Reflection

Digital MakerSpace 

Nearpod offers engaging and fun ways to increase student participation and foster a love of learning. By leveraging real-time insights, interactive activities, and gamified learning, Nearpod encourages active student involvement and provides teachers with evidence of learning to address misconceptions in the moment. Implementing Nearpod in my future classroom can help students develop CT skills and CS concepts through interactive activities such as gamification, drag and drop, drawing, matching, and collaborative discussions, ultimately creating dynamic and interactive learning environments that empower students to thrive academically and beyond.  Nearpod can foster classroom community, differentiate instruction, and focus on student motivation, allowing students to personalize their learning experience and progress at their own pace while being proud of their independent growth. 

Drone Lesson Plan - Metro E  

The drone activity at Metro-E expanded my confidence as a teacher because I learn something new that I didn't know before. Also the confidence of the students was expanded by allowing them to create their own codes, which helped them develop computational thinking skills through problem-solving and creating patterns. This hands-on experience with drones not only enhanced the students' understanding of technology but also fostered a sense of accomplishment and empowerment as they applied their coding skills to control the drones effectively. The practical application of coding in drone activities provided a real-world context for learning, boosting both the students' and the teacher's confidence in their technological abilities and problem-solving skills. I plan to try and implement this in my future classroom to promote confidence and explore different things the students can do with technology. 

STAR Hero Journey - Metro E Activity 

The STAR Hero journey at Metro-E allowed me to develop flexibility and time management skills, essential for a future teacher. The activity enabled students to explore new creative endeavors, fostering their confidence as they created something unique and kept it as a memento. Additionally, I gained experience in using AI, which is increasingly relevant in educational settings and will be valuable for my future career as an educator. The students developed a growth mindset during this activity because they have to problem solve and not give up. I plan to implement AI in my future classroom to help me as a teacher with plans or creating activities.  

Lego WeDo 2.0 - Metro E

The Metro-E experience involved students learning to code and program a robot frog LEGO, fostering their understanding of computer science concepts and computational thinking skills. As a future teacher, this activity highlighted the potential of hands-on coding experiences to bridge the gap between computers and physical objects, aiding in the development of students' computational thinking skills. The students actively engaged in problem-solving when the code did not yield the desired results, further enhancing their computational thinking abilities and understanding of coding principles. This hands-on activity not only provided an opportunity for students to learn coding but also allowed them to witness the transfer of their code to a physical LEGO model, reinforcing their understanding of the relationship between programming and real-world applications.