This course is part of the Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization

Beth Simon

Offered By

Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education SpecializationUniversity of California San Diego

About this Course

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Want to make a game that ends when you "catch" an object by clicking on it?  Or maybe you get points based on how close you came?  You'll do that in this class!
This class teaches the concepts of conditional loops and if/else statements.  For each concept, we'll start by helping you connect real-world experiences you are already familiar with to the programming concept you are about to learn.  Next, through a cognitively scaffolded process we'll engage you in developing your fluency with problem solving with repeat until loops, while loops, and if/else statements in a way that keeps frustration at a minimum.  

Along the way you will learn about the common challenges or "bugs" students have with these concepts as well as ways to help them find and fix those concepts.  You'll also be guided in running classroom discussions to help students develop deeper understanding of these concepts.

Finally, you'll learn how to support interactive learning experiences among your students with Peer Instruction. 
 Additionally, you will create a resource for your classroom to support an equitable classroom.

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Course 3 of 6 in the

Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Skills you will gain

wantClappingAbductive Reasoninghopefully

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 6 in the

Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Instructor

Beth Simon

Teaching Professor

Education Studies

13,589 Learners

21 Courses

Offered by

University of California San Diego

UC San Diego is an academic powerhouse and economic engine, recognized as one of the top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report. Innovation is central to who we are and what we do. Here, students learn that knowledge isn't just acquired in the classroom—life is their laboratory.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

30 minutes to complete

Course Orientation

Meet Dr. Simon and fellow learners in this class! Find out what you’ll be doing and learning.

30 minutes to complete

2 videos (Total 7 min), 2 readings

2 videos

Welcome!3m

Welcome to the The Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization3m

2 readings

Using Googledocs in this Course3m

Why Snap? Create your account10m

3 hours to complete

Conditional Loops

In this module we will learn about conditional loops and how they vary from fixed loops. We'll examine different examples of both loop types and look at some common challenges that you may come across. Finally you'll create your own conditional loop program and have the opportunity to create an assignment and conduct peer reviews.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 53 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

8 videos

Fixed or Conditional?3m

What are interactive puzzles?5m

(Optional) Writing Programs: What's special for teachers?4m

Debugging: Common Challenges with Repeat Until (Boolean Expressions)9m

Debugging: Common Challenges with Repeat Until (Check then what?)7m

Debugging: Common Challenges with Repeat Until (Repeat vs Repeat Until)4m

(Optional) More programming puzzles -- but different!9m

(Optional) Demo: How to do Non-Interactive Puzzles8m

3 readings

Interactive Puzzles Instructions: Conditional Loops20m

Create a Conditional Loop Program40m

Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles20m

2 practice exercises

Puzzle It Out4m

Check your knowledge quiz4m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

More Conditional Loops

Now that you've gotten an introduction to conditional loops, we will further explore them and their variations. We will look at why some programs require conditional loops and discuss suggestions that will help students trace each program. Finally we'll learn about a variation on the repeat until loop, called the do-while loop.

3 hours to complete

1 video (Total 18 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

1 video

Classroom Discussion: Conditional Loops18m

2 readings

Code.org While Loops -- A Variation on Repeat Until25m

Code.org Repeat Until in Maze25m

1 practice exercise

Concept Mastery Quiz: Repeat Until and While Loops32m

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

If statements

In this module we'll get an introduction to conditionals, which are also known as if-else statements. First we'll examine some examples of if-else conditionals that exist in our everyday life. Next you will take a look at videos of completed programs and recreate the code. We'll end with some debugging tips and have you create your own if-else program assignment.

2 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 14 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes

2 videos

In My Life: Conditional Actions5m

Debugging: If Else Statements8m

3 readings

Interactive Puzzles Instructions: If Statements25m

Create an If Else Program40m

Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles20m

3 practice exercises

Playing Games with Conditions5m

Puzzle It Out4m

Check your knowledge quiz4m

Week

Week 4

3 hours to complete

More If statements

Now that you have a basic understanding of conditionals, we look at some more complicated cases. You'll watch a video of how a teacher introduces the topic to her class and learn about conditionals with more than 2 scenarios. You'll also look at programs with two independent conditionals and learn how this varies from else-if statements. Finally, you'll analyze some misconceptions and challenges you initially had when learning about conditionals and create resources to help others learn about conditionals.

3 hours to complete

1 video (Total 8 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

1 video

Classroom Discussions: If Else Statements8m

2 readings

Unplugged Conditionals: Video of the classroom10m

Code.org If/Else Statements30m

1 practice exercise

Concept Mastery Quiz: If/Else32m

About the Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization

In the 21st century, computational thinking is a skill critical for all the world's citizens. Computing and technology is impacting all our lives and everyone needs to know how to formulate problems and express their solutions such that a computer can carry it out.

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Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Conditional Loops and If Statements