Integrate Coding into Every Student's Experience
August 8, 10:05-11:35am
Liz Patterson, Computer Science Teacher, Portsmouth High School
Deb Ramm, Instructional Technology Coordinator, Johnston Public Schools
@deb_ramm | Website
All students should be engaged in 21st century applied learning opportunities and as educators, we must develop their skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, and persistence. This session will provide an introduction to how teachers are integrating coding and computer science into the student experience at the elementary, middle, and high school levels through the CS4RI Initiative. This will include software used and when and how CS is accessible to students.
Participants will hear brief overviews from the 3 co-presenters before self-selecting into small groups for grade level-specific interactive planning and exploration time. Each group will include CS challenge activity examples, as well as planning time with the facilitator and peers around how to integrate coding more frequently into instruction.
Debra Turchetti-Ramm has been a fourth grade teacher for the Johnston Public School (JPS) System in RI since 1997. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who has done a significant amount of professional development in the areas of science, math, and technology. She is President of the RI Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (RIASCD) and also serves as their communications coordinator.
A recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science, Deb has created a STREAM program for her fourth grade students, has presented at RI Science Teachers Association, and attended several summer institutes including Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, American Geoscience Institute, and the Honeywell Space Academy.
In 2015, she was selected as a PBS Lead Digital Innovator. She had been both a participant and trainer for Rhode Island Teachers and Technology Initiative since 1998, and has been working to transform her classroom into a blended learning environment using her class website as a launchpad, as well as laptops and iPads with her students daily.
Deb has also presented digital storytelling workshops highlighting the work of her students (often with her students) at various local forums, including the Learning First Alliance, RI Department of Education’s Innovation Powered by Technology, and the Highlander’s Blended Learning Conferences.
Debra is a founding member of EdUnderground, a hands-on technology integration and blended learning laboratory for teachers, and was a Fuse RI Fellow, working to collaborate with the state’s districts to assess readiness, analyze data, and help disseminate best blended learning practices based on each district’s specific needs.