Down the Rabbit Hole

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Today I met with the other members of the TLLP team.  We had great aspirations in creating a few new lessons, not only for grade 9, but looking forward to grade 10 and beyond.  We decided to start our day with creating activity using the micro:bits as we have not used them yet in math.  We had previously discussed creating an activity for linear and non-linear patterns, but it hadn't really formalized and so this was our chance.

Debbie and I both had different activity ideas and we started out working on them separately. Dianne was also trying different patterning coding options, but also carefully moderating, asking Debbie and I questions, checking to make sure what we were doing made sense, looking for overlaps, etc, etc...

My idea was to create 7 different programs, one for each micro:bit, which would be one per group, that would display different linear and non-linear patterns.  Each group would get a micro:bit, determine if the pattern displayed was linear or non-linear, then pass it off to the next group. Debbie's idea was similar, but try to have the mico:bits display a random pattern from a pool of patterns.

Two hours later.... after much bantering back and forth, trying code, testing the code, seeing what happens when we do.....  it happened - we stopped and asked ourselves the familiar question: 
"Are we using the technology to fit the lesson, or are designing the lesson to work with the technology?"
Yup... we fell into the same trap... the lesson we were creating was not involving students coding, it was just having them interacting with the technology.  If students had even looked at the code we were creating, it would have scared them.  This would have the exact opposite effect of what we were intending: getting students interested in coding.

We took a step back and thought of our learning goals.  What was our intention with the lesson?  It was to have students code linear and non-linear patterns with the micro:bits.   How about focusing on one of those aspects?  Why not start with linear patterns?  Realizing that if we make it simple, the rest will naturally unfold.  This is what we came up with:

  1. Warm Up: teacher demo using micro:bit simulator:  two or three terms in a linear pattern are displayed using the LEDs  and students to determine the pattern rule or expression.  
  2. Students create their own linear pattern, download it to the micro:bits and pass them around for other groups to determine the pattern rule or expression.
Here is a link to the full description of the lesson.  We haven't tried it yet, but you are welcome to use it.   

Our day, where we were supposed to be so very productive, creating not just one new activities, but a few, seemed like a bit of a let down.  We even mentioned: "We didn't get very far today".   Then we thought again:  "But didn't we?"  May be we did.  May be we needed to go "down the rabbit hole" while learning something new in order to understand how to best use it.  The more we have been using Ozobots and Spheros, the more readily we see where we can use them.   This will be the same for the micro:bits.

We also recognized how fortunate we are to have the TLLP release time to investigate and explore the different options to make our activities meaningful.  Would our activities be as thoughtful in keeping our learning goals in mind if we didn't have the time to explore?  Would we would have the same insight into the technology?  Would we be thinking about how to include it in other grades?

So... as I finish this blog, I am feeling fortunate not only for the release time the TLLP has provided, but also for incredible team that has come together on this TLLP journey, creating engaging and relevant activities for our students.  The ultimate goal to have them use coding and robotics to solve problems and investigate relationships.

I am looking forward to our next planning day, where we can chase other rabbits down other rabbit holes.  





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