Welcome to the course! Assignments, which can be found below, should be individually e-mailed as Word documents or PDFs to andrewfrisch1107@gmail.com. Please do NOT share as Google Docs! Ten assignments are to be completed for the course. Assignments 1 and 12 are mandatory, and you can select the other eight assignments.
Assignment # 1: Course Introduction
Welcome to the "Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction" online course! I’m looking forward to reading your assignments and hoping that this will be a positive and productive experience for you.
Please write a brief letter of introduction, including the following:
What school district and school you teach in;
Grade and subject area;
How long you've been teaching;
What you like most about your job;
What most interests you about the course topic?
(Note: If you have taken previous online courses with me, please feel free to use the same letter of introduction.)
Assignment # 2: Computer Courses in your district
To get started, I’d like you to write a short piece about what computer education is like in your district, if it exists at all. Focus on the following points:
What grade levels take computer courses?
What types of computer courses are offered?
Is there a computer literacy requirement?
Please feel free to share your open and honest reflections on any computer programs in your district.
Assignment # 3: The Importance of Computer Education: Part 1
Please read the following article: https://www.safesearchkids.com/the-benefits-of-introducing-computers-to-kids-at-an-early-age/
I’d like you to summarize and reflect on the article and also share your viewpoints on why computer science education is important in schools.
Assignment # 4: The Importance of Computer Education: Part 2
Watch the following video from code.org: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc. Please summarize and reflect on the video and add any additional opinions that may have arisen as a result of watching the video.
Assignment # 5: Cell Phones and Apps
Cell phones and electronic devices have always been an interesting issue in the classrooms. Many classrooms today incorporate the use of cell phones and tablets, along with their associated educational apps, while others forbid the use of cell phones.
Please do the following for this assignment IN ORDER:
1) State and explain your position on the use of these electronic devices in your classroom, based on your previous experience. Are you for or against it?
2) Next, I'd like you to do a little internet research on apps that can be used in your classroom. Find at least two different apps that you find interesting and explain what they are about, and how they are relevant to YOUR classroom. Include any relevant links or snapshots.
3) Finally, has this assignment changed your position on electronic devices? Are you more or less likely to try it out or about the same?
Assignment # 6: The code.org website
Code.org is one of the leading websites that promotes computer science education. I would like you to provide a comprehensive outline of the site, and focus particularly on any tutorials that are out there. Focus on how this might impact your students and how you might incorporate this into your teaching.
Assignment # 7: Artificial Intelligence
AI is here and not going anywhere! In schools, it presents challenges and opportunities in two different ways...for students and for educators. What are your thoughts? What experiences have you had using AI? What do you plan to do in the future with it? No wrong answers here!
Please address these questions in terms of your students and yourself (and this can be educational as well as personal if you'd like).
If you'd like, here are some AI sites to help guide you with this question (amongst others):
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/brisk-teaching/pcblbflgdkdfdjpjifeppkljdnaekohj?pli=1
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/brisk-teaching/pcblbflgdkdfdjpjifeppkljdnaekohj?pli=1
Assignment # 8: Gender Issues in Computing
In general, computer science courses tend to be filled mostly with male students. Please view the following website (there is an article and a video: https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/5/236409-countering-the-negative-image-of-women-in-computing/fulltext. Summarize the video and reflect on why there is a lack of a gender balance, and how we might achieve that balance. For this assignment, you might also be interested in viewing this website: http://www.girlswhocode.com/
Assignments # 9 and 10: Lesson Outline
I’d like you to create a lesson outline that infuses computer skills into your subject area/grade level. This lesson can be very informal; I’d just like you to share your ideas on how you would do it. Use the tutorials from code.org, the AI sites and any other sites that you might find. However, please incorporate the following (a few sentences on each is fine):
Motivation
Whole-class instruction
Independent/group practice
Closure
Also, please provide the links of any websites/apps that you used to formulate your lesson. You are welcome to use AI tools to help guide you, just make sure you completely give credit where credit is due, and use a critical lens to make sure the lesson is of the quality you want it to be.
Assignment # 11: Looking Towards the Future
Please share your ideas on how you would either create or improve computer education in your district. What would the program be like? What ages would it be targeted to? How would you make the curriculum accessible to all learners? Please provide links to any websites you may access for ideas.
Assignment # 12: Course Evaluation
Thanks so much for being a part of this online course! It’s been a pleasure being your instructor.
For your final assignment, please write a brief evaluation of the course.
In your evaluation, please indicate your overall satisfaction with the course. Also, it would be helpful to hear which assignments you liked best and which you found particularly interesting, informative or relevant. Please let me know which topics you most enjoyed learning about.
All comments are welcome and, again, thanks for spending this time at a CORE Professional Development online course!