Friday, October 11, 2019

Week of: Oct. Oct 14 - 18

Oct 18: No CTTF Coaching (Group B) - District Inservice Day

Oct 25: CTTF Coaching (Group C)

Oct 28-31: Tech Support in the Fab Lab

Nov 1: Block Coding Epic Build Showcase

Nov 8: Cycle 2 PD Part 1

Nov 15: Cycle 2 PD Part 2

Nov 18: Begin Cycle 2 Classroom Instruction

Mark This Down!





Last Week (Oct. 7 - 11)

  • Kindergarten
    • Week 5:  Epic Build Part 1 - SWBAT create a new Scratch project called my Name and spell their first name using letter sprites.
      • Sample Projects:
      • Support Video: Sprites
  • First Grade
    • Week 6: Facts Sharing Sprite & Debugging - SWBAT program sprites to show facts when clicked & debug and improve a project.
  • Second Grade
  • Third Grade
    • Week 6: Lag Effect & Debugging - SWBAT use logic statements to slow a sprite and debug a partner
  •  Fourth Grade
    • Week 6: Winning the Game - SWBAT learn how to use variables to make a counter
  • Fifth Grade

      This Week (Oct. 14 - 18)

      • Kindergarten
        • Week 6:  Debug and Prepare - SWBAT test and debug their programs and create paper models to explain about their program.
          • Sample Projects: N/A
          • Support Video: N/A
      • First Grade
        • Week 7: Showcase - SWBAT apply computer science vocabulary to their presentation.
          • Sample Project: N/A
          • Support Video: N/A
      • Second Grade
        • Week 7: Showcase - SWBAT reflect on their Epic Build and demonstrate their learning by presenting.
          • Sample Project: N/A 
          • Support Video: N/A
      • Third Grade
        • Week 7: Showcase -SWBAT reflect on their Epic Build and demonstrate their learning by presenting.
          • Sample Project: N/A
          • Support Video: N/A
      •  Fourth Grade
        • Week 7: Winning the Game - SWBAT learn how to use variables to make a counter
      • Fifth Grade
      What's Next

      The Lab will be finishing up Beginner Epic Build Projects for Cycle 1. Following the completion of these projects, the lab will support integration projects. Students will have additional time each week to work on their Classroom Epic Build Projects.






      Last Week (Oct. 7 - 11)

        • Mid Cycle Feedback
          • Please complete this survey if you have not yet done so. Your input is important to help me improve communication and support. 
        • Coaching with Campbell
          • Thanks to Group A for working with our coach on Friday. 
          • I hope watching Mrs. Campbell model lessons has been helpful.
          • Don't forget to email her if you have and questions or want her input on an idea.
        • Teaching Week 4 of Classroom Computer Science Integration
          • One big thing that I have learned from my participation is that having a 2nd person in the room is very helpful as we get started. Please try to book me so I can help with management issues.
          • Please check that students are talking the time to name backdrops, sprites, and programs as you go. Things will start to get more complex in the coming weeks, and if students aren't careful they will start to get confused.
          • Also, make sure students know they are adding to their Epic Build projects each week. They should not be making changes unless you have told them to do so. 
        • Extra Support Materials
          • I made Code Cards for every grade and lesson in Cycle 1. Access your Code Cards Here. They are designed to summarize each weeks new commands, and should be shared with students. They should keep their cards in a folder of some sort. This will help them in the long run to better recall our coding instruction
          • There are also Starter Projects for each grade level. Please only use these when a students is struggling.
          • I made some resources to help teachers establish student leaders as Tech Support to help students that need help. This may help give you an extra set of hands. Here is a video that explains things for teachers and students. Here is a printable class poster. Here are badges you can print and give to students. Here is a Tech Support form you can use. Here is a link to the presentation that I shared in the video.

