Watching my students complete Mrs. Foley's Challenge task card on day 2 was such an amazing experience. I am having flashbacks to the way I first felt when taking part in the Dale Street iPad pilot in 2014. I knew this experience would be similarly worthwhile, yet I did not anticipate the level of deep learning or the genuine perseverance from students beginning on day 1. Students dove in, took risks, persevered through challenges, and worked tirelessly until they found success... all of this without frustration, asking for adult help, or complaining. This is worthwhile in itself!
In addition to these skills, students also learned about major concepts in Geometry-- even though we haven't started the unit yet! I heard natural conversations about what the definition of a polygon is-- and where to find it if not sure. Normally students would ask me, but they turned into mathematicians once they had the responsibility of coding the Pro-Bots. There were so many teachable moments that came about naturally, and kids were so engaged and wanted to talk about them.
Overall, I count our first three days in the major success category. The only issues that came up were logistical (ie: realizing that the rug is not the most optimal surface for perfect 90 degree turns, angling the paper off center can affect lines drawn on two papers, and how important it is to test the Pro-Bot's course first before adding the marker). Every challenge was faced with student problem solving-- another life skill that is impossible to teach, yet so important!
Take a peek at all of the great photos and reflections that students did for homework last night.
The student thoughts and comments speak volumes!
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