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Spring2017ProgramReviewCoordinators:YeseniaValverde’17.5andKatherineLopez‘17

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Introduction

LearningExchangeisaprogramrunoutofBrownUniversity’sScienceCenterOutreach(SCO),aimedatengagingProvidencemiddleschoolstudentsinmathandcomputerscience.Webelievethatchildrenarebrilliant,butmaylackmotivationwhentheyareunabletoseethevalueofwhattheylearnintheclassroom.Toaddressthis,weteachstudentshowtouseMIT’sScratchenvironmenttodesigntheirownanimations,applyingmathematicsandproblem-solvingskillsinfunandcreativeways.WithLearningExchange,wearecommittedtofosteringacommunityofpeerlearningandpassionforlearning.

ThegoalsofLearningExchangeareasfollows:

• Tohelpstudentsexperiencepracticalapplicationsofthemathematicsandproblem-solvingskillstheylearnwithinthetraditionalclassroomsetting.

• Toempowerstudentstotakeownershipoftheireducationthroughasustained,self-designedproject.

• Tobuildexcitementaroundundertakingnewintellectualchallenges,therebyimprovingtheirconfidenceasyounglearners.

• Tobuildmentoringrelationshipsbetweenstudentsatbrownandinprovidence,fosteringpeer-learning

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ComputerScienceCurricula

ComputerScience(CS)hasdrasticallychangedtheworldweliveintoday,withitsinnovativeandseeminglylimitlessnature.Inteachingstudentshowtocode,wegivethemthefreedomtoexpresstheircreativitybydesigningtheirownanimations,aswellasencouragethemtothinkcriticallyastheyworkthroughthecreationprocessoftheirprogramsfromstarttofinish.

Overtheyears,theprogramhasgrownandthecurriculumhaschangedtobetterengagestudentsandstriketherightbalancebetweendevelopingskillsandhavingfun.

Earlyoninthehistoryofourprogram,astrongemphasiswasplacedonfirstteachingmathconcepts,followedbystructuringprogrammingprojectsaroundthoseconcepts.Studentsoftenlostinterestinthisapproachandwereultimatelyinadequatelypreparedfortheprogrammingneededtocompleteprojects.Anentirelyproject-basedcurriculumwasthenimplemented,teachingmathconceptswhentheywerenecessaryforagivenproject.However,integrationwaspoorandtherewasanunevenbalanceinteachingfocusbetweenprogrammingandmathematics.

Aseriesofworksheetstoaidteachingwerethenimplemented,allowingstudentstoworkthroughprojectsindividually.Thisgaveeachstudenttheabilitytogoattheirownpaceandbeassistedbyfacilitatorswheneverneeded.EachstudentsavedtheirworktoasharedScratchaccountattheendofeachclass.Thispreventedworkfrombeinglostandkeptallstudents’projectsinaneasilyaccessiblelocation.

Thissemester,newproject-basedworksheetswerecreatedthatweremeanttobemorechallenging.Theseworksheetstargetedthestudentswhohadalreadycompletedtheseriesofbasicworksheets,andnowneededmorechallengingapplicationsoftheirprogrammingknowledge.

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ProgramStructure

Thissemester,werantwocomputerscienceprograms.OnewasbasedatNathanaelGreene,throughanafter-schoolclassofferedbyMs.Maia,a7thand8thgrademathteacher.TheotherwasbasedatDelSesto,throughanafter-schoolprogram.

NATHANAELGREENE:Theprogramranforatotalofnineweeks,fromFebruary28ththroughMay3rd.Wemettwiceweeklyforone-hoursessionsinMs.Maia’sclassroom.StudentswereprovidedwithlaptopsbyNathanaelGreene.

WeadvertisedthepositionofstudentfacilitatorthroughBrownMorningMailandsocialmedia.Brownstudentsappliedthroughanonlinesurveyandweretheninterviewedinperson.Onaverage,twofacilitatorsaccompaniedacoordinatortoeachLearningExchangeclass.Thereweretypicallyabout8studentswhoconsistentlyattended,allowingforampleone-on-oneteachingtime.

