Stretch!
Now that spring break is over (or almost over), what are your plans to finish the year strong and end with a winning “season”? #csk8
A4 with my new groups starting Fri they are gr3-5 I'll have them use Scratch microworlds a couple of times so they get a taste of Scratch but in a very controlled environment since they have never done any coding or CS and I only see them 8 times #CSk8
The drive modes are fun, for my application I'm most interested in programming them. Although, a computer science discussion around face drive would be very interesting! #CSK8
In reply to
@awall777, @robert_kalman, @Ozobot, @SpheroEdu
Q5: Buy me some peanuts & Cracker Jacks!
What new equipment / supplies do you hope to get before the year ends or at least by the time next year begins? How would this add to your CS program? #csk8
A4: Well without giving it a whole lot of thought, I have to remember in 4th quarter that the 8th graders are almost in high school now, everybody's emotions and brains are full, so we need to step back, enjoy each other and have fun. #csk8
A4: I love the 4th quarter b/c it's all about CS so we're doing lots of fun things with micro:bit, Circuit Playground, Makey Makey, WeDo 1.0, Dash & Dot ... #csk8
A5: I am very interested in wearable technology. I have two Adafruit Floras just waiting to be explored. I want to create a summer experience for MS girls using these and fashion experts. #csk8
A4 #csk8 Continue to deliver w all our toys, but I'm observing w 2 questions in mind: (a) what happens in S's mind as they transition from blocks to text -- why is it so intimidating? and (b) what happens in S's mind such that constructing an artifact helps construct knowledge?
A5 the #CSinSF team has access to almost any tools we want, I need to focus more on making various parts of our curriculum work better in the widely varying schools I teach it in, more pedagogy reflection than tool envy #CSk8
A4: Feels like end of year already starting off strong! Had 3 Ts I’ve never worked w/before request #CS & @Raspberry_Pi lessons before end of year... increased interest definitely = HOMERUN! #csk8
#csk8 we have a bunch of Oculus and Vive systems at school and we teach some Unity, Blender, etc to the kids. But there are always tools coming out that are easier to use and good for young learners. Like Google Blocks to create 3D models.
I picked up 20 when they were on sale fro $1 each... yet to get them out of the box. On my list to do. Hearing good things- but my brief look- yeah, it's a hologram. Programming will make the difference! #csk8
A5: Lucky to have all the tools I need. I just want to try a couple of new projects to have ready for Ss for next year. Going back into the classroom in Fall & being housed at a site will allow me some more #CS time w/Ss #csk8
Q5: Buy me some peanuts & Cracker Jacks!
What new equipment / supplies do you hope to get before the year ends or at least by the time next year begins? How would this add to your CS program? #csk8
A6 #csk8 My dream is to know what to say/do when a troubled S says, "I do not like learning anything. I am not interested in anything. I just want to chat on my phone and watch youtubes." (And they mean it.)
A5 Just got a few more Spheros so I have enough to use with a full class. Hoping to get some Circuit Playgroud Expresses too. Want Ss to have exposure to many tools & technologies so they have lots of choices when designing projects. #csk8
A6: Been getting better about leaving time for sharing & reflecting at end of class. Ss have a chance to celebrate and talk about challenges, which also helps me plan for next lessons/projects #csk8
I think that probably people care, but realize it is such a systemically deep and multifaceted problem there are no "educational" answers. They are societal which means that they will get ignored an the problems re-blamed on teachers :) #csk8
A6: My students share their work, though I haven't been good about having my K-2's do this lately. https://t.co/fIVGibFiHk - we did a showcase of projects at the end of the year last year & hoping to fit that in again this year. #csk8
#csk8 Part of the solution is admitting that poverty and resulting problems (such as drugs and child abuse) have to be addressed before you can expect a child to care about computer science. Ironically, learning CS could be a path out for many.
I use Google Classroom with my classes so they start the class with checking out the shoutouts and can check everything out 24/7 if they want. It has worked really well. #csk8
An archive of this chat will be posted in the K-8 Computer Science Teachers g+ Community at https://t.co/Pun3ZoWtgN Please continue the conversation there or on Twitter using the #csk8 hashtag
A6 Always try to invite Ts, Ss, and Admins to the lab at the end of units to see the projects, not just CS units, but all of them. Ss love to share work they were invested in. #csk8
