8P5 - Programable

Empowered Learner

You demonstrated being an Empowered Learner by taking the initiative to learn new coding techniques beyond your initial project scope. When faced with the challenge of finding new ideas, you actively sought out information by reviewing your friends' code and researching the Adafruit website. This shows you took ownership of your learning path, set personal goals for improving your code, and proactively solved problems to advance your skills, rather than waiting for instructions.

Knowledge Constructor

Your project strongly aligns with the Knowledge Constructor standard because the entire process was about actively building and refining your understanding of programming concepts. You didn't just consume information; you applied new knowledge about syntax, logic, and hardware interaction to create a working program. This ongoing process of creating, testing, debugging, and modifying code resulted in a deeper, lasting comprehension of computational principles.

Computational Thinker

By writing code for the Circuit Playground, you acted as a Computational Thinker. This involved breaking down your desired outcome (like making the lights flash or play sounds) into a sequence of instructions, or an algorithm. You had to use logical reasoning and pattern recognition to figure out why your code was or wasn't working, which required abstract thinking about how the physical world of the Circuit Playground interacts with the digital logic of the programming language.

Connection to Computer Programming CTE

Your project directly connects to the Computer Programming Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Hastings High School. The core skill developed—writing, testing, and iterating on code for a piece of hardware—is the foundational activity of any computer programming curriculum. This hands-on experience gives you a practical introduction to the environment and challenges faced by developers, making it a valuable preparation for the CTE pathway.

Connection to Software Developing Careers

Your Circuit Playground project links directly to the career field of Software Developing. Software developers are responsible for writing the code that makes applications, systems, and devices function, which is exactly what you did for your Circuit Playground. The process of translating an idea into logical code, ensuring it runs correctly, and then optimizing it (as reflected in your desire to "do more things") mirrors the daily work of a professional developer.

Reflection made with Google Gemini