How to Host a Successful Hour of Code

This week I have had the opportunity to go into several classrooms to take pictures and promote Hour of Code in our district. Hour of Code is a worldwide movement to get more kids interested in computer programming and coding. Almost every school in the district is participating and it has been very cool to go back and visit classrooms.

Here are my top 5 tips for having a successful Hour of Code:

1. Emphasize to your students that they are not JUST playing games. They are coding and learning the "how" behind gaming. Coding is everywhere and it is a great career.
2. Preview the tutorials yourself. It is easy to just send your students to the Hour of Code website, but you must know what is age appropriate for your kids. You don't have to be an expert on every tutorial, but if you have a little bit of knowledge you can steer them in the right direction.
3. Treat Hour of Code like a regular lesson. Ask the kids what they know about coding. I enjoy talking about the lack of women in STEM. I recommend that teachers show a video to get the kids engaged in what Hour of Code is. (This video has been very popular in the classrooms I have visited this week.) After the video, plan what tutorials you will allow your students to learn.

After the tutorials, wrap up your lesson. (Yes, they learned something!) You can have students discuss what they learned about coding, or you could make up a Google Form as an exit ticket. 

4. Monitor your class. Walk around. Encourage them when they get stuck. One teacher told students to remember to have a "growth mindset." (They have been discussing growth mindsets on their campus all year.) I always like it when students leave with their brain hurting--just a little. 

5. Don't make Hour of Code one hour. Let students know they can work on the tutorials at home. Also, let them know they can code with other websites and platforms--Apple has some coding activities, Google,  Scratch from MIT...everyone is getting into coding. 

How to get more teachers to participate in Twitter Chats?

As Digital Learning Coaches, we realize the power of Twitter.

Most connected educators do. But, how do we convince people (especially teachers) who aren't on Twitter how valuable it is?

This has been a challenge and one that I have realized as we have tried to get a Twitter Chat going in our district.

We have had 3 Twitter Chats so far. Our hashtag is #haysedchat. So far, we have had maybe 2-3 teachers on our chat.

I have  been trying to brainstorm some ideas with my colleagues of what we can do to get more teachers to participate.

Here are some ideas:
1. Do a "Lunch and Learn" that involves food where we get more teachers signed up for Twitter.
2. Work with administrators who are on Twitter in the district to encourage their teachers to not only sign up for a Twitter account, but to use it.
3. Assign/volunteer a campus to moderate the Twitter chat, in doing this we will pick a campus that has several Twitter users (I can think of two campuses in our district out of 24 schools that is well connected and use Twitter regularly.)
4. Work with administrators to come up with some incentives that they can provide their campus for participating in Twitter chats--jeans pass, duty coverage, lunch coverage, etc.
5. See if we can put the teachers names who do participate in a drawing for a prize of some sort. Maybe an iTunes giftcard, Starbucks giftcard, Subway giftcard, etc.
6. Maybe one day, our district could offer teachers who participate comp time or PD hours.

I think administrators are the key, as they tend to be with various issues. I think if we can get buy in from administrators, we will have more of a chance to make an impact with teachers.

Please let me know if you have any ideas. I would love to hear them!

This is one of our Twitter Chat Flyers. I made it in Canva and then our team has Tweeted it out pretty regularly leading up to the Twitter chat. 

Mirror 360: District Roll Out

Next week our district is going to be rolling out Mirror 360. This software can connect your iPad to your Projector using your Computer. This gives the teacher the ability to walk around the classroom and monitor students, while also using their iPad. Teachers are no longer anchored to their desk and don't have to trip over cords and connections. 

I am so excited because this is one of the major launches happening in our Department and District. The other is shared Macbook Carts...but one thing at a time. 

Today in Canva, I started compiling some FREE apps for teachers to use their iPads with their classes. Some of the apps are for presentation software--Google Slides and Nearpod, or a fun one for students would be Sock Puppets or Tellagami. Some of the apps could be used for quick exit tickets--Padlet, Educreations, Popplet Lite. 

The Lead4ward app has some great strategies for teachers and a timer--great for a quick formative assessments! 

Thinglink could be used for any subject, but you can really use it for infographics, maps, posters, etc.
 I am really excited about the launch of Mirror 360 in our district. I think I am most excited because I have a lot of requests coming in where I get to go help teachers use the software in their classrooms!