CP1.3 - AEA Module #3 : The CS Standards

Summary

You will complete the third module from a set of materials prepared by the state of Iowa Board of Education to help elementary teachers in the state better understand CS and how to apply the CS Framework and Standards when designing CS lessons for elementary students. In those materials you are asked to keep a Reflection Journal.  You should answer these reflection questions in a document that you will share with me.

Module#3

For today's activity please complete the following module:

• Module #3 - Understanding Iowa's Computer Science Standards

It is estimated that this will take around 2 hours depending on how closely you read the material and how much time you spend on answering the questions.

Deliverable

While completing the Module you should take notes about what you experience.  Furthermore, you should make sure that you complete the Reflection Journal Activities as they are presented in the materials. 

Please complete the following questions.

1. What did you write for each of the the Reflection Journal Activities?
2. What was the main point point of this training module?
3. How did this material fit in with the material you have learned in your CSEd program so far?
4. Identify and discuss at least one item/topic in the training that you felt added to what you had previously learned.  How did it improve your knowledge/learning?
5. Identify and discuss at least one item/topic in the training that was a completely new idea or thought for you.  How did it improve your knowledge/learning?

Additional Readings

• Become familiar with CSTA and the CSTA Standards Documents
• https://www.csteachers.org/
• Make sure to read:
  • The materials on the K12 CS Standards (which is what Iowa has adopted)  https://www.csteachers.org/k12standards/
  • Pay particular attention, and take time to interact with, the Standards tool lower on the page 

Evaluation

• This activity uses my "Checkpoint Evaluation" process.
  • That is, it is graded as 1 or 0 based on the evaluation of whether I feel you have put significant thought and reflection into the responses.
• To submit your work you should word process your entire reflection and save/print as a PDF. 
  
• You should then look on Blackboard for the submission link for this activity.

Yes, I'm repeating the same words from CP1.1. I will all week to make my point.

In previous versions of the course I collected this and assigned a score of 1 or 0 - much like I did for the reflections during TLP. I did it that way because I know from experience that if I don't assign a grade to this activity (even a trivial and completely meaningless 1/0) that many of you will completely skip it.

Having said that, several of you commented during TLP that you felt like I was asking you to double your work by writing about activities in your journal and then also writing about it during the competency demo. I can sympathize with that situation. So, despite my concerns, I have decided to be reactive and listen to your comments and assign these activities without collecting anything formal. I strongly encourage you to complete this activity as written. But I also respect you as a learner to use this activity the way that it best fits your needs (which hopefully isn't to skip it completely).

Please know that I still expect you will complete this activity and that you will include ideas from this activity in your end of the week competency demo.