Creative Computing Project – Final Report

PSC-IT and ISTE-E Standards Addressed in the Project

6.2/6b Managing Technology & Learning
Candidates manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in a variety of
environments such as digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces, or in the
field. (PSC-IT 6.2, ISTE-E 6b)

6.3/6c Design & Computational Thinking

Candidates create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and/or
computational thinking to innovate and solve problems. (PSC-IT 6.3, ISTE-E 6c)

6.4/6d Creativity
Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge, or
connections. (PSC-IT 6.4, ISTE-E 6d)

In this document you will reflect on the implementation of your Creative Computing Project.
This project could be part of your normal teaching or part of an extra circular activity in either a
formal (k-12 school) or informal (library, community center, etc.) learning setting. Projects
should include some type of computation (e.g., Scratch, Makecode, another programming
languages, or CS Unplugged Activity.)

Suggestions include (but are not limited to):

o Teaching digital storytelling with Scratch
o Doing a CS Unplugged activity to teach about the steps of an algorithm
o Using the Makecode website to teach block-based coding
o Using your SparkFun Inventor’s kit to teach students how to breadboard (e.g., make
their first LED blink and/or control the servomotor.)
o Creating a robotic pet

This activity could be done with a whole class, or a small number of students depending on your
teaching environment.

Name: Exploration Storytelling

Grade level: 3rd

Subject(s): Social Studies and ELA

Date of implementation: November 15th-December 3rd

Description of Your Creative Computing Project
This section should include a detailed description of your Creative Computing Project. What was
your inspiration? Why did you choose this project? What materials did you need? What type of
context did it take place in? (e.g., traditional classroom, after school program, makerspace, etc.)
In third grade, students are learning about the accomplishments and obstacles Europeans
faced when traveling to the new world. I want students to be able to use their creativity and
create a story using Scratch on the how the explorers felt traveling to the new world. This will
include describing the inner thoughts of how the character felt and how that character
changed from the beginning of their Scratch to the end. This will also include dialogue on
their interactions with natives of that land. Students will have to include positive and
negative interactions that their characters faced and switch the setting from their journey to
their landing.

The materials needed for this are: Chromebook, INB (interactive notebook), and Scratch. For
background information, I will have to teach students narrative writing, dialogue, and
accomplishments and obstacles Europeans faced through the 15th and 17th century. To be
familiarized with coding and Scratch, I would have to train them on the program once they
understood background information on European’s journey to the New World.

Use of Technology and Student Learning Strategies (ISTE-E 6b)

This section should document how you managed the use of technology and student learning
strategies as part of your Creative Computing Project.

ISTE Portfolio Questions

1. What rules, guidelines, and parameters, regarding the use of technology, do you have
for your learners when they are working independently in alternative classroom
settings?
Students must come to class with Chromebook, charger, and case. Chromebooks are
expected to be charged overnight so that they last throughout the day. When using
the device, it should be handled with care. They are allowed to save pictures to device
but should not search up anything inappropriate. We expect third graders to not use it
as a tablet when practicing typing skills. There is a technology station that students
can go to that has rules for how to properly use technology. Also, I try to have
technology incorporated in other center rotations, so students know that certain sites
are used for specific rotations.

2. Do you guide learners to reach out to their peers for support and troubleshooting?
I will guide students to reach out to their classmates as support since students must
create their own Scratch story during group rotations. They can use their groups as
peer support when having issues with coding. Students know that they can talk,
 discuss, and solve issues with any assignment after failing to do it themselves. I should
be the last person they would go to as support.

3. What ways do/can they troubleshoot their needs, independently?

When first introduced to the project, students were guided through a tutorial with the
teacher on how to access Scratch. Students were then provided a description of the
project, requirements, and tutorial videos for Scratch located in Google Classroom as
attachments for them to refer to while working independently. Students are also
familiar with how to search problems using YouTube, so they have that option
available if needed as well. Then, students can reach out to peers for help. Last, they
should reach out to me to troubleshoot their needs.

