Coding and Robotics

     When you think of coding and robotics in education you may envision high school juniors and seniors working with computer programs and building robots right? Well think again because coding and robotics is now a part of elementary classes everywhere! Isn’t that exciting!? As a child I always loved math and science (yes, I am a part of that weird minority), but I would have loved to be a child growing up in this modern world where coding and robotics have become accessible to students in all grades, not just high school.

     In a world that has become so technologically advanced, it is important to prepare kids for the world they will be working in in the future. Although concepts of programming and coding may sound too difficult for younger students, even kindergarten students can quickly grasp concepts of sequences that stand as the foundation of coding. Ultimately coding is just writing instructions that a program or a robot can execute. Robots are so cool, because they allow students to see their thinking and work in a real way as their robot performs the task that was intended, and they are so much fun to work with!

     Working with coding and robots seem so fun and engaging to students, but they are actually learning much more than they may think. Kids are given the opportunity to improve communication skills as they work with other students. The students must work together to complete tasks efficiently, which fosters teamwork and respect between peers. Another biggie that all students need to learn at a young age is perseverance! Coding can be difficult, and there will be multiple failed attempts before a success. Coding is an awesome way to teach students that failing is okay as long as they keep trying! Another skill that is encouraged through coding and robotics is problem solving. Students can receive a problem or task and determine the best way to program their robot to perform the desired task! These are skills that aren’t the main focus of coding, but are definitely beneficial for students at such a young age.

     One new thing I learned about was all the interesting ways you can use robots and coding throughout all content areas. One of my favorite examples, was using the BeeBot on a map in a Social Studies lesson. How creative is that?!

Student-led Conferences and Digital Portfolios

     A growing trend in the education world is student led conferences. For years, the primary means of communication between parents and teachers were conferences between the two parties, but this is changing in the modern classroom. In more and more classrooms students are beginning to take the lead in communicating their own progress and struggles. Student led conferences are beneficially for students because they are able to assess themselves and communicate their struggles and successes with their teachers and parents. It helps students to be able to take responsibility for their own learning by taking the lead and opening communication lines. This conference model has highlighted the student’s voice and insights, which draws a better picture of what the student is doing well at or struggling with and, most importantly, why.

      Although student led conferences may take extra work to prepare, the work is worth it. Just like everything in the teaching world, PREPARATION is key! For a successful student led conference, teachers should guide students through reflection of their own work. Through this preparation and reflection, students can identify their strengths, weaknesses, and set goals for the future. The students can look back on their portfolios to find work that can be used as evidence during their student led conference. This part is vital because it provides all participants in the conference with tangible representations of academic progress.

     One way of keeping track with student work is through digital portfolios. I have heard of some apps used to keep track of student work such ass SeeSaw and ClassDojo, but learning more about this way to keep record of student work was interesting to me. One new application that I learned about was WeLearnedIt. This is an easy and free app that allows students to create digital portfolios. Students can upload their work on this application and use it for future student led conferences. One awesome feature of this app is that teachers can leave feedback on student work through the app! I think it is important for the teacher and student to have an ongoing portfolio that holds student work from the beginning to the end of the school year. It provides evidence of academic growth and achievements that students have made.


     Below is an awesome video that shows the importance of students taking ownership of their learning and facilitating their own conferences.

Autism and the iPad

As a teacher, there is a huge chance that you will have a child that is on the Autism spectrum. One of the biggest hurdles for students with ASD and teachers is the barrier in communicating. Students with Autism can have a difficult time with putting their feeling and thoughts into words, which makes it hard for these students to connect with teachers, peers, and the world around them. So what can we do as educators to ensure a true connection and understanding of students with Autism. A surprising answer may be the iPad. This technology is so important to have in school to support students with Autism. The iPad is used as a tool to revolutionize how students with Autism can connect to their peers and express their thoughts and emotions. The iPad is such a functional tool for many reasons. The touch screen is very user friendly and more accessible to students who may have learning difficulties or problems with coordination. The iPads are also extremely mobile, which differs from a regular computer. Students can have them throughout the day because they are very easy to carry around. Another reason why iPads are the perfect tool to bridge the communication gap is because they provide many different apps to meet the needs of students on the spectrum. As stated above, students with Autism can have difficulty communicating their thoughts, needs, and wants. Apps, such as TippyTalk and Touch and Learn-Emotions, have made the process of communicating so much easier for students with Autism. These apps were new to me, so I was very interested to find out more about them! TippyTalk allows kids to send a text that is formed through pictures, but the receiver of the text would get a text in written form. It takes the chosen pictures that the child with autism would pick and then translate it into written text, which can be better understood by teachers and other adults. The Touch and Learn-Emotions app helps students to identify different emotions based on facial expressions and body language. These apps can be very beneficial in reaching a child with Autism. It will allow a connection to be made that may not have been possible without using iPads. Another way the iPad can have a positive effect on students with Autism is by using it as an aid during transitional times. An iPad can provide students with a visual schedule that will make them aware of what they will be doing and when. An iPad can give students with Autism an easily accessible schedule that provides structure and routine which is imperative for students.

Social and Emotional Learning

 Social and emotional learning has become a huge part of the education world. It is a process of teaching children the different emotions and feelings they can have and learning appropriate ways to manage their emotions. Social and emotional learning focuses on developing the whole child to ensure they will maintain positive relationships, make good decisions, set reachable goals, and show empathy to others. It is important for students to learn about feelings, so they can express those feelings to their peers. Social and emotional learning teaches a child to interact and respond in a proper manner with their peers. For example, if a Suzie keeps making fun of Bob, then Bob should know how to respond appropriately by voicing his feelings. Bob can say, “Suzie, you are hurting my feelings. Will you please stop saying that?” Bob is able to recognize how Suzie is making him feel and address it in a way that doesn’t involve violence or lashing out. This is vital in a child’s development because they need to learn how to understand what they are feeling and thinking and determine the best way to make their feelings known. Conscious discipline is a major factor in social and emotional learning. It empowers students and teachers to be proactive instead of reactive during conflict with others. Conscious discipline isn’t about punishment, but it helps teachers and students to become disciplined in how they speak and interact with others. It teaches safe behaviors and social skills that are needed for building positive and healthy relationships. One awesome thing I learned about social and emotional learning was all the awesome apps that can be used in the classroom. One of the apps that piqued my interest was Superbetter. It is a video game-like app that uses student made goals and encourages and rewards healthy behaviors. Another interesting strategy that I will definitely use in my classroom is having a calming corner, in which students can isolate themselves when they feel like their emotions are taking over. The students can self-regulate their emotions and evaluate their feelings and how to react appropriately.

How AWESOME does this calm down corner look?