          This Week (Oct 14-18)

          • Classroom Integration Moves into Week 5
            • Make sure to begin teaching the 5th week of your grade level Computer Science Integration plan. Every teach should begin including 60 minutes of integrated instruction this week. 
            • The next few weeks will be critical. The students will be learning lots as they build their projects. If you are feeling stuck, be sure to watch the videos that align with the beginner unit. I have them listed each week in this blog.
            • Look for your grade level's planning below if you have questions 
          • No Coaching this Friday
            • Our school's CTTF coach, Jacqueline Campbell, will NOT be coming to Group B this Friday, Oct. 18 due to our District Wide Professional Development.
            • If you are in Group B and are in need of any support because of this change, please reach out and I will be sure to give your class priority. 
          • Review the Loop
            • Take some time to look over the Lesson 6 in the Loop before the end of the week. Go ahead and get an early start on the next lesson.
            • CTTF Coaching Group C will meet
              • If you are in coaching group C, plan to have your students working on week 4 or 5 of the integration module. See above for topics that apply to your grade. 
              • Remember:  The purpose of the Code To The Future Coach at the beginning is to model the lessons for you, so Mrs. Campbell will be introducing the lessons for teachers this week.

            Coming Up

              • Week 6 Begins on  Oct. 21
              • Tech Support in the Fab Lab
                • From Oct 28-31 we will be offering school-wide Tech Support to students who need extra help finishing their Epic Builds. Here is a copy of the schedule. More information to come!
              • Cycle 2 PD will take place on Nov. 8 & 15
                • Teachers will get training on the above dates as we get ready to start our 2nd Epic Build Cycle. Here is a schedule for training on those days.

              Related Arts: Please use any of the above to help bring computer science into your classes as you are able.



              Use the article below to help you lead discussions about the emerging technology

              www.theguardian.com

              theguardian.com

              'Alexa, are you invading my privacy?' – the dark side of our voice assistants

              By Dorian Lynskey|Oct. 9th, 2019

              One day in 2017, Alexa went rogue. When Martin Josephson, who lives in London, came home from work, he heard his Amazon Echo Dot voice assistant spitting out fragmentary commands, seemingly based on his previous interactions with the device. It appeared to be regurgitating requests to book train tickets for journeys he had already taken and to record TV shows that he had already watched. Josephson had not said the wake word – “Alexa” – to activate it and nothing he said would stop it. It was, he says, “Kafkaesque”.
              This was especially interesting because Josephson (not his real name) was a former Amazon employee. Three years earlier, he had volunteered to sit in a room reciting a string of apparently meaningless phrases into a microphone for an undisclosed purpose. Only when Amazon released the Echo in the US in 2014 did he realise what he had been working on. He bought a Dot, the Echo’s cheaper, smaller model, after it launched in 2016, and found it useful enough until the day it went haywire. When the Dot’s outburst subsided, he unplugged it and deposited it in the bin. “I felt a bit foolish,” he says. “Having worked at Amazon, and having seen how they used people’s data, I knew I couldn’t trust them.”







              IT-OLOGY INNOVATION CHALLENGE

              The Innovation Challenge is a state-wide challenge for 4K-12th grade teachers and 3rd-12th grade students. Your mission is to create a project that uses technology to solve a problem in school, the community or South Carolina.
              Our online application is open from October through February and is free to enter. The awards event is held every March for project finalists.

              Important Dates

              For the month of October please try to discuss the following computer science career field.

              This video offers an explanation of the career.

              Share this website with students to read about how to become one.









              Image result for coding memes

              Friday, October 4, 2019

              Week of Oct. 7-11

              Oct 11: CTTF Coaching (Group A)

              Oct 18: CTTF Coaching (Group B)

              Oct 25: CTTF Coaching (Group C)

              Mark This Down!





