First Attempt In Learning = FAIL: Picademy Reflections

I spent last Thursday and Friday failing repeatedly, and it was the best teacher development I have ever had! The facilitators encouraged us to fail, they expected it, and were not in the least dismayed when we did. All 40 of us failed over and over, and rejoiced in the freedom we had to do so. However, over the course of the 2 days, all of our failures added up to enormous success. This was Picademy, where F.A.I.L. stands for First Attempt In Learning.

If you are not familiar with the Raspberry Pi, you can check it out here. Basically, it is a small, but versatile computer designed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the UK to introduce children to computer science and coding. It comes pre-loaded with several coding languages like Scratch and Python. It also has accessible input/output pins making it possible for students to experiment with physical computing; controlling lights, sounds, and motors using code. We have 6 of these in the STEM lab which have heretofore mostly functioned as extra computers. I knew that I had not been using the Pi to its fullest, but as it does so much, I had no idea how or where to begin with the students. Then I learned about Picademy.

In September I found out that there was to be a Picademy in Austin at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), I applied immediately and then crossed all of my fingers and toes that I would be accepted. Frankly, my hopes were not too high. Only 40 educators are selected for each session out of hundreds of applications. I was pretty sure that my tremendous lack of experience with computing, educational technology, and digital making would get me a very nice "Thank you for applying, but..." letter. To my immense surprise and joy, on Halloween, I received an email that I had been selected to attend Picademy.

I spent the 5 weeks between that email and this past Thursday and Friday pondering just how out of my league I would find myself when I arrived in Austin.

Day one started with that most Texas of teacher training traditions, breakfast tacos. After a brief overview of the coming days and introductions all around, our facilitators taught us the Picademy motto: FAIL. They warned us that we would make mistakes, that we would feel overwhelmed, and that we may feel uncomfortably out of our depth. However, a fail, we were constantly reminded, is just a first step in the learning process. Assured that we had the freedom to fail, and that we would have the support to keep trying, they lobbed us into the deep end of computing with Raspberry Pi. We blinked LEDs with Scratch and Python, first one, then a set of traffic lights. We made music (or in my case discordant noise) using Sonic Pi. In Minecraft Pi we teleported, built towers, and turned everything we touched to gold with Python. With the Pi Camera we took pictures and movies, we used the Explorer HAT to drive motors and control more LEDs. And, and, and!

PiCamera photo booth

That afternoon, we toured the Texas Advanced Computing Center which was amazing. It is part of the University of Texas and is home to some of the fastest computers on Earth. Most are used to run simulations and forecast models of events like hurricanes, black hole collisions, and chemical interactions between materials. They have projects dealing with machine learning, public health issues, and genetics. It is a fascinating facility.

PiCamera photo effects

Our final assignment on the first day was to brainstorm project ideas. The second day of a Picademy is largely devoted to applying what one learned on day one to a project of some kind. This proved to be a tough task as I was in the throes of a full scale information overload. I was trying to think of a project that I could work on that would, in some form, be within the abilities of the the students I teach once they were more familiar with the Pi. Still, I did what I could to think of ways to apply my learning and hoped that I would be able to remember enough of it to use on Friday.

Day 2 started with some amazing speakers. Marc Scott talked about the open source educational resources movement. Amanda Haughs discussed using Raspberry Pi in the K-5 classroom. We heard more about the work done at TACC from the director, Dan Stanzione. Finally we heard from a 14 year old entrepreneur from Houston, Ethan, who started his own computer company, PCs for Me. He sells Raspberry Pi starter kits and accessories. Ethan talked about some of the projects he is using Raspberry Pi for in his classes this year.

After that healthy dose of inspiration, it was time to form a team, select a project, and get started. Matt, our lead facilitator, likened it to one of those cake baking competitions they have on TV. Teams would have 4 hours to work. At the end of that time, they would have to transport their project to the auditorium and present their work to the rest of the cohort.

