Pair Programming

Pair programming is a practice used by professional software developers. Working collaboratively is not only an important skill for students to practice, it is also a key component to building classroom community. Pair programming also gives all students the opportunity to feel successful and increases confidence in their coding ability. Pair students of varying abilities is often helpful.

Be sure to share the rules and goals of pair programming with your students. Set a timer for 3 to 6 minutes and have students switch roles.

Driver:

Controls the mouse, typing and any other input into the computer.
Explains any code she is including without input from the navigator.

Navigator:

Watches for errors in code.
Offers helpful suggestions for what to include.
Looks up outside resources for help.

Reflection Sheet:

I like to include a self reflection for students to complete after an assignment completed with a partner. Here's a simple example I use, you can include it as part of a bigger rubric.

Resources:

http://csteachingtips.org/tips-for-pair-programming

Google Sites

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