              Last Week (Sept. 30 - Oct. 4)

              • Kindergarten
                • Week 4:  Epic Build Launch - SWBAT create a new Scratch project called my Name and spell their first name using letter sprites.
              • First Grade
              • Second Grade
              • Third Grade
              •  Fourth Grade
              • Fifth Grade
                • Week 5: Epic Build Part 2 - SWBAT program keyboard controls and apply event handing to backdrop switches

                  This Week (Oct. 7 - 11)

                  • Kindergarten
                    • Week 5:  Epic Build Part 1 - SWBAT create a new Scratch project called my Name and spell their first name using letter sprites.
                      • Sample Projects:
                      • Support Video: Sprites
                  • First Grade
                    • Week 6: Facts Sharing Sprite & Debugging - SWBAT program sprites to show facts when clicked & debug and improve a project.
                  • Second Grade
                  • Third Grade
                    • Week 6: Lag Effect & Debugging - SWBAT use logic statements to slow a sprite and debug a partner
                  •  Fourth Grade
                    • Week 6: Winning the Game - SWBAT learn how to use variables to make a counter
                  • Fifth Grade
                  What's Next

                  Preview these videos or projects samples to see what your students will be learning in the lab. Please note: all students in all grades are finishing up their Beginner Unit Scratch Projects. No new coding instruction will be taking place.
                  • Kindergarten
                    • Sample Project: N/A
                    • Support Video: N/A
                  • First Grade
                    • Sample Project: N/A
                    • Support Video: N/A
                  • Second Grade
                    • Sample Project: N/A
                    • Support Video: N/A
                  • Third Grade
                    • Sample Project: N/A
                    • Support Video: N/A
                  • Fourth Grade
                    • Sample Project: N/A
                    • Support Video: N/A
                  • Fifth Grade
                    • Sample Project: N/A
                    • Support Video: N/A






                  Last Week (Sept. 30 - Oct. 4)

                    • Coaching with Campbell
                      • Thanks to Group C for working with our coach on Friday. 
                      • I hope watching Mrs. Campbell model lessons has been helpful.
                      • Don't forget to email her if you have and questions or want her input on an idea.
                    • Teaching Week 3 of Classroom Computer Science Integration
                      • One big thing that I have learned from my participation is that having a 2nd person in the room is very helpful as we get started. Please try to book me so I can help with management issues.
                      • Please check that students are talking the time to name backdrops, sprites, and programs as you go. Things will start to get more complex in the coming weeks, and if students aren't careful they will start to get confused.
                      • Also, make sure students know they are adding to their Epic Build projects each week. They should not be making changes unless you have told them to do so. 
                    • Extra Support Materials
                      • I made Code Cards for every grade and lesson in Cycle 1. Access your Code Cards Here. They are designed to summarize each weeks new commands, and should be shared with students. They should keep their cards in a folder of some sort. This will help them in the long run to better recall our coding instruction

                      This Week (Sept. 15-20)

                      • Classroom Integration Moves into Week 4
                        • Make sure to begin teaching the 4th week of your grade level Computer Science Integration plan. Every teach should begin including 60 minutes of integrated instruction this week. 
                        • The next few weeks will be critical. The students will be learning lots as they build their projects. If you are feeling stuck, be sure to watch the videos that align with the beginner unit. I have them listed each week in this blog.
                        • Look for your grade level's planning below if you have questions 
                      • Getting Ready for Coaching
                        • Our school's CTTF coach, Jacqueline Campbell, will be coming to Group C this Friday, Oct. 11. She is planning to assist with classroom integration lessons for teachers this Friday. 
                        • Here are some steps to take to make the most of your visit:
                          • Make sure students have their Chromebooks out and are logged in to Scratch before the start of your coaching time slot.
                          • Have "The Loop" open on the teacher desktop.
                        • Mrs. Campbell would like teachers to know that she is willing to help out! She invites teachers to contact her by email with questions and ideas. She can help teachers plan out integration ideas as well. Her email is jacqueline.campbell@codetothefuture.com
                        • Remember:  The purpose of the Code To The Future Coach at the beginning is to model the lessons for you, so Mrs. Campbell is willing to teach some of the lesson for teachers this week. Please be sure to have an active role during this time by working alongside your students.
                        • She has also offered to stay late on Fridays if teacher would like additional help. Let me know if you would like to take advantage of this offer.
                      • Review the Loop
                        • Take some time to look over the Lesson 5 in the Loop before the end of the week. Go ahead and get an early start on the next lesson.
                        • CTTF Coaching Group A will meet
                          • If you are in coaching group A, plan to have your students review week 3 or 4 of the integration module. See above for topics that apply to your grade. 
                          • Remember:  The purpose of the Code To The Future Coach at the beginning is to model the lessons for you, so Mrs. Campbell will be introducing the lessons for teachers this week.