Whiskers ready to dispense teaching wisdom

I was lucky to have my partner in all things also be accepted into Picademy (something that we never thought would happen). We had worked out an idea that morning as we drove to TACC. Our aim was to build a robotic virtual teaching coach who could dispense advice any time a teacher might need it. When they gave the word, we grabbed some art supplies, an Explorer HAT, a couple motors, and a handful of jumper wires and got started.

We elected to use Scratch as our programming language because it is something with which we and our students are very familiar. The Explorer HAT was selected because it can be programmed using Scratch, and can control both LEDs and motors simultaneously. To summarize the process, there was much failure. Our code needed a fair bit of debugging before it functioned to our liking. We needed help from just about every facilitator in the room and several cohort members as well to find the correct commands to light our lights and move our motors. Then there was the actual construction of Whiskers and his mountain top temple of educational wisdom. We did not have time to get all of the sound effects in that we wanted, but in the end we were pretty happy with our work. Whiskers asks for the user's name and then offers them a chance to ask a question. He then thinks for a moment and says helpful things like, "Let's talk about that in PLC next week", "You're an amazing teacher, you've got this", and "Have you tried Donors Choose?".

Set up and ready to share our project

The other presentations were great! There were several projects that used Twitter. One tweeted when a program monitoring temperature reached a certain level. Another took a picture and tweeted when a student left class for the nurse, office, or restroom. There was even a motion activated classroom pet movement camera that sent tweets. There was a Minecraft project that used the Sense Hat to search for gold underground so that the player would know where to dig. Another Minecraft project used the Pi Camera to take a picture and then rendered it in Minecraft blocks. One group built a station for creating audio books, another gutted a stuffed bear and fixed it to play lullabies and take pictures when shaken, and one built an Explorer HAT controlled scribble-bot. It was truly inspiring to see so much success after all of our first attempts in learning. Frankly there were too many amazing things to describe them all here. You can watch them all here. FYI, the movie is about an hour long.

After all teams had presented, we were officially recognized as Raspberry Pi Certified Educators. We took turns walking to the front to be presented with our certificates and pins to the stately strains of Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance". Then it was time to pack up and head for home. I cannot say a big enough thank you to the whole Picademy team. Matt, Marc, Amanda, Matthew, Courtney, and Venus, along with the wonderful people from TACC, made this one of the absolute best trainings I have ever had the pleasure to attend.

My brain is still a little bit overloaded with ideas that will need to be tamed and organized over the coming days. I am already working with other participants from the Houston area to have a get together in January so that we can continue to inspire and help each other to move our Raspberry Pi plans forward. The people were pone of the best parts of Picademy. There are so many dedicated, brilliant, and inspiring educators out there that I am so excited to learn from. For the classroom, I am working on Pi lessons for my after school clubs having gotten so many great ideas about where to start. I am working on developing a unit to teach to my 5th graders during the 4th nine weeks. Lessons learned from that experience will help me to adapt the unit for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades next year. Doubtless more ideas and plans will follow as I continue to reflect on Picademy and engage with the wider Raspberry Pi community.

If you are a teacher looking for the best STEM training around, go to the Picademy USA website and register your interest. They are hoping to hold 7 or 8 Picademy USA sessions in 2017.

Rise of the Robo-mice

While 4th and 5th grade have been engineering arcade games and programming in Scratch, the kindergarten through 2nd grade students have been taking the programming skills they learned during the first rotation into the physical world. The Code.org puzzles are an excellent starting point for students to learn how a computer program is constructed and to practice the algorithmic thinking needed to accomplish a task. I moved these classes to programming robots for two reasons: first, so they could see their programs play out in the real world rather than on a screen, and second, because robots are cool.

