Coding for Educators Reflection

For my second Master's program, I am seeking a degree in educational technology, and my tech specialist degree. As part of that program, I have taken a class called Coding for Educators, which introduced simple coding programs like Scratch and Python, as well as different technology-focused tools that could be incorporated within the classroom. As that class comes to a close, I think it important to reflect upon the lessons and concepts that have been learned, in order to build on them moving forward in my career.

Thinking about what I have learned in this course, I honestly still do not feel as though I have a great feel for the coding 'mindset'. For example, I think I have a basic understanding of how Scratch works, or how some of the commands in Python work. But, I know there is so much more to learn when it comes to just thinking about how to conceptualize a code, and write it in a way that executes exactly as I would hope. Most of the assignments in this course have been some sort of editing/remixing code that has already been written, rather than having to create something entirely from scratch (no pun intended). So, I think a big focus for me would be gaining a stronger understanding of the various commands within Scratch and Python, and how they all work together, so that I could create more complex, original examples of code, rather than simply editing or finishing something provided to me. Then, as my own understanding and abilities improve, I can provide greater integration of these skills within my own classes and for my own students.

I think the most important thing that I learned in this course is how coding can be incorporated into different aspects of a school's curriculum. Research shows how many jobs in the future will require or benefit from coding, and the fact that coding teaches students many important skills, including critical thinking and problem solving. However, many schools do not have any type of coding implemented into its curriculum, or only has it as part of a singular/specialized course, as opposed to any sort of general education experience. There are ways that coding can be incorporated into general education classes; for example, Scratch can be used to compose a sort of digital museum walk, which could be incorporated into science, language arts, or social studies curricula. This all being said, I think that my future work as a general education teacher needs to include how I can incorporate coding in some way within my classes, in order to give students some exposure to these important skills. Continuing to learn about different ways to incorporate coding into the language arts and social studies classrooms is something that I will aim to do, as will be continuing to improve my understanding of different coding languages and skills. By maintaining and improving my own knowledge, I can hope to improve that of my students as well.