Rosie’s Walk: A Culturally Responsive Computational Thinking PK-1 Challenge (Resource Exchange)

Tiffany Davis; Nea Sann; Mia Dubosarsky; Shakhnoza Kayumova; Katherine C. Chen

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Instructional Showcase
Tagged Division: Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)
Tagged Topics: Diversity and Professional Interest Council (PIC)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47952

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Dr. Mia Dubosarsky has been a science and STEM educator for more than 20 years. Her experience includes founding and managing a science enrichment enterprise, developing informal science curriculum for young children, supporting Native American teachers in the development of culturally responsive science and math lessons, developing and teaching graduate level courses on assessment in science education, and working with thousands of educators across the country on developing meaningful, standard-based STEM experiences for their students.
Mia currently serves as the Director of Professional Development at WPI's STEM Education Center and as PI of an IES funded grant, Seeds of STEM. In these roles she oversees the development and facilitation of STEM themed professional development programs for PreK-12 teachers and administrators and the development and testing of STEM curriculum for preschool classrooms.

Dr. Dubosarsky has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Israel's Institute of Technology and a Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction (science education) from the University of Minnesota.

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Shakhnoza Kayumova University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

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Katherine C. Chen Worcester Polytechnic Institute orcid.org/0000-0002-5428-7196

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Dr. Katherine C. Chen is the Executive Director of the STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Her degrees in Materials Science and Engineering are from Michigan State University and MIT. She and the STEM Education Center work to empower PreK-12 STEM educators and transform STEM education by advancing equity in education and broadening the participation of students in STEM (especially those from underrepresented and excluded groups).

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Abstract

Increasing Massachusetts Partnerships for Advancing Computational Thinking in PK-5 Classrooms (IMPACT) was a research-practice partnership among 5 school districts, researchers, and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (NSF funded; award #XXXX). The group co-developed and facilitated a 3-day professional development program, in which participating teachers experienced standards-aligned lessons that integrate computational thinking (CT) and culturally responsive pedagogy with other subjects. The IMPACT RPP developed a list of questions that help educators determine whether their lessons follow culturally responsive pedagogy and meet CT practices.

Does my lesson follow culturally responsive pedagogy? 1. In what ways is the context of the experience connected to your students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds? 2. In what ways are students encouraged to make connections to their home/community culture? 3. In what ways students see themselves represented in CT through this experience? 4. In what ways are students encouraged to express and communicate their knowledge and ideas using multiple modes and modalities (i.e. writing, drawing, speaking, etc…), including students’ home language? 5. In what ways are materials and tools developmentally appropriate, culturally accepted and easily available for all students?

Does my lesson meet computational thinking practices? 1. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in Abstraction, i.e. removing unnecessary detail, and identifying common features? 2. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in or identify Algorithms, i.e. sequential steps and rules, identifying and resolving bugs? 3. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in manipulating, identifying, or processing Data, i.e. structured information? 4. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in Programming and Development, i.e. creating software, implementing algorithms -- on the computer or off, iterating on design, debugging? 5. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in Modeling and Simulation, i.e. observing, building, or analyzing representations of real world systems and processes?

For the ASEE curriculum exchange we will share a model PK-1 lesson created by the IMPACT team and tested in a PK classroom. In this computational thinking challenge, students program a robot to retell the story of Rosie’s Walk, a well-known picture book for young children. In the story, Rosie the hen walks around the farmyard, avoiding obstacles that include a rake, pond and beehives. Careful readers will notice that Rosie is not alone on her journey. As the story unfolds, we see Fox lurking in the background. Will Fox catch Rosie or will Rosie make it home in time for dinner? The simple text introduces commonly used words that express directions—across, around, over, past, through and under. Programming a robot to recreate Rosie’s journey provides an opportunity to reinforce these key vocabulary words and teach important sequencing skills that are part of ELA, computer science, and engineering standards.

The integrated Rosie’s Walk challenge includes 4 lessons, as well as possible extension activities. Culturally responsive strategies are embedded in the lessons. First, students are encouraged to make connections to their homes and own experience before reading the book and when introducing robots. In the optional extension activity, creating a book about “Root the Robot’s Walk,” students are encouraged to communicate their ideas using multiple modalities: writing, drawing, recording audio, and/or recording video. Students are also encouraged to make connections to their culture by choosing a setting that speaks to them. Finally, the iRobot Coding tool offers a level that uses only picture blocks, making coding accessible to students of all language backgrounds.