Students begin the unit by being introduced to the robo-mouse. It is about the size of half a grapefruit with 7 buttons on its back. There are 4 directional buttons shaped like arrows, a "run" button, a "clear" button, and a button that makes the mouse perform a random special action. Each kit comes with a set of large tiles that can be linked to create mazes for the mouse to navigate. Day one I taught the classes how to properly operate the robots and how to build the mazes. Then I let them explore and build whatever kind of path they wanted to program their mouse to run. We used the next few days working through the "Challenge Cards". This required students to build a pictured maze, use a small set of "algorithm cards" to plan their program, program the mouse, debug as needed, and finally record their program on paper. It took some practice, but eventually everyone was doing a marvelous job. I was particularly impressed with the teamwork displayed by so many of the student groups.

The second week of the unit varied a bit by grade level. Kindergarten and 1st grade used the robo-mice to retell a story, while 2nd grade created their own Challenge Cards. To tell their stories, students first drew a small story map showing important scenes and traced the path they would have their robot travel. The next day, teams were given a piece of chart paper to draw and color a story map large enough for robo-mouse to navigate. They then programmed their mouse and practiced telling their story as the robot scurried around their map. Students quickly discovered that talking while the mouse moved around the canvas took more practice than they thought. Many also had to overcome the challenge of the mouse moving to the different points of the map faster than the teller could speak. They persevered admirably and produced excellent work.

Second grade employed the design process and spent the week creating original challenges for their classmates to solve. First, they had to build a maze complete with obstacles, the robot's starting point, and the cheese that is the goal. They had to draw the maze on grid paper as accurately as possible. Next, students planned, tested, and recorded programs to move the mouse to the cheese. In cases where there was more than one correct path to follow, the teams had to record these multiple solutions on the back of the challenge cards they created. Students enjoyed creating the most complex mazes they could and challenging their friends to complete them.

So far, I am very pleased with how the students are adapting their prior knowledge from Code.org to programming the robo-mice. Some have been challenged by writing programs in 3 dimensional space, some have struggled with building the mazes pictured on the cards. The biggest adjustment students have needed to make to their thinking is in the use of the left and right arrows on the mice. In Code.org Course 1 the arrows used to build programs all correspond to the cardinal directions and move the characters north, south, east, or west on the screen. On the mice, the arrows represent forwards, backwards, turn left, and turn right. The turns do not move the mouse to a new location, just rotate it in place. Initially this difference lead to programs full of mice spinning in circles. However, the students adjusted quite quickly. That will help them when the move on to Course 2 in Code.org where the programming blocks for movements and turns are similarly differentiated.

The 3rd graders are also learning to program robots, but using a different device to do so. More about that in a couple of weeks.

Step Right Up to the Sinclair Cardboard Arcade!

Games are serious business in the STEM Lab. For the second rotation of the year, 4th and 5th grade students are extending the engineering skills they learned in our first unit by constructing a cardboard version of an arcade game. The inspiration for this came from the short film "Caine's Arcade" about a boy in Los Angeles who turned his father's used auto parts store into an arcade filled with games he built with scrap cardboard.

Students began by creating a design journal that will be used for the remainder of the year, as this and other upcoming projects will require extensive planning and notes. Furthermore, the journal will allow them to reflect on the work they have done over the course of the year. Next students discussed in groups the characteristics common to all games and these were recorded on an anchor chart. They noted that games should be fun, games require strategy and skill, they have moving parts, and that they should not be too hard or too easy.

At this point, students watched the "Caine's Arcade" movie and were introduced to the particulars of their design challenge. I showed them examples of real arcade games like one would see at Dave & Buster's as well as some homemade versions like those in the movie. I also shared with them some "half-baked" prototype games of my own. Mine were deliberately unfinished (half-baked) in order to facilitate a discussion about improving a first draft of a project.

With the guidelines and rubric in hand, student teams got to work planning their games. Diagrams were drawn, materials lists were created, rules were drafted. As construction began, I was most impressed to see how students persevered through challenges by working together and helping each other out. Not only did the teams work well, but students were eager to help other teams with construction problems and ideas for improvement. I was also happy to see students being more thoughtful about their use of materials so that very little waste was generated.