                        Coming Up

                        Related Arts: Please use any of the above to help bring computer science into your classes as you are able.




                        Use the article below to help you lead discussions about the emerging technology


                        www.wired.com

                        wired.com

                        The Tech Helping Dogs Learn to 'Talk' With Humans

                        Imagine you’re enjoying a pleasant stroll through the park when you hear someone say, “My owner needs your attention! Please follow me!” You look around and see no one; then you look down and see a dog staring up at you. You think someone’s pulling a fast one. But then the dog reaches around and his mouth tugs something on the yellow vest he’s wearing, and you hear it again.
                        “My owner needs your attention! Please follow me!” the dog seems to say again, looking at you plaintively and now beckoning with body language for you to follow him. You do, and he leads you to someone who’s having a severe allergic reaction, a seizure, or some other medical emergency.





                        Computer Science Writing Contest

                        Essay Contest Call for Entries
                        MIT is holding a writing contest for all students under 18. Entries are due by October 14. Winners will get published and could win $500.
                        Essays must be no more the 1,000 words and must address the question: What do adults not know about my generation and technology?
                        Click Here To Read More

                        IT-OLOGY INNOVATION CHALLENGE

                        The Innovation Challenge is a state-wide challenge for 4K-12th grade teachers and 3rd-12th grade students. Your mission is to create a project that uses technology to solve a problem in school, the community or South Carolina.
                        Our online application is open from October through February and is free to enter. The awards event is held every March for project finalists.

                        Important Dates

                        For the month of October please try to discuss the following computer science career field.

                        This video offers an explanation of the career.

                        Share this website with students to read about how to become one.









                        Image result for coding meme

                        Friday, September 27, 2019

                        Week of Aug. 30 - Oct. 4

                        Sept 30: Classroom Start Week 3 of Cycle 1

                        Oct 4: CTTF Coaching (Group C)

                        Oct 11: CTTF Coaching (Group A)

                        Mark This Down!





                        Last Week (Sept.  23-27)

                        • Kindergarten
                          • Week 2:  Sprites & Loop - SWBAT use simple loops to animate a sprite.
                        • First Grade
                          • Week 4: Epic Backdrop - SWBAT use the graphic editor to create an epic build backdrop.
                        • Second Grade
                          • Week 4: Epic Build Part 1 - SWBAT create a maze using their graphic editor and resize their player sprite.
                        • Third Grade
                          • Week 4: Epic Build Part 1 - SWBAT code a game menu with multiple options.
                        • Fourth Grade
                          • Week 4: Epic Build Part 1 - SWBAT code a sprite using keyboard controls and use the say block to give instructions.
                        • Fifth Grade

                            This Week (Sept. 30 - Oct. 4)

                            • Kindergarten
                              • Week 4:  Epic Build Launch - SWBAT create a new Scratch project called my Name and spell their first name using letter sprites.
                            • First Grade
                            • Second Grade
                            • Third Grade
                            •  Fourth Grade
                            • Fifth Grade
                              • Week 5: Epic Build Part 2 - SWBAT program keyboard controls and apply event handing to backdrop switches
                            What's Next

                            Preview these videos or projects samples to see what your students will be learning in the lab.






                            Last Week (Sept. 23 - 27)

                              • Coaching with Campbell
                                • Thanks to Group B for working with our coach on Friday. I know the 1/2 Day made things difficult. Please book me if you need any extra support.
                                • I hope watching Mrs. Campbell model lessons has been helpful.
                                • Don't forget to email her if you have and questions or want her input on an idea.
                              • Teaching Week 2 of Classroom Computer Science Integration
                                • One big thing that I have learned from my participation is that having a 2nd person in the room is very helpful as we get started. Please try to book me so I can help with management issues.
                                • Please check that students are talking the time to name backdrops, sprites, and programs as you go. Things will start to get more complex in the coming weeks, and if students aren't careful they will start to get confused.
                                • Also, make sure students know they are adding to their Epic Build projects each week. They should not be making changes unless you have told them to. 

