Teachers
Sarah Dallum, Jen Steffes and Liz Vollbrecht are fourth grade teachers at Poplar Bridge Elementary. The fourth grade team is in year one of the Computer Science Immersion program; their students receive one hour of computer science instruction each week.Instructional Strategy
Sarah, Jen, and Liz have successfully created positive classroom environments where students collaborate, learn from one another, and feel comfortable making mistakes.“It’s been fantastic to watch my students become so engaged in Computer Science content while working together on their Chromebooks and unplugged lessons,” said Steffes.
The three teachers have gotten to know their students well enough in five weeks that they’ve created successful, strategic pair programming teams. In pair programming, two students work together on one Chromebook with defined roles. Through pair programming, students are learning to communicate effectively, problem solve, and stretch their thinking. All three teachers have noted the benefits of working in pairs, using accountable talk, and building relationships with each other.See What It Looks Like
The teachers are actively engaged in each lesson, participating in each activity and learning alongside their students. They share their successes and aren’t afraid to tell their students that programming can be hard, and they’re learning it too.The highlight for students during Computer Science time has been coding their own animations in Scratch with their pair programming partners. Students have quickly learned how to write code to create their own interactive stories and games. The excitement and enthusiasm Sarah, Jen, and Liz have for Computer Science, paired with the content their students are learning is creating an incredible experience in each of their classrooms.
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