Titled “Unplug the Internet,” my nifty assignment is an unplugged simulation of how the internet works. Because students are taking on the role of different parts of the internet (DNS, router, client/server, TCP, etc) they are able to build a connection with that vocabulary. This year, I had my AP CSP students facilitate the simulation to my CS1 class as a review for their AP test. They gave lots of positive feedback and for the rest of the year referred back to the person playing the role in class discussions. Find out all the information about my nifty assignment here!
At the CSTA 2020 Conference this year, I attended Pam Whitlock’s excellent and informative session on what she refers to as “individualized learning.” The concept is relatively simple: students take a pre-test and then work through a series of modules for the unit at their own pace. The modules provide opportunities for students to choose how they want to learn and class time can be used to work with small groups or individual students. Here’s my plan of attack.