Computer Science Education Week & Hour of Code

Code.Org Workshop

This past month Eden Prairie Schools hosted a coding workshop through Code.org to kickstart the Hour of Code and also to gain a deeper understanding of how coding and computer programing can be integrated into our classrooms. We had teachers from across the metro come together on a Saturday for a full day of learning around programming using both unplugged and online resources. Code.org states that, “Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. We believe computer science and computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.”      

     

Computer Science Education Week & Hour of Code

December 5th - December 11th is Computer Science Education week. To kick this off classrooms across Eden Prairie Schools are leading learning around coding and computer science. Computer science is not just about the technology but more about the logic, problem solving, and creativity that learners are engaged in when they are coding. Our schools will be joining millions of students across the globe in the Hour of Code. According to Code.Org, “The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts.” Click on this link to get connected to the Hour of Code and bring coding to your students.   

Coding is for Everyone

To get started try a one hour lesson designed for all ages and join teachers across 180 countries starting with the Hour of Code. If you are interested to keep on learning you can go beyond an hour and explore setting up a classroom on the code.org website and have students apply their learning and skills across different online or unplugged courses and challenges through elementary, middle, and high school focused lessons.

A New Awakening

WHAT IF WE ...

“You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be”. ~ Marianne Williamson

Courageous Conversation National Summit

Six weeks ago I had the privilege and honor of attending the 2016 Courageous Conversation National Summit,  a three day intensive seminar focused on developing and celebrating equity/antiracist leaders through courageous conversations about systemic racism and its impact on opportunity and achievement in schools.   As a DELTA member and one who is passionate about racial equity work, I am extremely grateful to have been surrounded by so many racial equity leaders.  The experience left me reflecting on my own racial journey in the context of my professional life.  Further, it served as a catalyst for my efforts to reintroduce, if you will, the Courageous Conversation protocol to the district.  I believe the protocol is a fundamental component needed to elevate our equity and antiracist work to a new level.  It is time to define that level as one in which we will actually see transformation in the narrowing of the gap between our students of color and our white students while at the same time, increasing the achievement of all.  

Reflections of our Better Selves

The main theme of the seminar was, “Reflections of Our Better Selves.”  Civil rights activist, Whitney Young, Jr. states,  “The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else.  The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self.”    The Courageous Conversation Protocol is not about changing someone else’s beliefs.  It is not about developing the fortitude to tell everyone why they are wrong and you are right.  The purpose is to “engage, sustain, and deepen” our dialogue about race so we will be able to broaden our own racial consciousness, and thus learn from one another.

The first condition, focus on “personal, local, and immediate” is about starting with ourselves.  As a Korean American woman who grew up with a vast amount of white privilege in a dominantly white suburban city, I have come to the realization that the awareness around my own race and my personal experiences play an integral role in my ability to engage in courageous conversations.  By looking inward, I am making an investment in the work of increasing my own racial consciousness.  In other words, by intentionally working on building my own racial consciousness, I will build my capacity to engage in conversations which are integral to the learning and experience of our students of color, and thus be able to put out a “reflection of my better self.”

The HOW

As a member of the Personalized Learning department, and a teacher who is passionate about equity/antiracist work, I see the two concepts as synonymous.  For me, truly personalizing the learning experience for each student is equity at it’s core because there is no denying or ignoring of the barriers or systems that prohibit each student from reaching his/her fullest potential.  That dream for all of the students of Eden Prairie is one in which I hope to see come to full fruition as we journey toward the convergence of personalized learning and equity.  Notice I said, all of the students.  This is because I believe strongly that when we do this work, we are benefiting our entire student population, regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.  

Through the past decade and a half, I have been on a journey of racial and cultural awakening.  Often I have asked, and been present around many others who have asked, ‘how’ do we do culturally responsive teaching.  

Often it sound like,  “Tell me what to do, and I will wholeheartedly do it.  I want what’s best for my students and care deeply about them!”  Recently I picked up a binder labeled 2008 and in it were pages upon pages of Equity workshops that I had attended as a part of WMEP.   Many of the questions and comments that I had written in the margins and the material in the presentation notes were almost exactly the same as the ones I have now in my current binder.  This tells me that the conversation about these inequities and institutionalized racism in our education system have not changed much at all.   It’s a frustrating phenomenon because I know as a district we have tried many different approaches.  