4. How do you manage the use of technology in these alternative classroom settings?
Students have flexible seating during rotations and are expected to handle their
Chromebook carefully with both hands while moving from one rotation to the next.
Even though the setting may change where in the classroom students are working,
they are expected to still use appropriate sites and treat Chromebooks with care. If
students are not following directions or using Chromebooks correctly, points will be
deducted on Class Dojo.

Design Process (ISTE-E 6c)

In this section you should document the five (5) steps of the design process that you used as part
of your creative computing project. Design processes could include:
• Creative Learning Spiral (Imagine, Create, Play, Share, Reflect),
• Creative Play (Inspire, Imagine, Create, Play Share),
• Engineering Design Process (Ask/Define, Understand, Plan, Create, and Improve), or
• Design Thinking (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test)

ISTE Portfolio Question

How do you implement a recognized design-thinking process into your instruction?

I plan to introduce an engaging scenario to students after discussing the accomplishments
and obstacles explorers and settlers faced coming to the new world.
Imagine: (scenario) Explorers and settlers are traveling to the new world and have many
thoughts that come to mind. Their main worry is who or what they will encounter. Create
a story in INB that can be made into a SCRATCH describing the inner thoughts of an
explorer or settler and their conversation with who or what they encountered.
Create: Use SCRATCH to write a short narrative including dialogue of inner and outer
thoughts on an explorer’s journey to the new world. A conversation between explorer
and at least one other person must happen. Also, the setting must change from one scene
of the story to another.
 Play: Design and code a SCRATCH story that replicates your short narrative using the
requirements listed: at least 2 sprites, setting change, conversation, and movement
between the sprites.
Share: Publish Scratch and share in school Google Drive folder.
Reflect: Students view SCRATCH stories from the shared Google Drive and submit a Padlet
on at least two classmates’ stories. In Padlet, students should leave positive reviews
about coding, background, or characters used in story. Students are allowed to ask the
two classmates’ story their providing feedback to questions about their story. After
feedback, reevaluate SCRATCH and edit to publish final version in SCRATCH (deleting
original). Presentations in class will be shared from Chromebook on the flat panel using
HDMI cable for the entire class to see.

Evidence of one or more computational artifacts (ISTE-E 6c)

This section should provide evidence of one or more computation artifacts developed as part the
implementation of the Creative Computing Project. This evidence should include one or more
photos of students project and a written description.

Focus on process, not product (ISTE-E 6c)

What went well in your design process? What could be improved in your design process?
I think creativity went well in the design process because I did not limit students to writing a
story about an explorer they learned about, but rather create their own explorer whether
female or male. I loved how students came up with their own short story in their INB on how
the explorer came to the New World and their interaction with someone or something there.
Students taking control over coding was impressive as well because they did it better than
me. A few things that could have been improved were the guidelines of their short stories.
My students associate short stories with writing a paragraph and are still in the mindset of
writing only 5 sentences instead of expanding their writing. So, I wish I would have provided
more detailed instructions about writing in their notebook. I thought that the initial transfer
of their short story into a Scratch conversation and change in backgrounds, because three-
fourths of my class had questions about how to do it. I should have explained that more in
my mini lesson on Scratch.

Failure (ISTE-E 6C)

What type of failures did you experience with the project? This could include failures that you
had with planning and teaching your Creative Computing Project in addition to failures that you
observed with students.
Some failures that I experienced in this project was how it was introduced initially as a
morning work activity. I posted an intro to Scratch and Scratch tutorial videos in Google
Classroom for students to preview before the mini lesson. Some students took that time to
try to create a Scratch story then and were getting confused which led to more questions
during my lesson. This activity was a center rotation and after introducing the project over
the course of two days, I was absent for the two days afterwards. Since I wasn’t there to
guide them, students had not had the correct guidance when working on the project, so when
I returned, some students had to restart their projects or finish writing their story in their
INB. The last failure that I had was after downloading the Scratch Story, having access to it to
view. It took me almost an hour to find a solution while both classes were eager to view each
other’s stories. In addition, Scratch kept crashing and for two stories, their edits had deleted
because they did not download and open the Scratch from that file. Those students were
given an extension on their project.
Computational Thinking (ISTE-E 6c)
Using language such as abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithms,
describe the computational thinking that you observed as part of your Creative Computing
Project. If you could redesign you lesson, what would you do to encourage more computational
thinking?