As Sinclair is a STEM magnet school with a communications focus, students finished up their projects by inviting another class to play their games. The 5th grade hosted Ms. Tritico's 2nd grade, and Ms. Flores' 4th grade hosted Ms. Salzman's 1st graders. The visitors were invited to leave feedback about the games they played. Several teams went over the top with their games giving out tickets and prizes which I thought was a nice touch.

Another thing going on in the lab this rotation is getting the 3rd - 5th grade students started working in Scratch. The 4th and 5th graders used Scratch last year to program games and create animations that illustrate science concepts. However, this year, the wonderful people at MIT (where Scratch was born) have created teacher and student accounts that facilitate all of us working together on projects. Below are a couple of games made by a 5th grader and a 4th grader, respectively. (Both use the left and right arrow keys to move the catcher. Press the green flag to start.)




Check back in a few weeks another STEM lab update. It will be about robots! Also, I will put up a slideshow of the amazing games created by the classes who have not been to the lab yet.

So Many Lines of Code!

Like my Kindergarten classes did, first, second, and third grade also began the year with Code.org. (A computer programming introduction in which students move blocks on the computer screen to build programs. Each block stands for a line of actual text-based computer code.) While, this program was completely new to K, most of the older students participated in a similar unit last year. First and second grade continued picked up where they left off in Course 1. The third graders, many of whom completed Course 1 last year, graduated up to Course 2. Both courses are introductory in nature. The primary difference is that Course 1 requires very little reading so students can focus on the thinking process and solving the puzzles. Course 2, is geared towards students who are reading and incorporates some of the higher level programming concepts.

I have found that teaching these programming skills helps students to develop their algorithmic thinking and problem solving skills. Often, students' only consistent practice with these is in math class. The Code.org courses provide a series of computer-based and "unplugged" lessons in which students work on their thinking skills in across the curriculum. Science, art, history, and literacy are all part of the Code.org program. Logical thinking and a creative approach to problem solving are vital in all subject areas.

I have been impressed with how much more skilled the returning students are in approaching the puzzles in Code.org. While some of the vocabulary may have escaped their heads over the summer, the concepts and knowledge have not. Even the 3rd graders who were starting a new level of the program were much more capable than the 3rd graders who started fresh last year.

Going forward, these students will continue to work in Code.org, but they will also  learn to apply their knowledge of programming to other tasks. The 3rd graders will move on to Scratch, a block-based program that is completely open-ended. I explain it to the students this way: Code.org is a workbook and a pencil to help them learn the basics, Scratch is a blank sheet of paper and all the paint, makers, crayons, and colored pencils they could want so they have complete creative freedom. All of the students who have been working in Code.org this rotation, will be introduced to robotics next time. The algorithmic thinking skills that they have been honing will take on a physical dimension as they learn to program a robot to perform different tasks.

Prekindergarten Building Stars, Kindergarten Programmers

Last Saturday I spent the morning at the School Choice Fair, and enjoyed the opportunity to share some of the amazing things that go on at Sinclair. A great many of the people who stopped by to talk to us were looking for Kindergarten and Pre-K programs. That got me thinking about what I have done with these grades in the past, and what I have planned for them going forward, so it seemed like a good week to write about the youngest engineers and computer programmers that I teach.

I will begin with Pre-Kindergarten. My schedule last year did not include them, so this is the first year that I have seen them in the lab. I teach each Pre-K class once a week (rather in than in a two week block as with the other grades), so they are not working on a themed unit like other grade levels. Instead, during each class period I guide them through a set of activities in which they have the opportunity to practice their creativity in a variety of ways. It is important to start children early with creating and making things so that it becomes a habit. There is also a great deal of research that children, especially the young, learn best when they are given the opportunity to explore and build, to "construct knowledge".

