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Coding in the Early Years

Coding in the Early Years

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Well I am back in the Early Years until one of our teachers returns from maternity leave. It’s been an interesting shift back since this is a mixed classroom, with 3-5 year olds. I decided to incorporate coding as a part of our math language development, with a focus on positional words.

I’ve had to do a lot of songs and games to get my ELLs familiar with all of this language. They really loved this video from Scratch Garden: Left and Right Song.  Then we started talking about how we might do programming in the real world with giving directions to one of our “robot” friends. In our introductory activity, a friend had to get to the telephone, so students would take turns to “program”them with the directions they needed.

 

Emily counts her steps to the telephone.

 

Anuja thinks about how he might “program” Emily.

There was a lot of discussion about how to walk to the telephone- you can walk “this way, then that way”. As a result of eliminating confusion and focusing on the positional language ( in this case, right/left/backwards/forwards), we took away some of the foam mats so the path looked more obvious ( and it mimicked more for using the BeeBot- which is where we were heading).  Something great about using the mats was that the kids could really see the one-to-one correspondence that they needed to grasp  for programming. However, this activity did have some limitations because they couldn’t understand how a code might need to be cancelled if something changed in the program.


However, this was their first step and had more success in this way as the students began to get the concepts. This paved the way with using the BeeBot. We only have one in our class, so I used it as a center/station activity. We practiced looking at the symbols on the BeeBot and how we could use them and explored using it before setting up obstacles or using it in play scenarios.

Elena decides to link up a train to the Beebot




As their understanding progressed, we worked on the BeeBot and Foos apps on the iPads. Our tech integrator came in to assist during our school’s celebration of the Hour of Code. He was happy to see how some of the kids were progressing and helped me to assess where students were at in their learning journeys.

Anuja smashes it through Foos and gets to a game level.



A Twist on the Ole Book Report 

A Twist on the Ole Book Report 

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In our school, we do the Daily 5 but I’ve found that during their Work on Writing, students rarely write anything that pushes them to grow. I’ve introduced the 6-traits of writing and the writing process to them, and still my 4th graders weren’t producing anything beyond comic strips. I finally had to step in and assign a writing assignment so that they were challenged to grow. Enter the Book Report.

But book reports aren’t very exciting and I wanted them to feel enthusiastic about this assignment. So I  put a twist on it, calling it The Battle Of The Books.  They were sold! In order to get them reading a Just Right book, I helped with their selections, which they had to read and discuss with a partner. After they were finished reading the book, they had to decide whether someone should or shouldn’t read this book, providing arguments for their case. Convincing others was the Battle!!


Since we have a 1:1 classroom, I also wanted to include such me technology into their presentation of their book reports. I thought a polling or voting app might do the trick. After researching and inquiring with colleagues, I decided on Plickers. It turned out to be a great choice, as it was easy to use and students got instant feedback. This app uses something like a QR code and there are 40 unique codes that you can assign to students. The students answer questions based upon how they are rotating the code. On the Plickers’ cards, they have  an A, B, C and D on them, so the rotation corresponds to the letter.

We invited students from the 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade to listen to my students presentations. It was an awesome experience for them. You can see a glimpse of it below:

  

Exploring air pollution 

Exploring air pollution 

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As students living in China, it is natural to wonder about air pollution. So during our unit about “The use of resources affect society and living things”, we conducted some experiments that might simulate renewable vs non-renewable energy’s impact on our air quality. We used parafin candles that are made from petroleum products and compared them to soy oil candles, which were our example of renewable energy. 

  
  Students held the glass under the flames and compared the soot. Students were surprised how black the bottoms of the jars got with the parafin candles, and they really understood what is meant by “clean” energy.   
   

My Quest to be a Know-It-All

My Quest to be a Know-It-All

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Professional Development is something that I take seriously, and I am constantly researching about the latest developments in education and I am eager to share with my colleagues what I have learned. When I’m not reading, I’m engaging in Educational “Hangouts” or Twitter chats. I love MOOCs and take at least 3 a year.

I have highlighted just some of my professional development that I have formally received.

Professional Development that I have attended:

  • Introduction to the Primary Years Programme Curriculum Model (International Baccalaureate)
  •  Teaching and Learning (International Baccalaureate)
  • 3-5 Year Olds (International Baccalaureate)
  • Role of the Coordinator (International Baccalaureate)
  • Differentiated Instruction (Staff Development for Educators)
  • Digital Learning (Intel Teach to the Future Program)
  • Structured English Immersion (Arizona State University)
  • Systematic Change in Reading  (Arizona Department of Education)
  • Conceptual Based Learning in Math (Math and Science Partnership Grant, University of Arizona)
  • Enhancing Creativity (University of Phoenix)

I also have an IB Webinar Pass and frequently listen and learn from new and archived webinars, as well as IB conference talks on iTunes. As a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), I regularly attend webinars and online courses offered on topics such as formative assessment, managing differentiation, and creating high quality units.

