In this week’s show, we explore digital strategies and tech tips supporting each stage of a focused digital note-taking process that helps students process their learning. Our hosts, Ty Stevenson and Rena Clark, will talk about how to mix, match, and customize digital note-taking strategies for use in a virtual classroom and share ideas that you can take as inspiration for engaging students in a digital note-taking process. Ty and Rena will be joined by Juan Lozano to talk about how to use Code.org lessons to introduce computer science to students at any age.
As a classroom teacher, Juan Lozano helped lead the development of CS pathways at the high school level in Highline Public Schools. He moved into an Instructional Specialist role in Highline Public Schools for the last 4 years. His primary role entails supporting curriculum development and the implementation of a K–12 Computer Science pathway. He also serves as a CS Equity advocate at the local, regional, and state levels. Juan is a Code.org Computer Science Discoveries (CSD) and Computer Science Principles (CSP) facilitator.
Going fully virtual has been a challenge. …But we have been accessing the Hour of Code and extended activities regularly. It’s like playing a game, but also learning. …Remember, Hour of Code doesn’t just happen once a year for an hour. It happens for a lifetime. Please make sure you access the materials, engage in the activities, and have a great time. Have a great summer!
Juan Lozano, Instructional Specialist – CTE, Highline Public Schools, WA
Resources
These resources and strategies were discussed during the Livecast and may be useful to you when teaching virtually.
Strategies and Tools That Support Digital Focused Note-Taking
With the support of technology, students have more note-taking options than ever before. This week in AVID Open Access, we introduce a variety of digital note-taking formats that students may use to help them process their learning, including two- and three-column notes, interactive notebooks, mind maps, graphic organizers, and even sketchnoting. The following are examples shared during the Livecast:
- Students gather information from different sources and combine it with their own thinking. Interactive notebooks go beyond text and can include pictures, links, audio, videos, and much more.
- Tools: Interactive Notebooks can be done with Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Book Creator.
- Another way to meaningfully interact with content is through visual note-taking. Students can record their thoughts using pictures, symbols, and text.
- Tools: Microsoft OneNote, Google Drawings, Explain Everything, and Book Creator can be used for sketchnoting. If students are using iPads, they can also use Drawing Pad, or Autodesk Sketchbook (Apple App Store link).
Introduce Computer Science With Code.org
- What do “on” and “off” have to do with computers? Introduce your students to binary code and help them make their very own binary bracelet. This concept can be related back to how computers read a program, translate it to binary, use the information in some way, and then reply back in a way that humans can understand.
- Ever wonder why your downloads run slow? At some point, we reach a physical limit of how fast we can send bits. If we want to send a large amount of information faster, we have to find a way to represent the same information with fewer bits. So, we must compress the data. In this lesson, students will develop a deeper understanding of the necessity for text compression and how it works. They will use the Text Compression Widget to compress segments of English text by looking for patterns and substituting symbols for larger patterns of text.