Emanuela Patrichi's Learning Diary for the How to Teach Computing Course by Patrichi

My classroom

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-25 19:20:03 UTC

MODULE 1 -Why teaching computing at primary

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-25 19:32:27 UTC

The computing seems to be technical for kids. In fact, kids don't need to learn technical issue from this. Computing is a transferable skill.

MODULE 1 - TASK 1

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-25 20:06:14 UTC

What is the situation of computing teaching in your country?

In Romania computer learning is implemented, but it's far away. We don't have PC in our classroom. I use my personal laptop. But we have a smart board which is a recent acquisition. Before it we have a projector and a white board. I try to insert technology in every lesson: I use videos to explain something, online games, the smart board resources. In this year we received online books and we work on them. But the kids bring their own tablets at school and not every day because it's time consuming. On the other hand, the internet connection is slow and it's hard to work in this way. I have try to teach my kids how to search on Internet and one day we participate in an international event for coding With code.org.

MODULE 1 -TASK 2

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 05:13:42 UTC

After watching the videos, think about how you could explain to your students the importance of computing

We already talk about this task in our classroom. I suggest to my kids to explain a computer thinking at their body: when you put your hand on something hot, your brain sends a message to your body to take off your hand; a computer works in this way: you write something, and it receives your message and gives you a response.

MODULE 1 - Skills

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 06:22:24 UTC

Analytical thinking, Working independently, Perseverance, Be a team player, Communication, Language, Lifelong learner

MODULE 1 - TASK 3

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 06:53:46 UTC

I have many activities in my classroom to develop some skills presented in this video.

Analytical thinking - We cook once a month and kids can split in small parts the recipes, they analyze the ingredients and talk about them and then they have to follow an order to cook something easy. Or we suggest them to invent a machine that makes money and they draw a complicated one with lots of parts with specific functions.

Working idependently - It's true, the kids always ask the teacher to help them, before they read twice or think of the problem. I suggest them to read carefully the problem, to think, to concentrate and if they could not find a solution to aks 3 classmates for help before asking me to help them. On the other hand, there are so many situations when they want to do something alone, in their manner and they are so proud to do it. For example, I suggestthem to invent a game for multiplication and they had so many different ideas (in the picture below it is a multiplication game with pockets)

Team player - I try to insert group or pair activities in every lesson, at math or language, at music or art

MODULE 1 - TASK 3

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 10:48:18 UTC

Analytical thinking - We cook once a month. My kids love to cook, to make their own dish. We make cookies or salad. This activity is helpful for analytical thinking because they learn how to brake in pieces an activity and to compose it again: cut the ingredients, mix them, decorate the plate and so on. They learn that if they don't keep the order, the dish is not right.

Hour of Code in My Classroom

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:00:18 UTC

We joined the international event organized by code.org.

An invention

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:02:07 UTC

One of my kids invented this machine for gardening.

MODULE 1 - TASK 3

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:09:42 UTC

Identify a classroom activity or project that is designed to address one of the skills identified in the video.

I have many activities in my classroom to develop some skills presented in this video.

Working idependently - It's true, the kids always ask the teacher to help them, before they read twice or think of the problem. I suggest them to read carefully the problem, to think, to concentrate and if they could not find a solution to aks 3 classmates for help before asking me to help them. On the other hand, there are so many situations when they want to do something alone, in their manner and they are so proud to do it. For example, I suggest them to invent a game for multiplication and they had so many different ideas (in the picture below it is a multiplication game with pockets)

Team player - I try to insert group or pair activities in every lesson, at math or language, at music or art.

MODULE 1 - TASK 3

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:14:52 UTC

Collaboration - I try to insert working in team or in pairs in every lesson. Kids love to work in a team.

MODULE 1 - 4 COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:25:23 UTC

Decomposition - breaking into small parts. Pattern recognition - to notice the similarities and differences. Pattern generalization - to filter out information that is not necessary. Algorithm design - To develop a step by step strategy to solve a problem.

MODULE 1 - 4 - PATTERN RECOGNITION

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:34:35 UTC

When we celebrated 100 days of school, I read a book that follow the pattern recognition, One Hundred Hungry Ants By Elinor J. Pinczes. The ants arranged themselves in a pattern, a different pattern, to solve their problem: to find food. The kids were so amused by this issue and they tried to find out the pattern to arrange 100 ants in rows.

In fact, we discover and use pattern everyday in classroom.

MODULE 1 - 4 DECOMPOSING

EmaPatrichi — 2015-04-26 11:39:08 UTC

An example of decomposing - I use decomposing at literature, when we make a text map and search for important information such as plot, time and place, characters, details.The kids draw a map like a road to the treasury chest and talk about the text.

