Week 6: Kinesthetic Activities

• Become familiar with kinesthetic activities useful for explaining programming concepts.

Required Readings

• Stanford, P. (2003). MI for every classroom. Intervention in school and clinic, 39(2). 80-85
• Jenkins, T. (1998). A participative approach to teaching programming. SIGCSE Bull.30,3 (August 1998),125-129.
• Resource materials, including Robb Cutler videos (review for discussion)

Optional Readings

• Anewalt (2007). Making CS0 Fun: An Active Learning Approach Using Toys, Games, and Alice
• Pollard, et al (2006). Everything I Needed to Know About Teaching I Learned in Kindergarten: Bringing Elementary Education Techniques to Undergraduate Computer Science Classes
• Wolz, et al (2011). Kinesthetic Learning of Computing vis "Off-beat" Activities

• Why
  • Helps to internalize and maintain abstract information
  • Average attention span for a 16 year old is 7 minutes
  • Makes learning accessible
  • Difficult cs topics
  • Encourages working with peers
• How
  • Learning by doing
  • Clear details and expectations for each activity must be provided
  • Role plays
  • Simulations
  • Manipulatives
  • Group discussions on a specific study topic

• AP CS: Decisions; Iteration