Hour of Code

The class participated in the Hour of Code on Monday, December 8th. It seems like the entire world was also participating at the same time, since the internet was (basically) broken, but it was still a lot of fun. Several of the online tutorials and learning games were overwhelmed with traffic, which means we couldn't get them to work, but we did get to do some pretty fun stuff. 

Below are some pictures of students coding throughout the day. My greatest learning "take-away" was that immediate feedback was helpful, but the "games" forced me/us to identify our mistakes and then to make revisions if we wanted to proceed, or advance, in the game. The code was the method by which we could advance. As a teacher, I loved the immediacy of the feedback, and the opportunity for revision. Honestly, I'm not great at getting feedback quickly to my students, especially with writing, but I try to do it well. I do, however, emphasize revision just about every class period, because I believe in it wholeheartedly. 

Canvas Discussion Feedback

Yesterday we participated in our first full-class discussion on Canvas/SPS Online. We used Fantastic Mr. Fox and our learning regarding fictional stories and literary elements as the prompts for the discussions, and things went well. But that doesn't mean we can't improve our practice in school discussions. 

The first bit of feedback that I must offer is the picture above. Whenever I find myself in a new situation, I often quote this saying to myself. It's a great statement because it applies to everyone in basically every situation. This picture was taken by my father when visiting, I think, Yosemite National Park. He visited a very nice lodge, and this sign was posted. But I think it can also apply to school, and even our Canvas discussions. 

So, whenever you're using Canvas/SPS Online, please remember to conduct yourself in a manner that is consistent with the intended use. Canvas/SPS Online was created as an online learning management system, for Springfield School students to engage in meaningful learning online. So, let's make sure our time spent on Canvas/SPS Online is educational in nature. 

If we keep that in mind, then I'm sure our discussions will become rich opportunities for us to think, write, and interact in new ways. I can't wait to see.