Teachers learning from students: Hello, Kodable

I walked into the first grade class with a plan in mind. I stuck to it. Then, with about 15 minutes of Chromebook time to go, one of the students raises her hand and says, "Ms. R!" She proceeds to ask me if she can "do" Kodable. "Let's take a look." And, so, we did.

She didn't have the login information that she uses at home, so she went on to do something else for the last few minutes of the time. This time had, of course, been designated for "free choose."

This is the time most students find activities on abcya.com but one or two may return to the exercises they love on code.org. This young student was disappointed that she was unable to do the Kodable activities, but took it in stride. "We'll have it set to go tomorrow," I said.

So, I checked things out and set things up. The next day, I introduced kodable.com to a couple of first graders and unveiled it with the entire third grade class.

It was such a hit!

I have students developing math skills, reading skills, and learning to code...all in one! Finding another resource for this has been awesome. We may be a little late to the party, but party we will as education wins! Students win!

It has its hiccups at times, as we have experienced with other programs. But, we navigate through them and the learning continues.

The best part of this past week is that I learned something. A student introduced me to something that would ultimately benefit other students...whole classes even.

As teachers, we need to take time to step back and listen to our students. We can learn things from them that will not only help them in their continuing educational journey but will extend to their classmates and schoolmates. We can grow excellence in our schools by simply taking a few moments to stop and listen to our students.

What have you learned from taking a moment to listen to your students? How has it benefited your other students and the school?

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Next week, I am on the road for school observations and collaborations. I will travel from the Central Valley of California to Baldwin County Alabama. Stay tunes for interesting information and exciting adventures as I meet educators, students, and learn about what makes things work for them. Follow the hastags:
#believeinbaldwin
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