The challenge is available as a google document, allowing interested educators to download and adapt it to their own context. It includes project overview, standards and practices, learning targets, vocabulary, materials needed, timeline, extension activities, and technology embedded.

Citation
Format

Davis, T., & Sann, N., & Dubosarsky, M., & Kayumova, S., & Chen, K. C. (2024, June), Rosie’s Walk: A Culturally Responsive Computational Thinking PK-1 Challenge (Resource Exchange) Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47952

TY - CPAPER
AB - Increasing Massachusetts Partnerships for Advancing Computational Thinking in PK-5 Classrooms (IMPACT) was a research-practice partnership among 5 school districts, researchers, and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (NSF funded; award #XXXX). The group co-developed and facilitated a 3-day professional development program, in which participating teachers experienced standards-aligned lessons that integrate computational thinking (CT) and culturally responsive pedagogy with other subjects. The IMPACT RPP developed a list of questions that help educators determine whether their lessons follow culturally responsive pedagogy and meet CT practices.

Does my lesson follow culturally responsive pedagogy?
1. In what ways is the context of the experience connected to your students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds?
2. In what ways are students encouraged to make connections to their home/community culture?
3. In what ways students see themselves represented in CT through this experience?
4. In what ways are students encouraged to express and communicate their knowledge and ideas using multiple modes and modalities (i.e. writing, drawing, speaking, etc…), including students’ home language?
5. In what ways are materials and tools developmentally appropriate, culturally accepted and easily available for all students?

Does my lesson meet computational thinking practices?
1. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in Abstraction, i.e. removing unnecessary detail, and identifying common features?
2. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in or identify Algorithms, i.e. sequential steps and rules, identifying and resolving bugs?
3. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in manipulating, identifying, or processing Data, i.e. structured information?
4. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in Programming and Development, i.e. creating software, implementing algorithms -- on the computer or off, iterating on design, debugging?
5. In what ways does the learning experience ask students to engage in Modeling and Simulation, i.e. observing, building, or analyzing representations of real world systems and processes?

For the ASEE curriculum exchange we will share a model PK-1 lesson created by the IMPACT team and tested in a PK classroom. In this computational thinking challenge, students program a robot to retell the story of Rosie’s Walk, a well-known picture book for young children.
In the story, Rosie the hen walks around the farmyard, avoiding obstacles that include a rake, pond and beehives. Careful readers will notice that Rosie is not alone on her journey. As the story unfolds, we see Fox lurking in the background. Will Fox catch Rosie or will Rosie make it home in time for dinner? The simple text introduces commonly used words that express directions—across, around, over, past, through and under. Programming a robot to recreate Rosie’s journey provides an opportunity to reinforce these key vocabulary words and teach important sequencing skills that are part of ELA, computer science, and engineering standards.

The integrated Rosie’s Walk challenge includes 4 lessons, as well as possible extension activities. Culturally responsive strategies are embedded in the lessons. First, students are encouraged to make connections to their homes and own experience before reading the book and when introducing robots. In the optional extension activity, creating a book about “Root the Robot’s Walk,” students are encouraged to communicate their ideas using multiple modalities: writing, drawing, recording audio, and/or recording video. Students are also encouraged to make connections to their culture by choosing a setting that speaks to them. Finally, the iRobot Coding tool offers a level that uses only picture blocks, making coding accessible to students of all language backgrounds.

The challenge is available as a google document, allowing interested educators to download and adapt it to their own context. It includes project overview, standards and practices, learning targets, vocabulary, materials needed, timeline, extension activities, and technology embedded.
AU - Tiffany Davis
AU - Nea Sann
AU - Mia Dubosarsky
AU - Shakhnoza Kayumova
AU - Katherine C. Chen
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Rosie’s Walk: A Culturally Responsive Computational Thinking PK-1 Challenge (Resource Exchange)
UR - https://peer.asee.org/47952
ER -