                                This Week (Sept. 15-20)

                                • Classroom Integration Moves into Week 3
                                  • Make sure to begin teaching the 3rd week of your grade level Computer Science Integration plan. Every teach should begin including 60 minutes of integrated instruction this week. 
                                  • Look for your grade level's planning below if you have questions 
                                • Getting Ready for Coaching
                                  • Our school's CTTF coach, Jacqueline Campbell, will be coming to Group C this Friday, Oct. 4. She is planning to assist with classroom integration lessons for teachers this Friday. 
                                  • Here are some steps to take to make the most of your visit:
                                    • Make sure students have their Chromebooks out and are logged in to Scratch before the start of your coaching time slot.
                                    • Have "The Loop" open on the teacher desktop.
                                  • Mrs. Campbell would like teachers to know that she is willing to help out! She invites teachers to contact her by email with questions and ideas. She can help teachers plan out integration ideas as well. Her email is jacqueline.campbell@codetothefuture.com
                                  • Remember:  The purpose of the Code To The Future Coach at the beginning is to model the lessons for you, so Mrs. Campbell is willing to teach some of the lesson for teachers this week.
                                  • She has also offered to stay late on Fridays if teacher would like additional help. Let me know if you would like to take advantage of this offer.
                                • Review the Loop
                                  • Take some time to look over the Lesson 2 in the Loop before the end of the week. Go ahead and get an early start on the next lesson.
                                  • CTTF Coaching Group C will meet
                                    • If you are in coaching group C, plan to have your students review week 3 of the integration module. See above for topics that apply to your grade. 
                                    • Remember:  The purpose of the Code To The Future Coach at the beginning is to model the lessons for you, so Mrs. Campbell will be introducing the lessons for teachers this week.

                                  Coming Up

                                  Related Arts: Please use any of the above to help bring computer science into your classes as you are able.




                                  Use the article below to help you lead discussions about the emerging technology


                                  Snopes: How do you survive 25 years debunking fake news?

                                  David Mikkelson by his computer monitor with a doctored photo in 2004Image copyrightSTEPHEN OSMAN\LOS ANGELES TIMES\GETTY
                                  Image captionDavid Mikkelson by his computer monitor with a doctored photo in the early days of Snopes
                                  How do you survive 25 years in the fact-checking business?
                                  Snopes began as a forum for sharing and investigating urban legends and cool folklore.
                                  But in a world where "fake news" dominates, where disinformation is a part of the political sphere and misinformation touches every single corner of the internet, what is it about this online encyclopaedia which has made it become the go-to bible for many fact-checkers?
                                  And how is it evolving to deal with the current landscape?
                                  The Snopes website and social feeds have become a reservoir of bizarre facts, political nuggets, investigative journalism into hard-hitting subjects - as well as the most weird stories you can imagine.
                                  From questions around President Donald Trump's tweeted policy suggestions to queries around Disney's Goofy and whether he is actually a cow, there seems to be very little that the fact-checkers haven't had to cast a sceptical eye over.





                                  Computer Science Writing Contest

                                  Essay Contest Call for Entries
                                  MIT is holding a writing contest for all students under 18. Entries are due by October 14. Winners will get published and could win $500.
                                  Essays must be no more the 1,000 words and must address the question: What do adults not know about my generation and technology?
                                  Click Here To Read More

                                  IT-OLOGY INNOVATION CHALLENGE

                                  The Innovation Challenge is a state-wide challenge for 4K-12th grade teachers and 3rd-12th grade students. Your mission is to create a project that uses technology to solve a problem in school, the community or South Carolina.
                                  Our online application is open from October through February and is free to enter. The awards event is held every March for project finalists.

                                  Important Dates

                                  For the month of October please try to discuss the following computer science career field.

                                  This video offers an explanation of the career.

                                  Share this website with students to read about how to become one.









                                  Image result for programming meme