Introducing Coding Technology
My Role
I was introduced to coding technology in the fall of 2019 while attending a three day professional development training that was sponsored by CASA Code. CASA Code is an organization that is a collaboration between Google CS First and Unidos US. The program was founded on the goal of increasing access to coding technology and develop digital literacy skills in underserved communities. Additionally, the program aims to increase diversity in STEM fields. My students were introduced to CASA Code at a launch event that was hosted by Google at Eisner. I teach one period of CASA code and I have used my experience teaching the class to develop coding activities for students who are not in CASA Code that introduces them to coding technology.
I currently teach a class of 35 students in CASA Code but I firmly believed that all of my students could benefit from learning how to code in the increasingly technology-dependent 21st century. I developed a lesson that I taught to all 90 of my 6th-grade science students. The lesson spanned multiple days and introduced students to a simple coding activity. Students then built upon their foundational coding skills to develop more sophisticated coding skills by creating a story about a scientific event. Students had four options to select from, this project served as review as students prepared for the summative end of unit exam.
This artifact shows how I planned to introduce coding to my students. I chose to have students complete the google logo activity first so that they could learn foundational coding skills. In addition, I hosted after school coding sessions to provide my students with more support as they developed their new coding skills. This lesson increased access for all of my students including my English Language Learners and my special education students. CS First provides excellent translated versions of all lessons in Spanish and the curriculum is designed to accessible by students seven years or older. CS First prompts students with extension activities so students can further develop their coding skills.
This artifact contains the assignment prompts that were given to my students. My students were given four prompts that align with specific NGSS that were covered in my class this year. This project was designed to teach students how to code while simultaneously preparing them for our summative end of unit exam. This project is a jumping-off point and opens the door for future science activities that integrate coding.
This is a picture of my third-period 6th-grade science class using the Chromebooks as they first began to code their own Google logo. Students can be seen wearing headphones, the red headphones are borrowed from my CASA Code class. Students use headphones as they listen to CS First's step by step directions on adding code blocks. All students featured in the picture are fully engaged and invested in their coding activity. Learning how to code is a marketable skill that will make my students highly competitive as they begin to search for jobs in the upcoming year as the STEM field continues to grow with more job openings each year.
This 6th-grade student was experimenting with coding dialogue. This project stood out because it was the only google logo that featured dialogue.
This 6th-grade student was experimenting with coding motion. This project stood out because the student uploaded their own images from google and coded them into movable sprites.
This project was created by an English Language Learner. This student typically struggles with work completion because of the language barrier but they were able to fully participate in this activity and they coded a colorful logo. This demonstrates how all of my students are increasing their access by learning new skills.
After coding their Valentines' day theme google logo I selected a few students to share their projects with the class. By sharing their work they are introducing their classmates to a plethora of different coding blocks and strategies. I was able to accelerate my students' learning in coding by implementing strategies I learned from teaching CASA Code. For example, I placed students in small groups based on the coding block they are working on so I could provide targeted small group instruction, this allowed my students to progress through the coding activities with ease. The following day students engaged in a much more sophisticated coding activity that involved multiple lines of codes, background changes, different interacting sprites, and dialogue. The storytelling activity is a beginner activity that allows students to experiment with a wide variety of coding blocks preparing them for future coding projects.
This student selected prompt 1 and created a story about a mysterious object they found. This project aligns to MS-LS1-1 as the student planned and conducted an investigation to determine if the object was living or non-living. This project was coded in two days and shows exemplary coding skills. This student demonstrated the ability to code background changes, dialogue, embed audio, import and code sprites from an external source. This student took full advantage of the coding opportunity and used it to the best of their ability.
This student selected prompt 4 and created a story about the relationship between states of matter and thermal energy. This project aligns to MS-PS1-1 as the student planned and conducted an investigation to determine how thermal energy effects states of matter. This project successfully meets the standard's criteria and demonstrates readiness for the summative unit assessment. Computer literacy is becoming increasingly important as society begins to fully embrace the digital era. Coding is a valuable and marketable skill that will distinguish my students from others and open digital and STEM-related doors for my students.
This project was coded by a student with a learning disability that makes sitting for sustained periods of time challenging due to a lack of focus. I was initially concerned that my student would find this task difficult because coding is very tedious. However, the student was completely engaged over all three days and turned in a quality project choosing the fifth option to create their own story. CS First is designed to be accessible by all students which allow students to utilizing coding and take advantage of learning a valuable skill. This project allowed all 90 of my students to develop foundational skills and prepared for future projects that integrate coding technology.
Impact on Students
This project has opened doors for my students and created a lasting impact on them as students are walking away with foundational coding skills. CS First is designed to be accessible by all students which allowed all of my students to utilize the coding and learn a valuable skill. Digital literacy is becoming increasingly important as society begins to fully embrace the digital era. Coding is a valuable and marketable skill that will distinguish my students from others and open digital and STEM-related doors for my students as they apply to jobs and academic programs. Coding skills are particularly marketable in California because of our proximity to the Silicon Valley which has a large variety of digital and STEM-related job opportunities. Giving my students the opportunity to explore coding technology has pushed some students to want to further pursue coding technology. Because of high demand, I have begun developing a waitlist for students to enroll in my coding class for next fall where they can build on the skills they learned during this project. During our college visit to UCLA students requested that we tour the computer science building because they were interested in careers in coding from their experience completing this project. Based on student feedback and the value of knowing how to code I have decided to further develop this brief unit and implement it every year as part of my science curriculum. This will allow me to introduce more students to coding and open doors for them by preparing them for future careers in computer science.