We start each class with a song or two. The first was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", which many students knew. Few of them, however, were familiar with the idea of a song that had hand motions. That was perfect because it allowed us as a class to imagine our own. I asked questions to get them thinking like, "What does something look like if it twinkles?" and "How could we show 'up above' with our hands?". After a few good minutes of conversation and practice, we had student generated hand motions for "Twinkle, Twinkle." (I was most impressed a couple weeks into the year when one of the students noticed that "Twinkle" is set to the same tune as "The ABCs".) We have repeated the process of creating hand motions now for "London Bridge" and "This Land is Your Land".

Next, we move on to some kind of hands-on creating. So far, this has included drawing images from the songs we are singing or activities we have talked about. Also, I have had them building with Unifix cubes. We are 5 weeks into the school year now and I am amazed at how much more complex their structures have become with a little encouragement and guidance. The first week, every student built the longest stack of blocks they could. Standing up, it was a tower, on the floor, it was a snake or a train. After a short class discussion about what bridges looked like, they began building some very exciting structures. It has been wonderful to watch them break away from the one dimensional train of blocks. In addition to bridges, they are now building houses, cars, and animals.

Kindergarten, who I see two weeks at a time, by class, began the year learning the basics of computer programming. They use a resource from Code.org designed for early readers in which students solve a series of puzzles using blocks that represent lines of Javascript code. The students create algorithms that navigate characters through sets of mazes or that draw pictures. The goal is to get them thinking logically about the steps needed to accomplish a task. As they progress, the students learn about concepts such as looping and debugging. Another important part of this unit is what is called "pair programming". In this, students work in teams of two with one acting as the "driver" and the other as the "navigator". The driver uses the mouse and keyboard while their navigator watches for mistakes and offers suggestions. A great part of this program is that both students are able to login as a team, so that both are earning credit for the puzzles they solve together.

I started using Code.org with my 3rd graders a couple years ago (when I was still a regular classroom teacher). They are now 5th graders entering their third year of computer science instruction. While it is anecdotal evidence at best, those students seem more skilled in algorithmic thinking than they might otherwise be. I have had subject area teachers tell me that they have seen the students make connections between the computer science skills I have been teaching them and the work they do in their classrooms. All of which is to say, I am excited to see what my current kindergartners and first graders will be capable of by the time they get to 4th and 5th grade. I suppose I am just hoping that I am able to keep up with them.

Give Them a Hand!

Before I begin, I wanted to let you know that I have a Donors Choose project posted in order to supply our budding makerspace with some more high tech components like LEDs and small motors. Any support would be greatly appreciated. If you give before Tuesday September 13 and use the code LIFTOFF, Donors Choose will match your donation. Click here to go to the project page. Thank you.

Now, on with the post!

As we got into our regular ancillary rotation schedule the second week, I formally introduced the students to the long-term goals that I have set for them in the STEM lab this year. The goals vary by grade level, but basically they are: use creative thinking to construct digital products, work with a team to solve problems and promote learning, follow a deliberate design process to create products, and use algorithmic thinking to create solutions.

I asked the students to think about these goals as well as goals they had for themselves that were not directly related to those I had set, and to discuss with their table groups. Then, 3rd-5th graders, went to the computers and each completed a Google Form indicating which of the goals they felt would be most challenging for them and a personal learning target or interest. I intend to have students revisit these responses throughout the year to reflect on the the progress they have made. In sifting through their responses, I noted that many felt the design process goal was going to be the toughest. I had expected that as it was not something that I feel like I gave enough time to last year. It is why I have planned this year the way that I did.

So what are the 4th and 5th graders doing this rotation? They have their first design challenge of the year! They must build a mechanism that can pick up, move, and set down a variety of objects from a distance of at least 2 feet. They were provided with a selection of materials and a design process record sheet to aid in their planning. They worked in self selected teams of two.


However, before setting the challenge, I led the classes through building several models with moving parts. First, they constructed a simple scissor mechanism using old card stock and brass fasteners. Next, they built a two fingered device with paper that opened and closed using a central pull. Finally, they built a model human hand with individually controlled fingers. Each finger had short lengths of straw through which they threaded a string that they affixed to the tip of the finger. Pulling the string away from the fingers causes the finger to bend. We discussed how this system was very much like the one found in their actual hand.

