VOOZH about

URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/block-programming-k12-educators-variables-nested-loops

⇱ Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Variables and Nested Loops | Coursera

Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Variables and Nested Loops

Ends soon! Keep adding new skills with 10,000+ programs for $239 (usually $399). Save now.

Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Variables and Nested Loops

Included with

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
No prior experience required
2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
No prior experience required
2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 6 modules in this course

How can students learn about abstraction by creating a movie scene? Or make an interactive map using lists? You'll learn (and do it yourself) in this course!

This class teaches the concepts of abstraction (methods and parameters) and lists. 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 abstraction and lists 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 about the importance and logistics of assigning creative, student-designed programming projects. Additionally, you will create a personal plan for increasing your skills in supporting a culturally responsive learning environment in your classroom.

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

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 discussion prompt

2 videos•Total 7 minutes
  • Welcome!•4 minutes
  • Optional: The Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization•3 minutes
2 readings•Total 13 minutes
  • Using Googledocs in this Course•3 minutes
  • Why Snap? Create your account•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • Get to know your fellow learners!•10 minutes

How can we simplify instructions further with repeats? How do you dance the chicken dance? We’ll cover these questions and more in this module! Learn how nested repeats work by making dance instructions, solving programming puzzles, and creating a program. Prepare for class discussions around challenging questions about nested repeats.

What's included

6 videos4 readings2 assignments1 app item1 discussion prompt

6 videos•Total 48 minutes
  • What are interactive puzzles?•5 minutes
  • (Optional) Writing Programs: What's special for teachers?•4 minutes
  • Debugging: Nested Repeats•6 minutes
  • (Optional) More programming puzzles -- but different!•9 minutes
  • (Optional) Demo: How to do Non-Interactive Puzzles•8 minutes
  • Classroom Discussions: Nested Repeats•15 minutes
4 readings•Total 130 minutes
  • Design your own language•40 minutes
  • Interactive Puzzle Instructions: Nested Repeats•25 minutes
  • Create a Nested Repeats Program•40 minutes
  • Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles•25 minutes
2 assignments•Total 10 minutes
  • Puzzle It Out•5 minutes
  • Check your knowledge quiz•5 minutes
1 app item•Total 60 minutes
  • Collaborative Knowledge Construction: Nested Repeats•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • Other examples for students to explore?•10 minutes

Be prepared for teaching nested repeats with code.org’s Bee and Zombie programming challenges, and get ready to learn about events! Find out how to grab your students’ attention with events, and practice your understanding by imagining: what if you could control someone with a game controller? Learn more about events by playing with programming puzzles and creating your own program.

What's included

2 videos6 readings3 assignments3 discussion prompts

2 videos•Total 7 minutes
  • Snap detail: switching sprites•3 minutes
  • Debugging: Events•5 minutes
6 readings•Total 103 minutes
  • Experience a code.org Maze lesson: nested repeats•45 minutes
  • How do things happen in video games?•4 minutes
  • Events you already use every day!•5 minutes
  • Interactive Puzzles Instructions: Events•20 minutes
  • Create an Events Program•4 minutes
  • Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles•25 minutes
3 assignments•Total 40 minutes
  • Concept Mastery Quiz: Nested Repeats•30 minutes
  • Puzzle It Out•5 minutes
  • Check your knowledge quiz•5 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
  • Compare: Nested Loops in code.org versus non-block-based languages•10 minutes
  • What to remember about learning nested repeats?•10 minutes
  • Your Favorite Classroom Attention Grabber!•10 minutes

In this module, we’ll explore how events are taught in the classroom and go through another code.org challenge: this time, we’re creating the game of Bounce (or Pong), which is just like air hockey! We’ll also introduce how variables are placeholders for data by displaying them as a real-world placeholders: envelopes. Work on getting comfortable with variables in a variety of programming puzzles.

What's included

3 videos7 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt

3 videos•Total 16 minutes
  • Variables Unplugged Warm Up•5 minutes
  • Variables in Envelopes Activity•3 minutes
  • Debugging: Variables•8 minutes
7 readings•Total 128 minutes
  • Events: What do students struggle with?•5 minutes
  • Where and how are Events covered in code.org curriculum?•10 minutes
  • Events in code.org: A Seminal Lesson•30 minutes
  • What are variables?•3 minutes
  • Finish the Activity Yourself!•15 minutes
  • Interactive Puzzle Instructions: Variables•25 minutes
  • Create a Variables Program•40 minutes
3 assignments•Total 26 minutes
  • Concept Mastery Quiz: Events•14 minutes
  • Variables In Envelopes Assessment•7 minutes
  • Puzzle It Out•5 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • How would you identify struggles with events?•10 minutes

After working through some tricky examples of changing variables, we’re ready to bring variables to your classroom! First, we’ll cover a more thorough lesson plan for the “variables as envelopes” metaphor. Then, we’ll head back to the code.org Artist environment to show the true power of variables and how much they can affect our drawings!

