Presented by:

Tyler Beatty

from International School of Beijing

After completing his degree in mechanical engineering, Tyler was hooked into the world of teaching after doing educational outreach in Science and Technology. Since then, he has worked in international secondary schools across Asia as a math and science teacher. After 10 years of programming for both fun and work, he is enjoying the challenge of developing computer science, robotics, game design, and 3D modelling courses for students at the International School of Beijing.

Join the conversation for this session on the Snap! Forum - https://forum.snap.berkeley.edu/t/lightning-talks-balancing-project-based-learning-with-building-competencies/4827

Can Backwards Design or Understanding by Design adequately equip teachers to design meaningful learning experiences? ... I argue they don't when teaching programming skills.

In an ideal world, the time spent in any secondary-school classroom should be less than fifty percent driven by the curriculum, a small percent driven by teacher passion and experience, and as much time as possible driven by student practice and exploration. This talk (slides) looks at the design structure of my Grade 9 - Introduction to Programming course (my online planning documents here). This one semester, elective course is designed to meet students' needs for autonomy, competence and connectedness. It is driven by a set of CSTA standards and 4 miniprojects:

Which leads to these 6 modules of learning:

  • Sub-procedures
  • Events
  • Inputs and outputs
  • Inheritance
  • Lists
  • Abstract data types

This structure creates learning experiences with a low floor of entry, high ceilings for exploration, and wide walls to engage students of all interests and backgrounds. Join me as I strive to develop conseptual understandings while also providing an environment for students to become confident programming practitioners.

Duration:
5 min
Room:
Snap!Shot Zoom Room
Conference:
Snap!shot 2020
Type:
Lightning Talks
Difficulty:
Medium