Computer Science Unplugged

Students are exposed at an early age to STEM activities!
Kindergarten, first and second graders engage in computer science
‘unplugged’activities. Computational thinking, collaboration, critical thinking,  and communication are 21st-century skills that are needed for our students! 

Marquette partners with Code.org to help local teachers learn about computer science

                                    Josh Anderson, News Reporter • December 5, 2017 • 

I participated in this class!  That is me in the brown sweater!

As Wisconsin’s only regional Code.org partner, Marquette hosts classes that train local elementary, middle and high school teachers throughout southeastern Wisconsin how to teach computer science in their schools.

During Computer Science Education Week from Dec. 4-10, almost 120 thousand different events will take place to teach students about the field.

In Milwaukee, Marquette’s partnership with Code.org has allowed many local teachers to learn about computer science and teach it more effectively to their students.

Code.org is a national non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, especially among women and minority groups. They offer free resources that teach students of all ages the basics of computer science. In order to increase their impact, Code.org has partnered with over 50 regional partners across the United States.

The middle and high school classes consist of five days of classes in the summer followed by four quarterly workshops throughout the school year.

Dennis Brylow, an associate professor of mathematics, statistics and computer science, said teachers attending these classes often have little to no computer science experience.

During the workshops, Marquette faculty demonstrate how a class might be taught to attendees, who in turn develop their own lesson plans and present them to each other.

Marquette hosted an elementary class Saturday, Dec. 2.

Brylow, who taught the class, said it was held this weekend in preparation for Computer Science Education Week.

“They’re pretty brave to come volunteer for this, and they’ve got a lot to learn in a short amount of time,” Brylow said.

Gina Marchionda-Schneider and Ed Schreiber are teachers at Lakeshore Elementary in Fond du Lac who began using Code.org last year with their school’s computer coding club, but they said they attended the Dec. 2 class to learn how to use the curricula more effectively.

“We’ve been using (Code.org) without any support, so we wanted to actually meet people that would help us use it more efficiently and help kids faster,” Marchionda-Schneider said.

They both said they agreed that the Code.org content has been a great teaching tool for their students.

“They like the freedom of moving along at their own pace, and they like being able to do things on their own,” Marchionda-Schneider said.

“I’ve never heard a student say anything negative about it,” Schreiber said.

Mary Beth LaHaye also attended the elementary class Dec. 2. She is a math coach at Ronald Reagan Elementary in New Berlin and has been using Code.org resources with her students ever since it was released four years ago. She said through computer science, many of her students have found new levels of success.

“There are kids who might not be the best readers who are phenomenal at visual problem solving and learning from their mistakes,” LaHaye said. “I’ve had kids come up to me and say, ‘You know what, I made a mistake, but I know I can try again because it’s making my brain stronger.’”

The 2017 Hour of Code was such fun!

A big Thank you to our district Library Media Specialist

for working with me to make this a success!

2nd grade-6th-grade students and teachers were engaged!

It was a great opportunity for students to work
collaboratively

with their teachers, sometimes even teaching the teachers

how to code!

  Collaboration

                                                                                and Creativity!

     

That's the Wildcat Way!

K-5 Launch PLTW happenings at Belleville School

K-5 Project Lead the Way Updates

Julia Xistris, K-5 Launch Lead Teacher

Kindergarten-5th grade students have made amazing academic growth during the computer science and biomedical modules of Project Lead the Way. There was an emphasis on collaborative learning while simultaneously being independent learners. Students work with partners, or in small groups, as they problem solve and work through the inquiry-based activities.

Kindergarten: Animals and Algorithms: Our Kindergarten students were introduced to programming by playing an Animal Maze Game, designed to teach students how to write a basic set of instructions similar to coding a computer program. Students then applied their knowledge as they create their own animations on the iPad using Scratch Jr.

First grade: Animal Adaptations: Students learn what it means for an organism to be adapted to its environment as they explore animal adaptations for protection, camouflage, food obtainment, and locomotion.
2nd grade: Grids and Games: After learning how to “speak code” using Rosie’s Runtime Game, students were introduced to Scratch Jr. on the iPad. They learn how to make characters move, interact, change size, and much more! Students began creating code by attempting to solving programming challenges.                                                
3rd grade: Variations of Traits: Students investigate the differences between inherited genetic traits and traits learned or influenced by the environment. As they explore, they discovered that offspring may appear to have different traits than parents as they learn about dominant and recessive genes.
4th grade: Input/Output-The Human Brain: In this cycle, the students learned about the regions of the brain and how each region relates to specific functions in the body, and about the nervous system and neurons, and how they connect and work with the brain. Students then completed a clay model of the brain, tested their five senses, and their memory and reaction time.
5th grade: Infection: Modeling and Simulation: In this module, students investigate models and simulations and discover powerful ideas about computing. look to model an infectious disease to simulate how an illness spread through their class. Applying their new understandings, students program their own models and run simulations with different parameters.

                                                                                                                       

May 4, 2017

Belleville Schools Celebrates STEM Week

Photo courtesy of Abby Beyerl

Intermediate School students learn about the scientific method and engineering design process as they prepare for the Science Fair.

The Belleville Elementary and Intermediate Schools are celebrating STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) the first week of May. This special week highlights STEM activities for students to engage in and align with the district's Project Lead the Way (PLTW) initiative. Through PLTW, 2nd-6th-grade students have been studying the scientific method and engineering design process. This type of learning builds strong background knowledge for these students and gives them the confidence to try new things and work collaboratively.

On Monday, May 1st, Civil/Environmental Engineer, and Belleville parent, Cathy Wunderlich, met with students and shared her experience working for the DNR. She explained her role overseeing the state's public drinking water systems and how they meet the state requirements.

On Tuesday, May 2nd, students enjoyed a visit from the author of The Toy and the Twister, Gillian King-Cargile. In her book, she shows students how understanding science can help them solve real-world problems, just like they are learning to do in their PLTW classes.

On Wednesday, May 3rd, students enjoyed reading STEM books in both print and online.

Thursday, May 4th, is the Science Fair! With over 70 students participating and community businesses Hometown Pharmacy and Belleville Clinic attending, it is sure to be a fabulous event. The Science Fair begins at 6:00 p.m. and Physics Experience will also have a performance at 7:00 p.m. Family and community members are invited to attend. A Buy-One-Get-One-Free Book Fair will also be occurring at the same time, plus attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt for prizes.

The week culminates with Pi(e) Day on Friday, May 5th, as a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports) celebration day. Students earn rewards by demonstrating safe, respectful and responsible behavior. This month two winning classrooms have the opportunity to pie a teacher in the face! A fun and exciting way to end their STEM celebration week.

The School District of Belleville hopes to instill a love for learning in students and a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math by celebrating the power of STEM. Students will continue to engage in exciting opportunities as Project Lead the Way is further implemented in their classrooms.

Second and third graders follow the Engineering Design Process as they created in the STEM Lab this week.

The Intermediate School students reviewed the Engineering Design Process and the Scientific Inquiry Process with Mrs.Ogodogu, Mrs. Xistris and Mrs. Killerlain as they prepare for the IS Science Fair on May 4, 2017.