What's included

1 video3 readings2 assignments1 app item1 discussion prompt

1 video•Total 13 minutes
  • Classroom Discussions: Variables•13 minutes
3 readings•Total 95 minutes
  • Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles•35 minutes
  • Review an Unplugged Lesson Plan for variables•20 minutes
  • Variables in code.org•40 minutes
2 assignments•Total 37 minutes
  • Check your knowledge quiz•5 minutes
  • Concept Mastery Quiz: Variables•32 minutes
1 app item•Total 40 minutes
  • Collaborative Knowledge Construction: Variables•40 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • What to remember about learning variables?•10 minutes

We take a break from programming concepts to ensure that your classroom environment encourages a healthy learning environment. Learn how to make fun assignments a little more approachable by using Parsons’ problems, and explore how you can make your computer lab a respectful and supportive environment for all, especially students that might be underrepresented.

What's included

4 videos3 readings1 assignment1 app item1 discussion prompt

4 videos•Total 32 minutes
  • Teach Programming with Parsons' Problems•11 minutes
  • Assess Programming with Parsons' Problems•13 minutes
  • Equity and Computing Lab Classrooms•6 minutes
  • Pick the Right Posters (Signals and Stereotypes)•2 minutes
3 readings•Total 40 minutes
  • How to make a Parsons' Problem in Snap (or Scratch) for Teaching•20 minutes
  • Optional: What languages can I make "Parsons' Problems for Teaching" in?•0 minutes
  • CS Lab Rules•20 minutes
1 assignment•Total 18 minutes
  • Pedagogy/Equity Mastery Quiz•18 minutes
1 app item•Total 15 minutes
  • Impacts of Lab Classroom Design•15 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • What lab rule is most critical for you?•10 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

University of California San Diego
27 Courses•28,436 learners

Explore more from Education

Why people choose Coursera for their career

👁 Image

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
👁 Image

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
👁 Image

Larry W.

Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
👁 Image

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Frequently asked questions

In this course you will learn to guide students in learning about nested loops, events, and variables using Parsons' Problems to make learning less frustrating and give students more practice in less time.

You will also learn about common bugs students make in creating programs with nested loops, events, and variables and specific approaches to help them figure out and fix their bugs. You will prepare to lead classroom discussions to deepen students knowledge and hear expert explanations you can model.

Finally you will learn why Parsons' Problems support easier learning of programming concepts and design a Parsons' Problem to use in your teaching. You will also develop classroom resources to support a positive and equitable experience in your computing lab classroom.

Yes! This course is designed as component of a Specialization that is 1 of a set of 4 Specializations (all will be offered on Coursera) that will support the requirements of the California Supplementary Authorization. Additionally, the Specialization may support credentialing or authorization in other states. However, most states require a transcript from an accredited institution of higher education. See the FAQ question on “Will I earn university credit” to find out how to get such a transcript.

Yes, you can earn UCSD credit for completing this course, but only by completing the full Computational Thinking and Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization. In addition, you will need to (1) Enroll in an additional UCSD Extension course before completing the capstone ($500) and (2), complete part of the capstone project via an online proctoring service. After this is done, your Specialization course grades will be accumulated and a transcript with your final grade (both letter grade or pass-only supported) will be issued from UCSD with 4 graduate-level units. These are eligible to count towards the California Supplementary Authorization.

There is no background knowledge, neither in education nor in Computer Science, required to take this course - just an interest in learning how to give computers instructions to solve problems! However, if you have no prior programming experience, we recommend you take the preceding course in this Specialization first.

Basic proficiency in the use of Googledocs will be needed to complete assignments within the course. Google help documentation will be provided, and with some extra attention, first time use of Googledocs should not be a barrier to successful completion of the course.

By providing this course online, our goal is to enable you to master all the material in the course at a pace that is appropriate for you, rather than the typical processes of picking a specific date and measuring how much you can learn by that date of in-person courses. Instead of the relatively bigger chunks of learning work found in traditional courses (e.g. go to class, read the book, do homework, study for the test) this course has a lot of smaller and more diverse activities that guide your learning experience.

We use a lot of online features to: break learning into smaller chunks; engage you more in thinking and discussing content with others; better integrate and more frequently test your knowledge (with a focus on mastery, allowing you to go back and learn what you missed then come test again); give you practice in teaching-specific skills you will need as an educator (finding and evaluating online teaching resources, critiquing and modifying lesson plans)

We hope you enjoy and learn a lot!

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,