The recording sheet that I provided each team asked them to think about the task, to brainstorm ideas, and to plan their first prototype. The brainstorming actually proved to be the most difficult because several teams were so enamored of their first idea that they had trouble generating more. To get them thinking, I asked what they would do if their first idea didn't pan out. They all said something to the effect of "we'll need another idea". Exactly, which is why you need to come up with as many ideas as possible now so you have more ideas ready to go.

Another goal I have this year for myself and the students is to reduce the amount of trash generated in the lab as much as possible. I gave the teams a list of materials they could use for the challenge, but stressed that they would probably not need all of them. The teams were required to create a list of materials to create their design before being allowed to start building. This got them thinking about the materials and in the end reduced the number of false starts with the construction process. That is not to say that each team had smooth sailing. Several found that the materials they chose were not suited to the task in the way they imagined. However, instead of giving up and starting over, the teams looked for solutions the problem their selected materials presented.

I was deeply impressed by the wide variety of solutions the different teams engineered. Not every group succeeded fully, but no one gave up. Even the teams that did mange to move all of the objects went right back to their tables and began the process of improving their devices.

Teams completed their recording forms, and then each student completed a Google Form reflecting on their work. I received a number of thoughtful responses lamenting the slippery nature of golf balls, the difficulties of working with a partner, and suggestions for reinforcing cardboard so it is not so "bendy". A new rotation starts Monday, and I am excited to see what the next set of classes creates!

Let the Making Begin!

This summer I spent a fair amount of time reflecting on last year, which was my first in the STEM Lab. Moving from the regular classroom to the lab required a tremendous shift in how I thought about planning and pacing my lessons. Instead of planning for one grade, I was planning for 6 grades. Instead of twenty-something students, I had five hundred. Overall, I feel like last year went pretty well, but there were also things that I definitely wanted to improve.

One revelation I had was that many of my students had great difficultly with tasks in which multiple outcomes were acceptable. For example, one such task was to build a vehicle that could carry 2 wooden blocks the length of the table. Most students had one of two reactions. Many seemed unable to believe that they had free reign over the design and kept asking if each element they added to their vehicle was OK. The others embraced the freedom and went all out adding everything and the kitchen sink to the vehicle, usually forgetting what the vehicle was supposed to be able to do in the process.

In order to improve their creative confidence and design thinking, my emphasis this year in the lab will be on making and creating. I have read a number of interesting articles recently about maker education and invention literacy which outlined the benefits to students when they are encouraged to to create rather than just consume. Most importantly for our work in the lab, making naturally draws together the skills needed for a deep understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math. In addition, making requires students to practice creative problem solving and other content areas can easily be incorporated as well.

So, after that lengthy introduction, how did we begin making? I adapted an activity from the Dallas Museum of Art's Center for Creative Connections. (It is a space at the DMA geared towards children and families that involves them in crafting and drawing with different materials.) Students were provided with a wide variety of up-cycled and reused items. There was cardboard, paper clips, fabric scraps, yarn, toothpicks, tissue paper, and so on. After giving a brief overview of the types of materials available and reminders to conserve as much as possible, the students were instructed to create something. Their object could be abstract or representational, based on a feeling or experience, fancy or minimalist. The only constraint on their creativity was time.

With the week only half over, I am amazed by the what I have seen so far. There have been challenges in generating ideas and making plans before cutting/gluing, but the students have done a great job persevering. Even more impressive has been the amount of cooperation and collaboration that has been displayed. The students are eager to share discoveries they have made about certain materials and techniques the help others to bring their visions to life. They are evening helping each other generate ideas about what to build. I overhead this exchange during a 2nd grade class: "I can't think of what to make!", "How about you make a boat? That's what I'm making.", "OK." And off they went, each building their own unique visions of a boat.

However, the best thing I have heard a student say this week was this: "I wish we did this every day at school."