Launching Collaborative Elementary CS

Eleanor Richard

Previously:

• 2nd grade classroom teacher using PLTW

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• K-6 computer science teacher using PLTW modules in teaching

Currently:

• Doctoral Student & Researcher at UMass Dartmouth in STEM Education

Collaborative vs. Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning

• Group members work separately (although often coordinate)
• Model is more teacher centered as students are often have given roles
• Completed pieces assemble to make solution
• Highly structured

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Example: Jigsaw Researching

Collaborative Learning

• Requires interdependency (group members work together to solve problem)
• Roles of group are flexible and often changing
• Work of students builds of each other
• Groups have equal relational justice

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Example: Brainstorming of needed elements of home to withstand a mudslide.

Creating machine to rescue a tiger as a group

Explore Cooperation

Get into groups of 3 with people near you

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Roles

Person With Longest Hair - Finger Robot goal - follow programmer’s directions

Person With Shortest Hair - Programmer goal - give verbal directions to robot based on map made by course makers

Person With Medium Hair - Course Maker goal - place “x” on squares on the map the robot cannot cross to make a possible but challenging course

Start Finger Here

End Finger Here

Verbal Directions Programmer Can Give:

Up, Down, Left, Right,

Explore Collaboration

In your same group of three look at this game and think about these questions?

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How do you think this game is played? What do you think is the goal?

What changes might you make to the game to make it better or more fun to play (what might you add or change?)

Thoughts on Collaborative & Cooperative Learning?

When would it be useful to use each kind of leaning?

What are the benefits or constraints of each?

Live Type Here….

When you might want to use Collaborative or Cooperative Learning

Collaborative

• Within larger groups where student don’t yet have a lot of content knowledge yet

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• When trying to complete a very specific task
• Example: Rosie’s Runtime

Cooperative

• Within groups where students are able to work together for longer periods of time in order to build off each other knowledge and ideas.

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• When trying to have students complete a more open-ended task
• Helpful for final project, after they have more skills and content knowledge

Pair Programming

Can be collaborative or cooperative depending on how it is used in classroom.

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Driver & Navigator (Checker)

Driver and navigator is written in PLTW.

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Would anyone like to share experiences?

Pair Program - Tips & Tricks

• Switching roles often is necessary (half age rule)

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• Working on 1 Collective Program or 2 Different Leader Programs
• Depends on gols of task, length of time, student needs/dispotions

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• Collaboration requires open ended questions with can have supports built in
• Graphic organizers are helpful supports for idea generation
• Some sample code to get started can be a support (some I black out values)
• For younger students practice with examples and on-examples of what collaboration looks like

Resources

Visual Timers

Code.org pair programming videos 1, 2, 3

Decision Making Matrix Example (useful for deciding which project in a group to focus on or which elements to use)

Scratch Jr. Block Sheet

Scratch Block Sheet

What resources would you like to share?