On My Bookshelf (or Kindle)

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Teaching Patterns

Teaching Patterns

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I love teaching patterns, particularly in the beginning of the year so we can keep referencing them throughout the year. However, this year, my programme of inquiry had patterns being taught last with my homes unit (Where we are in place and time: People make their homes in different places and in different ways). Since I do a balance of integrated math and stand alone, the student really enjoyed going on pattern hunts as we looked at different homes, along with discussing and creating brick patterns. I thought I was doing a pretty good job when one of my 4 year olds turns to me and says, “You know Ms. Judy, we learned patterns last year in EY3 and we are pretty good at it. I think we should learn something else.” Krikey! Out of the mouths of babes, I was properly told off. So I reflected on what we were doing and decided to add symmetry into the mix.

After the topic was introduced, out came the mirrors and rulers, and the children began exploring how to create mirror image patterns: symmetry. They were absolutely captivated. Although I don’t have any pictures of the early explorations (I was too busy helping them hold mirrors) , I would like to share some of the later activities.

In the first set of pictures, we clamored upon the playground, drawing lines of symmetry with some chalk, and then the children worked as partners, taking turns making patterns with various manipulatives, which the other had to copy. They did a great job, and even helped to create the PicCollages that you see.  Later on, we worked with the app, Geoboard, by The Math Learning Center, to create symmetrical patterns. Again they did fantastic job, and worked very cooperatively, much to my chagrin. At last, we just got plain silly and used the app Photobooth by Apple to create symmetrical pictures using the “mirror”. Some of the kids took those images and recorded ideas and stories using the app Fotobable. It was a wonderful way for them to extend their idea of patterns, and they did such a wonderful job working together to collaborate on the images.

Our Trip to the Outback

Our Trip to the Outback

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As a part of EY4’s final task on their unit about how people use transportation systems to stay connected, I decided that the summative task was going to be a rather large scale simulation of a trip. Originally I had thought that I could have them individually plan a trip, but then I worried that it might be too basic–a trip to the shop to buy ice cream, for example–so I wanted us to experience the  idea of a system, which is more complex and involves many steps.  We came up with a list of different countries around the globe: Egypt, Australia, Italy, Korea, and Mexico. We researched the countries and determined a list of reasons why we might go there:

  • seeing interesting places
  • trying new foods
  • seeing family  (in some cases)
  • meeting new people
  • having different experiences
  • seeing different kinds of animals
  • shopping

Then we researched the countries–what would be the interesting things to do, see or eat? Students got really excited to go to Egypt and Australia, although Italy, with its pizza, was close behind. We took it to a vote, and Australia won.  We took an interest survey of what students would like to do there.  Next, we started to consider how we might go to Australia. We looked at maps and thought about how long it might take us to go there. Most students agreed that taking an airplane was the most sensible form of travel, although one student did suggest that a submarine could be faster. Since we had never been on a submarine, it became a ” I Wonder” and a point of inquiry. I love when we chase up these wonderful imaginings (and yes, there is a supersonic submarine that is in the making which would be faster than an aircraft, but its not ready yet). 

After that, we set into motion getting our passports ready, our tickets “booked”, and packing our bags. I had a wonderful Australian mum help me with the snacks for our in-board flight, our Humanities teacher was one of the tour guides when we “arrived” in Sydney, and the art teacher provided me with some inspiration for Aboriginal dot paintings for our visit to the “Australian Children’s Art and Culture Museum”.

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Everyone boarded Tiger Airlines to Sydney and enjoyed in-flight entertainment and snacks. Then they were met by Mr Horton from Outback Tours who took us to the Kangaroo Park and we even saw Koala Bears. After our tour, we headed to the Australian Children’s Culture and Art Museum in which we made dreamtime paintings, read and watched cultural videos, and made didgeridoos. It was a lot of fun and the kids learned a lot.

So the summative task involved:

  • Country preference ranking
  • Country research (topics explored: foods, places, animals)
  • Interest Survey
  • Trip Reflection

As you might imagine, it was very successful. The students really got a sense of how involved taking transportation can be. Even my students with little English were able to participate fully, and, although it was hard to articulate their reflection, I had enough evidence to demonstrate that understanding took place.

