School & District

ISTE Author Spotlight: The Super Secret Strategy That You Absolutely Need To Know To Design Awesome Educational Experiences For All

Presenter outlined the accommodations used over the years for learners to access information. Each time, the accommodation became a general classroom tool or strategy. The "super secret strategy" was accommodations are not just for specific learners but for all learners. "Accommodations can drive design for the masses." C. Bugaj

Inclusive Design: 9 Considerations for Accessible Digital Content

Chromebooks, Accessibility & Education

Explore, Play, Share! 25 Differentiated Tech Tools for Your Learners*

Accessibility: A Discussion on How Best to Differentiate for All Learners

Wednesday Mainstage Session

"Help us wrap up ISTE19 during our Wednesday mainstage session featuring Mandy Manning, Michael Bonner, Sady Paulson....

Mandy Manning, the 2018 National Teacher of the Year, teaches English to newly arrived refugee and immigrant students in the Newcomer Center at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington.

Michael Bonner is a teacher who appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and is the author of "Get Up or Give Up" and "Embrace It." There will be a book signing with Bonner preceding his keynote in ISTE Central.

Sady Paulson is a film director, editor and presenter who has cerebral palsy. Fifteen years ago, she met educator Mark Coppin who introduced her to assistive technology.

Marc Coppin, owner of Prairie Assistive Technology, is a former assistive tech director for students with special needs and a frequent keynoter."

Break the Walls Down: Begin to Connect With Hesitant Teachers

Block-based vs. Text-Based Programming Environments: A Meta-Analysis Study

"First, we found that little emphasis was placed on describing the pedagogical strategies used to integrate block-based programming in the non-formal and formal learning environments. Merely focusing on the learning platform result in ignoring other aspects of learning computer programming. Reporting the pedagogy surrounding the integration of block-based programming is critical to assessing the fidelity of the implementations.

Second, even though there are ample software features available in the newer, sophisticated block-based programming environments, we have very little evidence on the efficacy of the specific features and affordances in these environments. We need better assessments of computer programming learning outcomes aligned with strong development procedures, such as evidence-centered design, to further extend the research in this domain."

Supporting K-5 Teachers With the Integration of Computer Science

"The inclusion of computer science in K-5 curricula is essential in sustaining a competitive edge in a world that continues to be driven by technology. Additionally, understanding the beliefs of teachers and coaches offers a new perspective on experiences and needs associated with preparing K-5 students for future CS careers. Administrators and districts would be remiss not to consider findings related to this study as well as our prior research, that will be referenced in this presentation, such as a need for more formal training opportunities (e.g., paid university coursework, ongoing professional learning) for K-5 teachers expected to add or integrate a new content area (CS) into their current curricula. Furthermore, this findings may inform the implementation of more sustainable CS programs that are integrated into daily curricula."

Integrating Computational Thinking Into the Middle School Science Classroom

"THEORY OF LEARNING

-Students experience growth in computational thinking after each design sequence, suggesting that the development of computational thinking skills requires repeat exposure and numerous opportunities for practice before students obtain a given level of competence.

-Identified attributes of curricular design (e.g., instructional sequence, use of specific tools, integration across curricular elements) specifically influence growth in computational thinking.

DESIGN HEURISTICS

-Successful curriculum design principles can be identified to engage students with Practice 1 collecting, interpreting and representing data and Practice 2 evaluating and predicting with computational models, suggesting that these design principles can translate to approaches looking to reinforce CT in other STEM content areas.

-These two identified CT Practices can be mutually reinforcing. Visualizations are an important mediator for helping students interpret data from the world and models and making connections between the two. Through a structured sequence of instruction, students come to view models as tools for making predictions for real world data."

Can Everyone Code? Preparing Teachers to Teach Computer Languages as a Literacy

"We posit that the trend in education to weave programming into the curriculum through organizations like Code.org and Apple may be skipping an important step in teaching K-12 students to code. Much of the responsibility of implementing programming curricula is falling upon the backs of teachers with minimal training in how to code and how to teach code. In addition, the current curricula available often focuses on problem solving. Given the association between pre-service teachers’ literacy abilities and their success in learning to code, we believe the teaching of coding should also be taught through the lens of literacy learning. Coding can be taught as a language that requires coders to use vocabulary, syntax, decoding and comprehension skills to successfully read and write code. Our next phase of research includes development of a literacy-based coding curriculum that will build on familiar teaching concepts for literacy teachers as well as professional development to aid teachers in learning coding as a literacy."

May 20, 2019 email to Cellini Higa

Daniel L. Perez Elementary School Library Technology Use

Students use the computer lab or chromebooks for (1) library lessons, e.g. exploring types of books, history of the Dewey Decimal Classification System; (2) OPAC searches; (3) search options using online encyclopedias or websites, e.g. Guampedia; and educational games. Students are use the computer lab with their teachers for content work: (1) reading and math lessons with Read Theory or Prodigy; (2) use of MS Word and PowerPoint; (3) keyboarding and coding skills.

Students use the Library Computer Lab with their teachers for regular classroom work: (1) content work, e.g. reading or math lessons; (2) search for information for projects, e.g. science fair or biography reports; (3) learn about and then create power point presentations; and (4) develop their keyboarding or coding skills. Students also use the computer lab or chrome books for OPAC searches, library lessons such as use of online encyclopedias and search options on Guampedia, surveys, and educational games.