MODULE 2 -TASK 2 COLLABORATION

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-02 06:48:42 UTC

I think it's important to teach kids to work in pairs. In primary school, the kids are not so patient and they don't know how to take turns. Working in pairs helps them to wait, to take turns, to accept other opinions and ideas, to put ideas together. It helps them to focus on working, not on showing who is the best, who knows more. We work in pairs a lot at different activities: drawing, cooking, solve problems, outdoor games. Some kids want to be only leaders and I try to teach them to switch the role. Others are quiet kids and I try to combine them with noise kids.

MODULE 2 - TASK 3 - ENGAGING GIRLS

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-02 07:53:27 UTC

I think both boys and girls are interested in computing. In my class sometimes they play the same games. First, a good strategy is to teach the girls using what they like the most: fashion game, cooking game, pets games and then move on the other type of games. In the same way, sewing or cooking are not just for girls, but for boys too and I teach them the same language allowing them to choose what theme they like.

MODULE 2- TASK 4 - LINKS ACROSS

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-02 08:02:25 UTC

We use the smart board with different online games and resources every day. Friday is the tablet day in our classroom and the kids play some related games with math and literacy, science or art. On the other hand, I teach them to search on Google for images and information to use them on their portfolio.

MODULE 3 - using robots

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-09 18:08:51 UTC

Educational robotics - guided discovery, problem solving, cooperative learning. Robotic kits are learning mediators. Educational robotics to: involve students in technological activities, stimulate motivations, develop key competence, reduce gender gap, share experience with other schools. Competences to develop: knowledge, skills, attitude - communication in mother and foreign languages, math competences, digital, learning to learn, spirit of initiative, cultural awareness and expression, social and civic,

MODULE 3 - TASK 1- Using robots across subjects

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-09 18:30:16 UTC

I taught coding with Code.org, but we don't have robots in our classroom or school. I think it would be interesting for students to make a robot themselves, to see how a robot is done, how it moves or acts. But I think we can use toys as robots to sing along, to learn new words in a foreign language. Many boys have toy cars with remote control and I think we can use them for racing, for running through a maze because they have to control them and this it gives them opportunity to take decisions.

MODULE 3 - TASK 2 - activities with robots

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-09 18:49:42 UTC

I don't have any experience using robots in my classroom. I taught my kids coding from Code.org. Watching the video, I think I can use lego in classroom for different type of activities, for math or literature or art.

MODULE 3 - TASK 4 - Creating a game

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-10 09:21:41 UTC

I create this simple game -In the dessert - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/61424698/#player

MODULE 3 - TASK 5 - Advanced Game Design Tool

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-10 12:18:24 UTC

Sites:

1. scartch.mit.edu

2. itching for more

3. www.interactiveclassroom.net

4. kodu game lab

5. consolarium

6. www.projectspark.com

7. minecraft

8. minecraftedu.com

MODULE 4 - TABLET -BASED TOOLS 1

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-10 12:27:46 UTC

Why tablets?

-Using anywhere

-Just work

-Getting rid of computer room

-Range of programming apps

-Evidence of ROI (return of investment)

Apps for tablet:

-Daisy The Dinosaur

Scratch Jr

Hopschotch

Tynker

MODULE 4 - TABLET -BASED TOOLS 2

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-16 18:19:39 UTC

6 TECHNIQUES - experimenting, making, practice, connecting, discussion, direct instruction

MODULE 4 - 3 -TOOLS AND RESOURCES

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-16 18:31:18 UTC

We don't create a website for our classroom and we don't have a teaching computing class in our curricula. But I taught kids how to search on the Internet, we talk about searching on Google for text or images, or on YouTube. I think creating a blog or a website it's a good idea. Maybe we will do this next year when my kids are 3rd grade.

MODULE 4 - 4 - E-SAFETY

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-16 18:45:02 UTC

I haven't taught my kids about e-safety because we don't have a special class for teaching computing. Otherwise, i think it's important that they should know about e-safety. I'm agree with the video, the kids choose simple password for their Internet connection or phone or tablets because they don't know the password power.

I saw on Discovery Channel a very interesting documentary about the Internet passwords: they said that a very good password is made from the beginning letters of every word from a familiar sentence for us, plus some numbers and symbols.

In Romania we have a site that talks about e-safety: http://www.sigur.info.

www.childnet.com/resources/digiducks-big-decision

MODULE 4 - ACTIVITY 1

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-16 20:09:05 UTC

My lesson plan on Learning Designer

http://v.gd/aZFA5Z

MODULE 4 - E -SAFETY - ideas

EmaPatrichi — 2015-05-17 07:52:58 UTC

- 10 rules for e-safety for kids on this site: http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/

- a nice movie to watch with kids - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5kW4pI_VQw