Literacy Week 2014

Literacy Week 2014

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I love organizing school events. I know, I’m weird, huh?

But I believe that events and activities outside of our classrooms are what create community and enthusiasm for learning. Ms. Wakefield and I have been working feverishly to put together whole school activities for students. Some of the activities we had were: …

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Writing as Play

Writing as Play

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Although I am more traditionally trained to use “centers” in my classroom, I find that if I consider them more like provocations, and less like a “center”, I have more students willing to engage in writing. So I am always trying to sneak writing into “play” time. In my latest unit about how “Transportation systems help people stay connected and are used for different purposes”, I have put in 2 different writing stations, in which they can engage in pretend play. One has been the “Travel Agent” role play area and now I have introduced the “Postcard” writing area so that students can write pretend postcards to their friends and families after their pretend travels.

I love seeing them create little tickets, discussing whether it is for a train or an airplane, a bus or a boat. We also discussed how we need money to travel, and some students enjoy “printing” money as well, using it to buy their tickets. It’s been interesting to see them tune into different examples of money, and  a few students are quite sophisticated enough to pick up nuances in the different kinds of patterns, shapes and colors.  Although I don’t have any pictures of the money, the till is behind the counter there. I added some examples of real tickets from different kinds of transportation, some travel brochures and a passenger list of all the students which has encouraged them in making these tickets.

In the postcard area, I placed in there pencils, scissors, colored pencils and magazines, along with a model of a postcard and some exemplars. I have noticed that they prefer drawing pictures on the front of the postcard, rather than cutting out pictures.  I appreciate all the color and details they put into these pictures. It’s going to be great to see how it evolves but already it is becoming a hub for many students during playtime.

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Using “5 Stars” for Emergent Writing

Using “5 Stars” for Emergent Writing

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5starpicsAs many of us know, writing begins with pictures for little ones. Furthermore,research has shown that more elaborate drawings translate into better writing for the long-term.  The theory goes that more details in drawings will produce more details in their actual writing later on, when the students have the skills to be proficient.

So I found this rubric years ago and really loved it.  I believe that when children know of what is expected, they rise to the occasion. That is especially true of little children who are eager to show how “big” they are. Rubrics and checklists are vital for providing feedback and I strive to use them in everything, from behavior to literacy. Since children love stickers, I find that using “5 Stars” to indicate high quality work is an effective way to get them to consider their effort. However, this sheet just really wasn’t enough to stimulate quality pictures.

So I made a display with pictures that would be indicative of each level of effort. As a result of having these examples, students are often going up to the display and comparing their work, as well as providing feedback to each other at the tables. It’s great to hear their conversations, and of course to see them develop as “writers”.

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Of course, one of the dangers of using rubrics like this is that once they meet expectations, how to more them beyond and into real writing. The transition between getting them to start writing “words” or captions into sentences seems like such a big jump sometimes for 4-5 year olds. But it’s the next step in my quest for encouraging the development of writing.

"What If" Journals

"What If" Journals

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As I reflect on what is precious and wonderful about teaching little ones, listening to their stories and observing their imagination is high on my list of delights. At some point, children learn that it’s not okay to ask questions or be silly, trading it with what is “right” and “smart”. I abhor that notion and strive to cultivate an atmosphere of curiosity and creativity in my classroom. So, I got this idea to create a “writing” practice in the classroom that nurtures their thinking and wondering. I call it the What If Journal. Every entry begins with “What if….” and then students draw or write in response to the idea. Since we’ve lately been focusing on transportation, the questions have been…

  • What if buses had wings?
  • What if we only rode horses to school?
  • What if wheels were square?
  • What if there were no traffic lights or stop signs?
  • What if you got to design your own flying machine
  • What if trains went under water?
  • What if you had a propeller on your head?
  • What if you had no eyes? How could you know where you were going?
  • What if cars could talk?
  • What if airplanes flew backwards?

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These are some examples, but you can see how some are “serious” thinking questions, where as some are more “silly”. Naturally students begin to start asking the What If –not only for our writing prompts but I hear it in their play: “What if we used the white boards as pretend X-ray machines?”  “What if we built a bridge here so people can see the park when they are going over?”  “What if we use this to make a boat?” When it moves beyond the page, I feel proud and excited that they are eager to share their ideas. They value their imagination and that of their friends, making it a great environment for inquiry. And, of course, they look forward to the What If Journals, enthusiastic to write and share their drawings.

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