OUR GUIDE TO USING PIPER IN THE CLASSROOM
Tips and Tricks
Using a new tool can be intimidating. We're here to help, so check out our quick guide to using Piper.
Best Practices
Help ensure maximum learning and engagement for your students with these practices.
5E Education Model
Use lesson plans designed to engage more students with an enduring understanding in STEAM.
Measuring Impact
Assess growth in problem solving, critical thinking, computer science, and collaboration.
Piper's lesson plan construction is based on the 5E instructional model. If this is your first time teaching with this model, you will find it to be different than traditional teaching methods. It is rewarding to see student-centered learning in action and this model has been proven to lead towards greater student engagement and enduring understanding in STEAM.
OUR 10 TIPS AND TRICKS
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MEASURING IMPACT
Dr. Joel Sadler, Piper co-founder, received his PhD from Stanford where he wrote his thesis on “The Anatomy of Creative Computing: Enabling Novices to Prototype Smart Devices." In the thesis, Joel came up with a pre/post survey to measure confidence change around novices creating technology. The surveys allow you to see student growth following the Piper computer kit experience. (Want to see Joel’s thesis? Click here.)
Pre/Post Student Creative Confidence Survey:
Print out the Piperbot Pre-Survey and have students complete BEFORE starting the Piper program. File these completed Pre-Surveys.
Print out the Piperbot Post-Survey and have the students complete AFTER the Piper program is completed.
Compile both the completed pre and post surveys and use the similar questions to see growth in your students’ confidence.
DISTRICT OR SCHOOL-WIDE STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENTS:
If you are using Piper on a school or district level, we will provide you with electronic Student Engagement Surveys to fill out before and after your students’ experience with the Piper computer kit. The survey instrument was created in conjunction with UChicago Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education UCLA CRESST and has previously been used by Exploring Computer Science in their efficacy studies. These electronic surveys will be distributed during Teacher Training and analyzed for you by Piper. The creative confidence surveys described above are solely for personal use.
LESSON ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Each lesson includes several assessment tools in the Explain and Evaluation sections. The assessments are aligned to the objectives of the lesson which are derived from the standards listed at the beginning of each phase. Google Forms are also available for each Summative Assessment and can be used as an exit survey for the lesson. Assessment tools are included in the Appendix.
BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING WITH PIPER
We want you to be successful using Piper in the classroom. To do that, we suggest using these practices to help ensure maximum learning and engagement for your students.
ENCOURAGE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
While the Piper Computer Kit experience works in a 1:1 model, it a better learning experience for students in collaborative groups. We recommend a 2:1 approach but have seen successful 3:1 or 4:1 models as long as students are given rotating roles. Collaboration empowers the students to solve problems together, build community and encourage agency in student leaders. A great practice to engage all of your learners is to have a student share a challenge in they overcame during the Piper learning experience during class discussions.
KEEP LEARNING STUDENT-CENTERED
With Piper, guidance is embedded in StoryMode directions and PiperCode tutorials for an inquiry-based learning experience. We recommend facilitating the class rather then giving the students answers. Since challenge is a part of the Piper experience, it can help foster student development in perseverance. Developing a growth mindset is a vital part of the learning process with Piper. Students who make it through cognitive dissonance will ultimately build greater creative confidence. See if you can answer questions with questions to help guide the students to find the answers!
SET EXPECTATIONS AND BUILD CONFIDENCE
We have found success starting each session with a discussion and reinforcing expectations that Piper will be challenging, low-stakes failure will happen (that is OK and GOOD!), and understanding concepts is more important than speed.
EMPHASIZE ORGANIZATION AND PROCESS
We have found that teachers set up systems of organization for the class and encourage students to stay organized find it easier to start and end each day with the Piper program. When students are in a group, each person can have a specific task such as retrieving their storage box, plugging in the battery and turning on Piper, putting items back into the box, etc. Small electronic parts are easily lost (or stepped on) when they are not kept in a box and returned to the box after use. Explain that being organized is a necessary skill for all engineers to learn. If it seems to be a problem, have a discussion around it and ask students to share some of the things they do to keep organized.
ENCOURAGE PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE
Since the Piper computer program is student-centered, students are often challenged to explore and learn on their own with guidance rather than direct instruction. This leads to growth and development of grit in students from this productive struggle. Collaboration in these moments of dissonance also leads to greater learning outcomes and a positive classroom community.