Participate and share: Poster 
Workshop Purpose:
The purpose of this interactive workshop, "Create Your Own Elementary Coding Toolkit: Hands-On Fun and Computational Thinking," is to empower elementary educators in adapting to the evolving educational landscape. It aims to provide educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to integrate computational thinking and coding effectively into their teaching. By fostering a deep understanding of computational thinking, offering practical applications with tools like Bee-Bot and Makey Makey, and equipping educators to create personalized coding toolkits, this workshop supports educators in enhancing their students' problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity skills. Through hands-on and interactive activities, educators will leave this workshop with the confidence and competence to create engaging and transformative learning experiences for their elementary students in a tech-driven world.
Educational Challenge:
The educational landscape is evolving rapidly, and educators need to adapt to effectively engage their elementary students in a tech-driven world. Many educators may lack the resources and knowledge to integrate computational thinking and coding effectively into their teaching.
Technology Intervention:
This interactive workshop "Create Your Own Elementary Coding Toolkit: Hands-On Fun and Computational Thinking" addresses this challenge by introducing elementary educators to the transformative power of computational thinking and coding through hands-on activities with Bee-Bot, Makey Makey and other coding tools.
Objectives (Participant Outcomes):
Understanding Computational Thinking: Participants will gain a deep understanding of computational thinking and its profound impact on elementary students. They will recognize how computational thinking fosters essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity.
Practical Application: Educators will learn how to effectively integrate computational thinking and coding into their elementary classrooms. They will gain hands-on experience with Bee-Bot, Makey Makey and other coding tools and see how these devices can engage and nurture not only their students' computational thinking skills, but also math and language skills.
Personalized Coding Toolkit: Participants will leave with valuable insights and resources to create their personalized coding toolkit, including age-appropriate tools and straightforward lesson plans. This toolkit will enable them to make curriculum-tailored coding instruction a joyful journey for both educators and students.
Models Employed:
This interactive workshop employs a hands-on and interactive model. Participants will engage in activities with Bee-Bot, Makey Makey and other coding tools to understand how these devices can be used to teach computational thinking effectively.
Instructional Activities/Strategies Employed:
The interactive workshop includes interactive demonstrations with Bee-Bot, Makey Makey and other coding tools, allowing participants to experience how these tools can transform learning into an adventure. Participants will also receive guidance on creating personalized and curriculum-tailored coding lesson plans.
Evidence of Success:
The success of this presentation will be evident in participants' ability to:
Confidently explain computational thinking and its benefits for elementary students.
Demonstrate how to use Bee-Bot, Makey Makey and other coding tools to engage students in coding and computational thinking.
Create their personalized coding toolkit, including age-appropriate resources and lesson plans.
Ultimately, the success of this workshop will be measured by the participants' increased confidence and competence in integrating computational thinking and coding into their elementary classrooms, leading to enhanced learning experiences for their students.
This outline maintains an engaging interactive workshop within a 1-hour timeframe, ensuring participants receive valuable insights and hands-on experiences in computational thinking and coding for elementary education.
Introduction (5 minutes):
Welcome and introduction of the presenter.
Brief overview of the workshop's objectives and outcomes.
Explanation of the importance of computational thinking in elementary education.
Understanding Computational Thinking (10 minutes):
Definition and key principles of computational thinking.
How computational thinking fosters problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity.
Real-world examples of computational thinking in action.
Hands-On Activity: Bee-Bot Adventure (15 minutes):
Introduction to Bee-Bot and its role in teaching computational thinking.
Participants engage in a hands-on activity with Bee-Bot, solving coding challenges and exploring its educational potential.
Discussion of how Bee-Bot can be integrated into elementary lessons.
Hands-On Activity: Makey Makey Creations (15 minutes):
Introduction to Makey Makey and its applications in teaching computational thinking.
Participants get hands-on with Makey Makey, creating interactive projects and experimenting with its possibilities.
Discussion on incorporating Makey Makey into the curriculum.
Creating Your Personalized Coding Toolkit (15 minutes):
Guidance on developing a personalized coding toolkit, including resources, tools, and lesson plans.
Emphasis on age-appropriate coding instruction.
Sharing of additional resources and references.
Q&A and Discussion (10 minutes):
Participants can ask questions and engage in a discussion.
Sharing of experiences and ideas among participants.
Addressing any concerns or challenges related to implementing computational thinking and coding.
Conclusion and Empowerment (5 minutes):
Recap of key takeaways and learning objectives.
Participants reflect on how they can apply what they've learned in their classrooms.
Encouragement to embrace computational thinking and coding as tools for empowering young learners.
Closing Remarks (5 minutes):
Thanking participants for their engagement and attendance.
Providing contact information for further support and follow-up.
These resources have provided me with a strong foundation for understanding the significance of computational thinking and coding in elementary education and have served as valuable references for further exploration of the topic:
1. "Computational Thinking: What and Why?" by Wing, J. M. (2006).
This seminal paper by Jeanette M. Wing introduces the concept of computational thinking and its significance in problem-solving and education.
2."Teaching Computational Thinking and Coding in Primary Education: A Systematic Review" by Tondeur, J., Roblin, N. P., van Braak, J., & Voogt, J. (2017).
This systematic review explores the effectiveness of teaching computational thinking and coding in primary education, providing insights into best practices and outcomes.
3. "Coding as a Playground: Programming and Computational Thinking in the Early Childhood Classroom" by Marina Umaschi Bers.
This book offers a comprehensive perspective on introducing coding and computational thinking to young learners and emphasizes hands-on, playful approaches.
4. ISTE Standards for Coaches and Educators: These standards provide a framework for integrating technology and computational thinking into education, emphasizing the importance of these skills for both educators and students.
5. Experts: Recognized experts in the field of computational thinking and coding in education, such as Dr. Mitch Resnick from the MIT Media Lab and Dr. Marina Umaschi Bers from Tufts University, have extensively researched and promoted the integration of these concepts into elementary education.
6. Websites: Educational websites like Code.org, Scratch, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) offer a wealth of resources and research supporting the importance of computational thinking and coding in elementary education.
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