Computing in the 21st Century Classroom

Thoughts by

Liza LoopHistory of Computing in Learning and Education

HCLE.organd

Class Discussion

Translation - if you need clarification

Raise your hand

Let’s talk about…• Questions

• Understanding your own learning

• Teaching• What you teach and why

• Computing• Whether and when to use

electronic devices in the classroom

• Specific Lessons• Suggestions for teaching

photo source: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/why-inclusive-education-all-children-everywhere

Who is Liza Loop?• and why is she talking to us?

• experience - 40 years of observing computing in classrooms and non-formal learning environments

• out-of-box thinking - exploring unconventional ideas & unanticipated consequences

• resume

• Masters Degree in the Design & Evaluation of Educational Programs from Stanford School of Education and extensive Doctoral level study

• I want you to think deeply about the job your are training for

• Why do I ask these particular questions?• Most people teach the way they were taught… and they teach the way they learned. But

the world is changing rapidly and your students will not learn the way you did. Neither you nor I know what they will face and we have to teach them anyway.

QuestionsPlease think about these questions. Understanding your answers

will make you a better teacher.We will not answer all of them today.

How well do you understand the little computer each of you carries in your pocket?

What do you use it for?

What functions does it have that you don’t use?

How did you learn what you know about it?

Will your students come to you knowing more than you do?

Questions

Do you think lifelong learning is important?

What strategies will you use to keep yourself learning?

What will you tell your students about learning how to learn?

How you teach in elementary school will affect how your students learn in the future.

QuestionsDo you think the world will be different when your students are

grown?

What can you offer them today that will help them adapt to a world that has changed both socially and technically?

21st Century Skills• Critical thinking and problem-solving

• Collaboration across networks and leading by influence

• Agility and adaptability

• Initiative and entrepreneurialism

• Effective oral and written communication

• Accessing and analyzing information

• Curiosity and imaginationsee Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard's Change Leadership Group (video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS2PqTTxFFc and Teaching and Learning 21st Century Skills (report - http://asiasociety.org/files/rand-1012report.pdf)

photo source: https://goo.gl/images/Di68gT

Connecting Computing with 21st Century Skills 1

• Critical thinking and problem-solving• Is this message coming from a live person or a computer program?

• Is this information true or accurate?

• Can an electronic device help me solve this problem?

• Collaboration across networks and leading by influence• Who can help me do this?

• How can I connect with them?

• How do we organize our team?

Try having these conversations with your students

Connecting Computing with 21st Century Skills 2

• Agility and adaptability• Could I use different materials to build

this?

• Initiative and entrepreneurialism• Can I do more than the teacher

requires?

• Effective oral and written communication• What’s the best medium to show the

information in this report?

photo source: https://dansteer.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/learning-agility-the-x-factor-of-our-future-leaders/

Try to get your students to ask themselves these questions

Connecting Computing with 21st Century Skills 3

• Accessing and analyzing information• Where can I find out about the Pyramids of Egypt?

• Did this really happen or is it a story someone made up?

• Curiosity and imagination• How can I find out more about this?

• What would happen if I changed this?photo source:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/116001/chapters/Introduction@-How-to-Cultivate-the-Curiosity-Classroom.aspx

Encourage your students to practice these skills

Thinking Beyond the Screen:Computers as…

• teaching tools for you

• tools for student

• electronic paper

• windows on the world

• remote control devices

• laboratories for job skills

photo source: https://goo.gl/images/oGIr2U

Programming without a computer

• Why learn to code?• It’s fun• It teaches logic• It demonstrates how “stupid”

computers are• When do we use coding?

• Instant commands - electronic door lock

• Stored programs - phone settings, games

• What is a code?• Icons, buttons, numbers, letters,

punctuation, spoken language• How rules connect symbols to

make meaning http://igamemom.com/toys-that-teach-kids-programming/

Exploring Computing in SocietyStudents can:

• Interview family members about their use of computers at home and at work

• Ask Grandparents they contacted each other before there were mobile phones

• Find computers embedded in other machines and devices

• Study how computers are used in weather reporting

• Discuss what they think the next important electronic invention will be and how it could make life better (or

worse)

photo source: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/robot-restaurant-server-515846418-chinafotopress-getty-compressor.jpg

Some Suggestions for Classroom Activities

• Tic Tac Toe

• Play on prepared board

• Play on blank paper

• Play with computer as board

• Play against the computerDiscuss what the players do and what the medium

does in each case.

Further Game

DiscussionNotice the little head in the lower right corner of the screen. This icon controls whether to people play or one person plays against the computer.

Discuss how you figure out how to operate a computer application?

• Guess and experiment?• Ask a person for help?• Look for written instructions?• Give up?

Teaching for Transfer

Ask every student what s/he is learning while playing the game and how that knowledge or skill can be used beyond the screen.(consider Situated learning - Jean Lave)

Games are both entertainment and metaphors for life challenges.

Photo Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laBOHFG9vEE

More References(don’t miss the references on the slides)

Sugata Mitra - education and Empire (Learning{Re}Imagined)Reading, Writing, Algorithms: Should IT Be Required (Der Speigel)Study on Digital Literacy: German PupilsMediocre (Goethe Institut)

Digital Textbooks for Schools: Wikipedia for Teachers (Goethe Institut)In Germany, New Doubts About Digital Learning for Kids (Suddeutsche

Zeitung)7 Cyberlearning Technologies Transforming Education (Huffington Post)Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)

NetLogoiGameMom: Coding without a computer

Introduction to Using Games in Education (D. Moursund)

lizaloop@gmail.com