I’m going to take a risk and speak my truth (one of the 4 agreements).  I do not believe that an initiative or program will ever address the gap alone.    I don’t believe that simply ‘doing’ culturally responsive strategies in my classroom will reach each and everyone of my students.  The reason?  Because I have come to the awareness through a decade and a half of focusing on this work, that it lies in our hidden biases, in our system-wide structures and processes, and in our deeply honest belief that each child can achieve at high levels.  My belief, after attending the national summit, is that it has to start within each of us.

I believe that we are an outstanding, proud and distinguished district.  However, we are not exempt nor should we be immune to the information that our data tells us.  If our mission is about ‘each’ and the mission of antiracist/equity leadership is systemic change, then we have a moral imperative to look in the mirror and start having these important conversations.  Utilizing the protocol and committing to examining our own racial consciousness is the how to culturally relevant teaching in our district and my hope is to reignite the work in our district.    By writing this blog, in this post election moment in history, I am pledging to increase my work around the advocation of our Eden Prairie Black and Brown and Indigenous students.  Will you join me?

Why, How, and When You Should Be Using Nearpod

What Is Nearpod?

I get really excited when I speak about my favorite digital tools. One of my favorite things to do is try out new tools and then evaluate them based upon solid pedagogical criteria: student engagement, enhancement of learning, measurement of learning, and ease of use for students and staff.

One app that consistently meets those criteria and more is Nearpod. Nearpod is a highly engaging lesson delivery tool that is part presentation tool, part formative assessment tool, and part interactive content delivery tool.



Why Should I Use It?

With Nearpod; student engagement will improve, and your ability to gather realtime data to inform and guide instruction will increase. Those two outcomes are priceless in and of themselves, but what is perhaps most exciting is Nearpod's ability to democratize your classroom. You will now be able to hear from all of your students equally, and in a safe space where they will quickly learn that what they share is safe-for the teacher's eyes only-and that they can open up and be heard.

I see interactive whiteboards used often in classrooms with access to mobile devices, and although the use of them is certainly not bad practice, it isn't the best possible practice. Most interactive presentations can be saved as images. Nearpod allows you then to take those images and embed them as a "draw on" slate so that all kids can interact with the activity, and then you can analyze the results. So, instead of only getting to see what one child might answer, you can see what all students would answer; and without the fear and anxiety associated with volunteering to come to the front of the class. Simply stated; the "why" will continually make itself known the more that you utilize Nearpod.

How Might I Use Nearpod?

The easiest way to use Nearpod at first is by choosing from their existing extensive catalog of presentations in order to get your feet wet. I really like the "We Eat Plant Parts" presentation created by Brita Wilis. Check it out below.



The presentation gives a great deal of information, it checks for understanding, it provides an opportunity for kids to organize and synthesize information, and it gives kids a chance to be creative with the drawing tool. So you can shop from the store and download free, and/or very affordable pre-created Nearpods, and you can also create your own.

Perhaps my favorite "how" though is the process of bringing in old Powerpoint or Google Slides slideshows as images and then you can weave in activity slides in order to breathe new life into them and make them interactive.

Nearpod is also extremely easy to use. Teachers create accounts and through that account they deliver presentations, students download the Nearpod app on mobile devices, or go to the Nearpod site on laptops.

Bonus Features

Nearpod has recently partnered with Common Sense media to develop a large collection of free Digital Citizenship Nearpods. They are interactive, engaging, and up to date. They have also partnered with Google Expeditions so that you can embed virtual field trips into your presentations. They are so fun, and kids go crazy for them. Finally, they just recently paired with Words With Friends Edu, the free educational version of the hit Scrabble knock-off game.

Simply put, Nearpod is a must have tool for 21st century classrooms. Your kids will love it because it's fun and educational, you will love it as a means to hear student voice and check for understanding, and parents will love it because it really utilizes the capabilities of digital devices to empower learners.

Eden Prairie Bonus!

We still have some district accounts available that give you full access to all of Nearpod's capabilities. Contact me at cklinge@edenpr.org for more information!

Cory Klinge
Instructional Excellence Coordinator