ISTE Portfolio Question

1. How do you provide opportunities for your learners to apply the components of
computational thinking?
Students will have to use decomposition to break down the scenario into parts that
will help them understand how to plan their SCRATCH story. First with writing down
their ideas and characters in their interactive notebook, then they must implement
coding. Then they will apply algorithms when using SCRATCH to bring their story to life
since they are limited to how the sprites communicate and interact. So, everything
that was written in their INB as a guide will have to be simplified when programing it
as a code. After publishing their story in the Google Drive shared folder and receiving
feedback from peers, students will have to a chance to correct any glitches with
programming to make sure it is running correctly which is creating algorithms.

ISTE NOTE 1: To meet this criteria you must show how you provide opportunities for your
learners to engage in the Design Thinking or Computational Thinking process, just presenting
on what it is, is not enough.

ISTE NOTE 2: Please specifically identify each of the steps of which process you identify in your
artifact, as well as how the details of the lesson/activity as it fits into the Design Thinking or
Computational Thinking process, in your artifact.
Nurturing Creativity (ISTE-E 6d)
Explain how you intentionally modelled and nurtured creativity and creative expression to
communicate ideas, knowledge, or connections as part of your project. Consider using the 4P
framework (Projects, Peers, Passion, and Play).

ISTE Portfolio Questions

1. How do you demonstrate creativity and creative problem solving for your learners by
providing them opportunities to obtain feedback and showcase their final work?
When introducing the project, I went through the writing process myself in my teacher
INB. I labeled the story as “Explorer Story” and started off an introduction on who my
explorer was, and which country sponsored them. Then, I logged into Scratch and
created a new story, demonstrating how to change/upload sprites and backgrounds. I
also reviewed how coding works and how to build coding blocks. I gave them a guide
on where their creation should shine from there and let them explore Scratch
themselves while reinforcing creativity.
2. What opportunities are you providing for your learners to express their own creativity?
They can express their own creativity by writing their own story using and/or creating
sprites or backgrounds. Just because their story is about the journey to the New World
and interaction with inhabitants already there does not mean that they can only use
humans as characters. Also, students can create their own obstacles and
accomplishments Europeans faced on their own journey. They are presented with
requirements to include in a narrative story but are free to create their own narrative
of what their students faced.

3. How do your learners share their work with others?

I will create a shared folder for students to have access to through Google Drive. Since
I teach two classes, two folders will be created for both classes to have access and
publish their stories.

4. Do you provide opportunities for peer feedback?

Students will be provided a Padlet as a link posted in Google Classroom for them to
use after reviewing classmates’ stories. They will have the opportunity to provide
feedback to both classes since they will have access to the shared Google Drive. They
will post their feedback, which automatically appears on Padlet for everyone in the
class including the creator and discuss.

5. Do you encourage this creativity using technology resources and/or tools?

Yes, I encourage the use of technology especially through Scratch. Although I showed
them the basics with coding, allowing them to explore other coding features like
recording sounds and creating/designing backgrounds and sprites. Students can utilize
Google to look up people/characters and save them as sprites. They also can look up
different backgrounds to save and upload on their Scratch account.
Final Thoughts
Use this section for any additional reflection that you have about the Creative Computing
Project or how you see creativity could be better infused into the learning process.
Overall, this project was very successful with both of my classes. Students told me that they
wanted to do this again and thoroughly enjoyed writing and coding. That is something that
every teacher wants to hear! In the future on other projects, I should plan better and test
different approaches out first before presenting them to the students. This project showed
me that students understood European exploration and the conflict or cooperation they
faced once in the New World. They were able to gain an understanding of the standard in
their own way which is the best way to learn.