Professional Learning Goals

The professional learning goal for the project was to build student agency in math using coding. Our goals were to learn the Scratch coding language and discover how it connects to the Ontario Curriculum. The project also focused on building teacher capacity around integrating technology within the classroom. Throughout the planning process of designing lesson plans, we embedded teacher practices such as gradual release of responsibility, success criteria and moderation. Collaboratively, we created a lesson plan that promoted growth mindset and problem-solving in math.

Activities and Resources

Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu/). This website offers tutorials on how to use Scratch. After creating a Scratch account, students used their accounts to showcase their learning.

Code Breaker: Increase Creativity, Remix Assessment, and Develop a Class of Coder Ninjas! by Brian Aspinall. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., 2017. This book guided us on how to utilize the coding language Scratch into our Coding with Math unit planning.

Renewed Computer Technology (http://www.rcto.ca/). To implement our small group coding lessons we knew that we needed to increase student access to classroom technology. Renewed Computer Technology shipped up to 23 computers to our school and teacher @A_Dobbie11 to help us to re-image the computers for the coding project. 

Kids Code Jeunesse (http://kidscodejeunesse.org/). A non-profit organization offering teacher and student coding workshops. Our first teacher release day was composed of a interactive and hands-on teacher workshop.

Codecademy (https://www.codecademy.com/). An education company that is rethinking education from the bottom up.

Lesson plan ideas using Coding with Math.

Unexpected Challenges

Some of the unexpected challenges were mostly faced by the participating primary students, who could use more time to learn basics around computer use. Teachers felt they needed more time to explore Scratch before making curriculum connections.

Enhancing Student Learning and Development

Our project could enhance student learning and development by inspiring teachers to use technology more with their math programming. Coding promotes student agency to reason and problem solve in math. Our project could be used as a guide on how to implement and plan coding lessons in grade teams. Throughout our process, our release times focused on student growth through student assessments, making it practical for teachers to use coding in their practice. Our project reviewed many 21st century elements such as learning environments, access to technology and informative assessment.

Sharing

• Our coding project will be shared with our colleagues at Red Willow Public School, through Google Classroom and the Coding Pineapple Project
• Our project was recently shared online #MADPD where 100 educators from around the globe came together to share amazing ideas around education. This conference touched teachers around the world.
• Our project will also be shared at a Peel conference called “Empowering Modern Learners” and by sharing information about our TLC with other teachers, we hope to inspire them to begin their own TLC

Project Evaluation

This project was successful in many ways because it encouraged teachers to open their numeracy block to coding. Teachers on this project experienced high student engagement through the use of Scratch. Teachers on this project are extremely motivated to continue to use coding and also to learn other forms of coding tools in their classroom. Teachers on this project also talk about connecting coding to various subjects.