Hack Education has an interesting interview with Laura Blankenship, a computer science teacher in Pennsylvania. I think it’s great the flexibility Laura demonstrates – when Scratch wasn’t working for her students, she switched to something that worked better for them.
This is an interesting silver lining to the lack of mandated standards in computer science – we often have the flexibility to change what we teach in substantial ways, such as switching from straightforward programming to a web-based approach and digital media, such as Laura did. I’ve long known flexibility was a key to great teaching – providing students with appropriately engaging challenges while teaching the important material. Of course, being that flexible has huge challenges!
If nothing else, I hope the interview gives you some creative ideas for things you might do with your students!
Michelle Friend
CSTA Past Chair