GILBERTSTUART:

ThiswasthefirstsemesterconductingtheLearningExchangeinGilbertStuart,afterhavingtransferredfromDelSesto.ThisprocessinvolvedasignificantamountofplanningandcoordinationwithCityYearfaculty,which,afterreplacingtheAfterZoneprogram,tookoverthemanagementofafterschoolactivities.Weplannedtheschedulingfortheupcomingsemester,aswellasdiscussedplatformstoadvertisetheprogramtostudents.Methodsofoutreachincludedaflyerthatstudentscouldtakehometoparents,inadditiontoanemailnewsletterthatwasbeingdevelopedbyCityYear.

Becauseofthelogisticaldifficultiesweencountered,theeducationalportionoftheprogramwasrelativelyandconsistedofonlyaboutfourweeksthissemester.Therewerethreestudentswhoconsistentlyattended.Aninconsistentscheduleamongafter-schoolprogramsledtoconfusionwithparents,resultingindecreasedattendanceasourprogramprogressed.ThisissuewasdiscussedwithCityYearfaculty,andweareexpectingittoberesolvedfornextsemester.

WorkingatGilbertStuart,ourprogramissuppliedwithafacultymembertoassistwithourprogram.ThisisinadditiontotheBrownstudentfacilitators,makingthestudent-teacherratioveryfavorabletoaproductivelearningenvironment.Anotheradvantageofthesmallclasssizesisthatstudentswereabletoworkonindividualizedprojectsthattailoredtotheirgradelevel.Studentshadpositivefeedbackaboutthisapproach.

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EnvironmentandClassStructure

AtNathanaelGreene,wedistributedaprogramflyeraroundclassroomsandforstudentstotakehometoparents.Thiscouldhavebeenverybeneficial,asstudentsthatendedupattendingclassesweremoreconsistentandexcitedthanpreviousyears.Ms.Maiahandledenrollmentandrecruitedabouttenstudents.

ThestudentsprogressedthroughaninitialseriesofsixworksheetsthatintroducedbasicScratchprogrammingconcepts.Eachworksheetguidedthestudentthroughthedevelopmentofasimplegame,teachingskillsthatwouldcarrythroughtootherprojectsintheprocess.Thistutorial-styledesignallowedstudentstohaveafinalproductatthecompletionofeachworksheetwhichtheycouldbeproudof.Studentstypicallycompletedoneworksheetineachclass,thoughthisvarieddependingonindividualpersonalities.

Oncetheseriesofinitialworksheetswascompleted,studentscouldthenmoveontotheadvancedworksheetsorbegindesigningtheirfinalproject.Forthefinalprojects,studentsweregiventhefreedomtodesignanythingtheywanted,whileincorporatingwhattheyhadlearnedthroughoutthesemester.Wedidcreateaworksheetpacketthissemesterthatguidedstudentsinthedesignprocess.Thisnewapproachprovedtobeverybeneficialasstudentsweremorelikelytocomeupwithfinalprojectsthatweremorerealistic,giventheamountoftimeavailable.

Attheendofthesemester,studentspresentedtheirfinalprojectsatanendingcelebrationinBrownUniversity’sScienceCenter.

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ReflectionsTheworksheetscontinuetobeinvaluableasateachingresourceandhelpindirectingnewfacilitators.Movingforward,moreworksheetsshouldbedevelopedthatguidestudentsthroughusingmoreadvancedfeaturesinScratch.Thiswouldideallycomebeforefinalprojects,asstudentswouldbebetterequippedtopursuedifferentkindsofprojects.

ClosingWewouldliketothankthefollowingpeopleforhelpinguscreateandstrengthenLearningExchange:

• AmitandNabeel,thefoundersofLearningExchange• OurSpring2017coordinators,KatherineLopezandYeseniaValverde• Ourfacilitatorsthissemester,WilliamTruong’17,EliasEllison’17,NinaPolshakova

‘19• OuradvisorandDeanoftheScienceCenter,OludurotimiAdetunji• OurNathanielGreeneCoordinator,Ms.Maia• Administrativesupport:LynseyFordfromtheScienceCenter• Aboveall,ourstudentswhomakeLearningExchangeworthwhile!