We are a team of 3 teachers who work in an elementary school. Two of us are 4th and 5th grade ENL teachers and one General Ed 5th grade teacher. We reviewed Class Pet 3-5, this program allowed students to learn about different class pets and use coding to make their pets come to life. Our students were so excited upon hearing the overview of the program, they could not wait to get started.
We were impressed that every module had a detailed lesson plan that was tied to NYS learning standards complete with assessments. Suggestions for modeling the lessons were also provided. As a teacher this was an invaluable support because everything we needed was there at a glance. This allowed us the time to scaffold for our ENL students and students with disabilities.
This resource offers students the excitement of owning a class pet. Students will be able to go through the process of researching different kinds of pets, vote on a pet that is suitable to live in their classroom. This allows students to think out of the box, conduct research, and collaborate with their peers. Students then have the opportunity to design what their pet may look like, and teach it to move through Blockly. Students will have great connections with the steps taken to own a pet because they will have gained an understanding of the importances of having a class pet. Their connection and excitement will ultimately drive their learning. This resource also allows students to build knowledge in technology and computer science, which is a huge interest at this grade level.
We had less than a month to pilot this program with our 5th-grade ENL students and general education students. So, we went through as many lessons in the modules and customized them accordingly. Many of the customizations were curated due to the short time periods that were allotted for each day. Creating a scope and sequence helped us stay on track and allowed room for flexibility. We chose one main lesson from each module to pilot during the time we had.
In the general education class (Grade 5 with approximately 26 students), it took a while to settle into the online platform, so, similarly, to the 5th grade ENL group, we were able to customize our learning, but it did take a bit longer to complete certain tasks with a larger group of students in the short time that was allotted. We were able to get through a few modules (approximately 2 lessons per day was the goal but customization was necessary). Using Google Slides during customization was helpful to get through a few lessons.
The lessons were easy to access once you logged in. Students were able to access assignments posted in each module. They were able to choose the translation needed to complete assignments. We were able to see students' work after their submission. This allowed us to monitor their understanding of the task and give feedback. We were able to open each module as students were ready to move on to the next assignments. We also have the option to open multiple modules to accommodate groups that work faster.
Once students understood the routine, and how to work within the module, they started to gain confidence in their work. Students are able to ask for help within the module itself and teachers are notified immediately. This worked very well with some of our students who are less likely to raise their hand and ask for help.
Working with Dash Robots in conjunction with iBlocks opened up a new excitement for our ELLs. They immediately incorporated their pet design to the Dash robot.
In the general education classroom we worked in groups (approximately 4-5 students) and that was also very helpful to work through modules instead of having students complete work independently. It was found that it was more beneficial to have 2 students in charge of "technology" per day that way students could troubleshoot if needed, while the other students worked on researching and answering questions promptly. Grouping also allows ENL students to collaborate with adequate time and resources alongside their peers. Students seemed more likely to contribute when they had a specific role in their group as well. Instead of individualizing engagement activities within platform, the teacher was able to create slides that guided the groups to complete certain steps, think, and collaborate with one another.
Some questions within the modules required the students to create a chart, which they were unable to do even though a sample of one was shown. To overcome this challenge we had to print out a packet from the student workbook and skip the online module. Students who wanted to continue to work online did so with teacher support.
It is important to note that outside resources will be needed to research and complete assignments. Students were encouraged to use Google to search for information about different animals. Selective YouTube videos were provided to assist in their research. We created student-friendly Google slides to provide a supplemental resource for our ENL students. Visuals and classroom books were important as well, as students completed research.
We had difficulty logging students into iBlocks, however, when we spoke to customer support they instantly rebooted us due to maintenance issues and it then worked. Students were kicked off after logging in, customer services extended the amount of time that students can be idle. There was a delay in beginning the online portion because the iBlock program needed to be approved by the district, so keep in mind that this is critical if it is being implemented.
In the General Education classroom we had to troubleshoot and alter the sequencing of completing certain tasks. Because logging into the online platform was difficult for all of the students to complete on their own, the teacher created small groups so that it was easier to troubleshoot technology issues. With a mixed variety of learners, groups could work together and stay on pace. Additionally, some of the questions on the online platform were challenging so paper or Google slides were used to respond to the questions that were customized for them. Lastly, as a whole class, it became challenging to navigate the coding/dash pet with differing learning levels in such a short amount of time on a daily basis. For future use, it is important to assess time needed on a regular basis in order to provide students with sufficient time to complete an activity.
We would recommend this resource to others who are looking for a starter program at an entry-level. This was the first computer science program we piloted in our classrooms. We were quite nervous when we first started, especially working with ENL students. But, to our surprise, our ENL students and general education students jumped into the program with great enthusiasm. Their excitement to work with a robot/ discuss a concept that is not widely spoken about, and be creative in creating a class pet gave us the support to continue to follow through with the program. Students also really enjoyed collaborating with one another.
Lesson plans/ Artifacts/ Student work: