在大流行中进行教学–一半的老师，一半的技术支持 (Teaching in the Middle of a Pandemic — Half Teacher, Half Tech Support)

I’m using Zoom to teach my class and in the middle of the lesson, one of my third graders calls for my name telling me he has a tech issue. I ask him a checklist of questions to diagnose what’s wrong:

我正在使用Zoom教我的课，并且在课程中间，一位三年级生打电话给我，名字告诉我他有技术问题。 我问他一个问题清单，以诊断出什么问题：

“What’s on your screen? Is there an error popping up? Is there something wrong with your code?”

“您的屏幕上有什么？ 是否弹出错误？ 您的代码有问题吗？”

He tells me his computer is showing him a message. I ask him to read the message out loud to me. He then tries his best to pronounce the words slowly, one at a time:

他告诉我他的计算机正在向他显示一条消息。 我请他朗读给我的信息。 然后，他尽力使单词缓慢地发音，一次一次：

“The computer says re — star — ting in 3…2…”

“计算机说re-星-听到3…2…”

and disconnects from the zoom call.

并断开与变焦通话的连接。

When I first started teaching in Fall 2019, it completely slipped my mind that my students were so young, their knowledge of how to use a computer was similar to a boomer trying to sign up for a twitter account.

当我于2019年秋季首次开始教学时，我完全不知道我的学生还这么年轻，他们对如何使用计算机的知识类似于婴儿潮一代尝试注册Twitter帐户。

I have to teach them what logging in is, how to sign up, how to save files and more basic computer literacy skills.

我必须教他们什么是登录，如何注册，如何保存文件以及更多基本的计算机知识。

However, it was always manageable for in-person teaching. I could walk around, multitask with ease, and point out where to click. My job was 80% teacher and 20% tech support.

但是，它对于面对面的教学始终是可管理的。 我可以四处走动，轻松执行多任务，并指出要单击的位置。 我的工作是80％的老师和20％的技术支持。

Now with remote teaching, I turned into a weird type of half-n-half where I’m half teacher and half Zoom tech support.

现在通过远程教学，我变成了一半到一半的怪异类型，其中一半是老师，一半是Zoom技术支持。

The experience is similar to when your Mom asks you for help with her iPad/iPhone/Laptop/Toaster or when you have to explain to her why you can’t open Netflix when it’s installing updates. It’s just as frustrating as it is ineffective.

体验类似于您的妈妈向您的iPad / iPhone /笔记本电脑/烤面包机寻求帮助，或者您必须向她解释为什么在安装更新时无法打开Netflix的情况。 它既无效又令人沮丧。

We also started doing in-person teaching where the students are in a socially distant classroom with a teacher, and I’m projected on a large screen teaching as I sit at home.

我们还开始进行面对面的教学，即学生与老师在一个与社会距离遥远的教室里，当我坐在家里时，我预计会在大屏幕上进行教学。

It creates a weird dynamic where I ask a question and all they see is a large head staring at them blankly in the midst of silence. So not only am I half teacher and half tech support, but I’m also starring in the role of an interactive Dora The Explorer special — The Socially Distant Adventure.

在我问一个问题的过程中，它产生了一种奇怪的动态，他们看到的只是一个大头在沉默中茫然地盯着他们。 因此，我不仅是一半的老师，一半是技术支持，而且我还扮演着互动式的《朵拉探险家》特别角色- 《远距离冒险》。

But tech issues are only a small slice of the whole cake when it comes to teaching elementary students how to code.

但是，在教小学生如何编码方面，技术问题只是整个蛋糕的一小部分。

The main challenge of teaching coding to kids is attempting to turn a confusing topic into an understandable one.

向孩子教授编码的主要挑战是试图将一个令人困惑的话题变成一个可以理解的话题。

从困惑到理解 (From Confusing to Understanding)

If a second grader asks me what a variable is, I tell them:

如果二年级学生问我什么是变量，我告诉他们：

“A variable in coding is a symbol like x or y in math to store numbers, strings, or any data type in a computer at a specific memory address. We can reuse that variable throughout the program where the data is bound to change.”

“编码中的变量是数学中的x或y之类的符号，用于在计算机的特定内存地址存储数字，字符串或任何数据类型。 我们可以在整个程序中重用该变量，而数据必然会发生变化。”

What from that passage would you have gotten if you yourself were the second-grader?

如果您自己是二年级学生，那么从那段经文中您会得到什么？

There are many ways to explain a topic to someone in an understandable and digestible manner to avoid confusion. But explaining it the way we learned it when we were in college or high school isn’t an effective way to teach second-graders.

有许多种方法可以以易懂易懂的方式向某人解释一个主题，以免造成混淆。 但是，如果在大学或高中时代就以一种学习的方式来解释它，这并不是教二年级学生的有效方法。

I’m sure many of us can relate to the struggle of finding the right words to use when a kid asks us a question. We have to find the right mix of simple and technical without losing the bigger picture.

我敢肯定，我们中的许多人都可以与在孩子问我们一个问题时找到正确的单词的努力有关。 我们必须找到简单技术与技术的正确组合，而又不能失去更大的前景。

As a teacher, I find that the best way for my students to understand is through the use of metaphors and analogies.

作为一名老师，我发现让学生理解的最好方法是使用隐喻和类比。

Variables aren’t a memory location in computers to hold data, they’re like boxes located in a specific part of the computer that we can put pieces of information into but we can replace it at any time.

变量不是计算机中用于存储数据的内存位置，它们就像位于计算机特定部分的盒子一样，我们可以将信息放入其中，但我们可以随时替换它们。

Programming itself isn’t the process of designing and building an executable program to accomplish a computing result, but like a game of Simon Says.

编程本身不是设计和构建可执行程序以完成计算结果的过程，而是类似于Simon Says的游戏。

Where you, the programmer, is Simon, and the other player is the computer, and everything you tell the computer to do, they have to do it.

您是程序员，是Simon，其他玩家是计算机，而您告诉计算机要做的一切，他们都必须这样做。

Although using fun comparisons like programming to Simon Says helps clear confusion to make coding concepts more understandable, it’s not enough for students to learn these concepts but they should also know where and how to apply them.

尽管使用有趣的比较(例如，对Simon Says进行编程)可以消除混乱，使编码概念更容易理解，但学生学习这些概念还不够， 但他们还应该知道在哪里以及如何应用它们。

To actually have them apply these concepts, they have to do so through coding. But it’s not practical to teach coding to second-graders using an abstract computer language like Python or Java.

为了使它们实际应用这些概念，必须通过编码来实现。 但是使用诸如Python或Java之类的抽象计算机语言向二年级学生教授编码是不切实际的。

It’s not that they can’t learn it, but it’s impractical for a large class with an average typing speed of .005 Words Per Minute.

这并不是说他们不会学习，但是对于平均输入速度为每分钟0.005个单词的大型课堂来说，这是不切实际的。

That’s where the educational coding platform Scratch comes into play.

这就是教育编码平台Scratch发挥作用的地方。

孩子们实际如何编码 (How Kids Actually Code)

Scratch is a drag-and-drop coding platform made by MIT’s media lab where students can make and share animations, games, and more.

Scratch是由麻省理工学院的媒体实验室制作的拖放编码平台，学生可以制作和共享动画，游戏等。

In Scratch, there are many different sprites and backgrounds you can choose from. You drag and drop blocks that have instructions to make your sprite move, make noises, and more.

在Scratch中，可以选择许多不同的精灵和背景。 您可以拖放具有指示的指令来移动精灵，发出声音等等。

Scratch programs can be anything from a dog talking to a fireball with a face, an aquatic band playing music in the sky, a flying cat destroying a meteor, or any other fever dream you would have when tripping on acid.

从头开始的程序可以是任何东西，例如狗说话，脸庞火球，在天空中播放音乐的水上乐队，飞猫摧毁流星或任何其他因酸而绊倒的发烧梦。

You know… normal kid stuff.

你知道……普通的孩子们的东西。

You can even create variables to keep track of a score, use loops for creating music, and utilize other important coding concepts for your animation/game/fever dream acid trip.

您甚至可以创建变量来跟踪乐谱，使用循环创建音乐，以及将其他重要的编码概念用于动画/游戏/发烧梦之旅。

So not only are kids understanding what these concepts are, but they’re also using them in ways to solidify their understanding of coding.

因此，孩子们不仅会理解这些概念是什么，而且还在以巩固他们对编码的理解的方式使用它们。

The other great thing about Scratch is if they ever decide to continue their coding education, they would immediately see the connection between the blocks in Scratch and the syntax used in Java, Python, or C++.

Scratch的另一个优点是，如果他们决定继续进行编码培训，他们将立即看到Scratch中的块与Java，Python或C ++中使用的语法之间的联系。

The programming concepts and blocks they learn in Scratch are transferable to any other programming language.

他们在Scratch中学习的编程概念和块可以转移到任何其他编程语言。

I would even see this occur when I would teach my Scratch experienced sixth-graders Python.

当我教我的Scratch经验丰富的六年级Python时，我什至会看到这种情况。

Even Harvard’s Intro to CS class — CS50 uses Scratch to get their student’s started and then transition them into Python or C.

甚至是哈佛大学的CS入门课程-CS50都使用Scratch来开始学生的学习，然后将其转换为Python或C。

But teaching kids how to code isn’t just about them knowing the programming fundamentals and concepts. It’s about expressing their creativity through technology to make something they’re proud of.

但是，教孩子们如何编码不仅是他们了解编程的基础知识和概念。 这是通过技术表达自己的创造力，使他们引以为傲的事情。

通过技术表达您的创造力 (Expressing Your Creativity Through Technology)

Even if they don’t decide to become a software engineer in the future, learning how to code in Scratch is great. Not only for kids but for just about anyone who hasn’t coded before.

即使他们不决定将来成为一名软件工程师，学习如何在Scratch中编写代码也很棒。 不仅适用于孩子，而且适用于几乎所有以前从未编码的人。

“When you become fluent with reading and writing it’s not something you’re doing to become a professional writer, very few people become professional writers, but it’s useful for everybody to learn how to read or write… Most people won’t grow up to become professional computer scientists or programmers but those skills of thinking creatively, reasoning systematically, working collaboratively, skills you develop when you code in Scratch, are things people can use in life no matter what they’re doing in their work lives. And it’s not just about your work life. Coding can enable you to express your ideas and feelings in your personal life.”

“当您精通阅读和写作时，成为专业作家并不是要做的事情，很少有人成为专业作家，但这对每个人学习阅读或写作很有用……大多数人不会长大。成为专业的计算机科学家或程序员，但那些具有创造性思维，系统推理，协同工作以及在Scratch编程时开发的技能的技能，无论人们在工作中做什么，都可以在生活中使用。 这不仅关乎您的工作生活。 编码可以使您在个人生活中表达自己的想法和感受。”

— Mitch Resnick, Director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, From a TEDx Talk he did at Beacon Street in Nov. 2010

— Mitch Resnick，麻省理工学院媒体实验室的终身幼儿园小组主任， 他在TEDx演讲中于2010年11月在笔架街上做了

Coding is important not only because students learn important life skills like logical reasoning or collaboration, but they’re able to express themselves creatively through technology.

编码很重要，不仅因为学生学习重要的生活技能，例如逻辑推理或协作， 而且他们能够通过技术创新地表达自己。

That’s the beautiful thing about Scratch and teaching kids how to code. It’s focused on their creativity and how they want to express themselves — not just the coding techniques.

这就是Scratch和教孩子们如何编码的美丽之处。 它关注的是他们的创造力以及他们想表达自己的方式，而不仅仅是编码技术。

When I first started coding in high school, having the ability to create something that was mine and express myself creatively was what made me enjoy coding in the first place.

当我第一次在高中开始编码时，能够创建属于我的东西并创造性地表达自己的能力使我从一开始就喜欢编码。

Not the algorithms I did for homework in college, not the logic and theory I learned in classes, and not coding fundamentals I learned in high school.

不是我在大学里做家庭作业的算法，不是我在课堂上学到的逻辑和理论，也不编码我在高中学习的基础知识。

Coding isn’t this thing where you have to think like a computer all the time or be super logical. You don’t have to be a math genius or good with technology to learn how to code.

编码不是您必须始终像计算机一样思考或具有超逻辑性的东西。 您不必是数学天才，也不必精通技术来学习编码。

You just have to be willing to express your creativity and have a desire to learn — which is something kids happen to be really good at.

您只需要表达自己的创造力并渴望学习，这正是孩子们真正擅长的事情。