Session 1: Workshop Opener
30 minutes
discussion-based
Purpose
The purpose of this session is to bring participants together to kick off the workshop and reflect on how things are going in the classroom. This is a place to check in on specific lessons that people have already taught, as well as pacing and teaching practices that were recommended or discussed in the previous workshop.
It is common to surface concerns during this session that can be revisited and addressed throughout the workshop.
Objectives
- Participants can correct their own misconceptions and existing questions have been asked and answered.
- Participants can reflect on the dynamic in their classroom.
- Participants can evaluate their pacing at this point in the year and have ideas for how to get back on track if they’ve fallen behind.
Supplies & Prep
Room Setup (using the supplies provided by Regional Partner):
- In pods
- Posters up for people to add post-its to as they come in
- “Where are we now?” - On a piece of chart paper or on the board create a histogram for teachers to add where they are in the curriculum.
- Question Parking Lot - For participants to write and post questions they have.
Facilitator Supplies:
- Your local copy of the CSP Slides - Workshop 2 - 21-22
- Facilitator Handbook - 2021
- Workshop Dashboard - Tool
- Poster Paper (Regional Partner Provides)
Participant Materials:
- CSP Curriculum Guide 21-22 (Should bring with them)
- Journal (Should bring with them)
- Computers for attendance
- Pen/pencil
- Post-its
Agenda
Workshop Opening Logistics (5 minutes)
Reconnect (15 minutes)
Share Out (10 minutes)
Facilitation Guide
Workshop Opening Logistics (5 minutes)
Facilitator Tip
The 💷 symbol indicates that a slide is included in the slide deck to cover the content in that section. This is to help you know where you are in the agenda to some extent. It is important to note that the slides do not include all of the text from the agenda.
(0 minutes) 💷 As Participants Enter the Room
Facilitator tip
To prepare for your workshop:
- Reflect on teacher needs at the last workshop — What were the most common concerns? How can you check in on those concerns here?
- Make a plan with your co-facilitator for dividing roles during the workshop.
As participants enter the room, remind them to:
- Take out their Curriculum Guide as a guide to unit progressions
- Add post-its to the following posters:
- “Where are we now?”: On a piece of chart paper or on the board, create a histogram for participants to add where they are in the curriculum.
- Question Parking Lot: For people to write and post questions they have.
(2 minutes) Attendance
Have everyone complete the attendance for the day on the Workshop Dashboard - Tool found in your workshop.
Follow the instructions found in your Facilitator Handbook to take attendance for your workshop.
(2 minutes) 💷 Review the Agenda
Describe what will happen during this session - participants should know that they will have time to talk about how the year is going more generally (classroom management, how students are responding, etc).
Walk through the agenda of the day. Participants should be aware that they will be gaining more experience with Unit 4 and introducing some pedagogical tools for teaching students to program.
Facilitator Tip
More information about these norms can be found in our Professional Learning K-12 Norms One-Pager. This document isn’t necessary to distribute to participants, but can help to provide context for you as you review groups norms.
(1 minute) 💷 Review Norms
Remind the group of the K-12 Professional Learning norms that were established during the Summer Workshop.
- Be present.
- Make space and take space.
- Seek to understand.
- Take risks.
- Expect and accept non-closure.
Reconnect (15 minutes)
(2 minutes) 💷 Personal Reflection
Goal: Refresh your participant's memories, and encourage them to think concretely about the lessons they’ve done so far and what’s coming soon.
On your own, reflect on the following and be ready to share with someone else:
- What is going well in your classroom? What are you struggling with?
- Who are some students who have surprised you in class? What skills and abilities do they bring to the classroom and to their work?
- What are your strategies for supporting students who have missed classes?
Facilitator Tip
While discussions are happening, one facilitator should read over the post-its on the wall from when participants entered the room, while the other should circulate. Listen for participants’ thoughts and topics to discuss in the whole-group share out. Likely example topics include assessments, facilitating discovery without telling students the “right” answer”, learning material along with your students, etc.
(6 minutes) 💷 Speed Networking
Have participants “speed network” their responses to the three prompts above. They should be looking for advice, ideas, questions, or issues.
Note: Speed networking means getting up and talking to a few different people about your thoughts on a topic. We recommend doing three rounds of two minutes each, where participants check in with someone new for each round.
Discussion Goal
Participants bubble up what needs to be addressed by the whole group. They should jot down questions or topics on post-its and hold up for facilitators to collect.
(7 minutes) 💷 Table Share Out
Head back to tables and share your concerns and what you learned from others.
As tables have a chance to catch up and share, facilitators should circle the room to predict what questions will likely be raised in the share out next. Facilitators should also listen for larger themes that they want to pull out in the share out if no participants raise topics.
Share Out (10 minutes)
(10 minutes) 💷 Share Out
Facilitator Tip
This opener presents an opportunity to talk about building equity in classrooms. By hearing other participants’ strategies for students who have missed classes, participants can fill their toolbox and brainstorm how to promote inclusion for students whose attendance presents a barrier to CS education.
Open the floor to the whole group for questions that could not be resolved at the tables. The goal is to pull out widely-held questions and to check in with groups on the following:
- What is going well in your classroom? What are you struggling with?
- Who are some students who have surprised you in class? What skills and abilities do they bring to the classroom and to their work?
- What are your strategies for supporting students who have missed classes?
If this session starts to run long, suggest that the remaining questions go on post-it notes to the question parking lot.