diff --git a/evaluations/reflections/20230827_richel/README.md b/evaluations/reflections/20230827_richel/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..eae2126 --- /dev/null +++ b/evaluations/reflections/20230827_richel/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,291 @@ +# Reflection 2023-08-27 + +## Planning before the lesson + +This was the first lesson of the season and this means +one can not predict how many students will be there and which course +they follow. I did receive about six emails from people that wanted +to take the course, but I did not remember which course, not did I think +that was relevant to memorize. I did know there would be some adults (which +I really like!). The Fixardag before, I ensure there would be +enough teaching materials: I printed some extra booklets, so +that each course has 8 copies of the first booklet, 4 of the second, +3 of the third and 2 of each following one. + +I knew that this day, each course would have one volunteer +and that one volunteer would be there for the first time. + +There were some new rules to be shared with all students +from last evaluation. To not forget this, I prepared a detailed +lesson plan. Also, I want us to teach more actively, with +max 15 mins of teaching per hour. +The most important reason I want that, is because +I *can*: the team of volunteers has built up enough experience +and I trust them to handle whatever I ask of them. +The one-but-most important reason I want more active teaching +is because I think I *should*, because (1) it adds variation +to the lessons, (2) it helps students to connect the dots (by showing +the bigger picture, etc), (3) it adds more fun for me (which was a +weakness in past seasons; I was too serious for myself). + +## Preparation on the day + +I did not know how clean the space would be, so I was there early, +at around 8:00. +I built up the tables in two groups, cleaned the room and tables, +checked everything to be present. +I wanted to be ready at 9:30, to be able to talk to the other volunteers +and build up a bit more together, but that was not how it unfolded. +Instead, the first student came in at around 9:30, the second at 9:40, +the third at 9:45, etc.: we had to adapt. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +10:00-10:15|Welcome students + +Because the other two volunteers were there as well, this was easy +and went smoothly: B took care of Blender, M opened the door +and set the Arduino students to work. M was helping for the first time, +but he sees work that needs to be done himself, which was delightfully +convenient. + +Like is tradition for good reason, all students that were early, I showed +the whiteboard with the lesson times, so that they will less likely be early +next week. I also immediately coupled adults and minors together so they +could help each other out and showed this with M, encouraging him to +copy this way. + +There were four new students, which means there was no time to properly +get the started before 10:15. I gave them simple instructions without a +next step, e.g. 'Build up your computer', 'Google and download Processing', +etc. I told their respective parents that the start is a bit chaotic when there +are many new students and that there will be more time when the lesson +properly starts. + +Maybe this is a good idea: + + * TODO: Add 'Första gången här, för elever' + and 'Första gången här, för föräldrar' booklets + +I did not know exactly when 10:15 would be, because the Chromecast +thing did not work. Luckily, B noticed and informed me. Additionally, +he suggested to also have a discussion point, about how +the lektionkort and lesson card works. I accepted this. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +10:15-10:25|Plenary: +. |ADDED: B discusses lektionkort and lesson card +. |ADDED: Kulturnatten +. |New payment system, all are UMS members now +. |No teams anymore, can form new ones with people that have 1 certificate +. |Ask volunteers for elevråd: what to do in the break? +. |Mention: one can buy food in the breaks. Warn! +. |Discord will be shut down earlier + +The plenary took 10 mins. 1 students joined the elevråd, so she would have +all the power. After this, I told the Blender students to stay with B +and the Arduino students to follow me to the electronics department. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +10:25-10:40|Arduino students @ electronics: the reason of using Arduino + +Goal of these 15 minutes is to build up a bigger picture of Arduino. +I did not prepare this session in detail, as I relied on my experience +and I did have a clear goal in mind anyways. I asked the students +randomly what Arduino is and all definitions were partially +right. Then I asked all students randomly why Arduino is important. +I heard good reasons such as that electronics and programming are +common, need, have jobs and are fun. I ended with my personal +reason: to improve the world and rebuild Optimus Prime. + +After that I had a simple game: look for cool things in the room, +show it to me, then we ask the group for answers. The students came +with many cool things. For each thing, I stopped all students, got their +attention and tried to together answer the question what it was. + +After this exercise, I told why this exercise is important: we can use all +these parts and even build all these machines with Arduino. Also, I +made explicit that we will also solder our own machines in the course. + +I took the students back to the main room. Everything seemed under control +there. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +10:40-10:55|Elevråd @ hallway: what to do in the break? + +I asked all attention for the Elevråd and got one students. +I took her to the metal workshop and kept the door open for social security. +I told her why the break is as it is and asked her for her ideas. +She came across as if she felt embarrassed for not having ideas, +which I said is unneeded. Instead, I suggested her to think about +the coming breaks instead and try again later. I hope the student +did feel herself heard and feels more connected to the course due to +this meeting. We went back to the central room and everything there +was under control. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +10:55-11:00|Plenary: elevråd result + +I decided to skip the plenary of the elevråd result, +as the decision was to keep doing what we did. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +11:00-11:15|Break + +Usually, I have the lemonade and glasses prepared for the break, +so that some kids can have a drink quick, and the others can +discover where it is they can make new lemonade. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +11:15-11:30|Arduino students @ outside: electricity: plus, minus, circuit, from plus to minus, constant speed + +After the break, I forgot about this. +There was still too much to do: talk to students, talk to parents, +talk to the other volunteers. +I was in a good mood and used that to emphasize the students' +first progress, such as their first running programs. +One student that cried at the start of the lesson, +now had discovered the joy of programming and went through the +materials fast. A duo of students went from being shy to +being more talkative. One parent slowly took more distance from his +kid during the lessons. Students started to feel at home. + + * TODO: couple experienced and beginner students! + +Parents were talk with, adult students later: +these all understood that they will be ignored when needed :-) + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +11:30-12:00|Work + +At this time, the course was smooth sailing: +everyone was talked with. +Most parents were already gone or agreed to be absent the +week after. + +There was a student that came in 1 hour too early: +he wanted to do Processing, but hey, we don't teach that +at that time. Instead, he was taught Arduino for 1 hour. +I kept to that idea and he accepted. I think being clear +in the rules was the reason for this; I never showed +doubt if he maybe should start Processing. And, there was the +time to build up a bond and he did learn how the courses work; +i.e. with a booklet and lesson card. + +There was time for soldering with a smaller subgroup, +as I had a volunteer for the Arduino course. +It started with a parent having a soldering problem. +I asked him if I could invite some students to demonstrate +and that was OK. With the dad and two students, +we went to the electronics place and I showed how to solder. +I told it would not be teaching; just showing. +Then I encouraged parent to let him and the other students +to do at least one soldering each. I told the parent to +take responsibility over the students and +bring back the students when he wanted. He agreed. +I enjoyed these 5 minutes that were completely improvised, +yet making 1 parent feel (even more) useful and 2 students feeling +important/selected/picked due to their shown skills. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +12:00-12:15|Welcome students + +The transition is messy: students of the second course cannot chose a seat +when a student of the first course has not left. I do think this will fade +over time, when students of the second course arrive after 12:00. + +There was a minor student and an adult student that wanted to stay longer. +I asked the adult student if she wanted to take responsibility and that +was OK. In the end, both stayed another two hours! I am thankful +how helpful the adult was, as I feel this will have been an important +moment to the younger student. + +At the end of the break B asked me for a 1-on-1: there was a student +that 'hoped she could be a teacher at Kulturnatten as well'. +The problem is: that was the entire point; yes, I asked all students +to help me by being a teacher. I asked B if my Swedish was the problem +and he claimed not. I shared that it *was* however stupid that I +did not visit all students for a 1-on-1 about Kulturnatten to be sure the +message came across. I thanked B for helping us re-discover this. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +12:15-12:25|Plenary: +. |Kultunatten +. |New payment system, all are UMS members now +. |No teams anymore, can form new ones with people that have 1 certificate +. |Ask volunteers for elevråd: what to do in the break? +. |Mention: one can buy food in the breaks. Warn! +. |Discord will be shut down earlier + +This plenary was the same as previous time. +There were no students for the elevraad, which was fine. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +12:25-12:40|Lecture: the reason of using Processing + +This went the same as Arduino: I asked all students, or random students, +what programming is and why it is important. Answers were given, in the end I +gave mine. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +12:40-12:55|Elevråd @ hallway: what to do in the break? +12:55-13:00|Plenary: elevråd result + +There was no elevraad, so I skipped this. +Instead we worked. +And I asked students 1-on-1 about Kulturnatten. +Halfway, however, I did forget this goal, +but I can out this in my lesson plan for next week + + * TODO: visit all students for Kulturnatten + +One volunteer of the first lessons session was having diner +and I found 5 minutes with him to evaluate. B stated that +the dishes should have been done at the start of the first lesson, +so that there are enough glasses for the second group. I thanked +him for his insight. Flashforward: after the lesson I checked and I +found plenty of mugs. I feel mugs are just as fine, so planning the +dishes like that will be unnecessary after all. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +13:00-13:15|Break + +Break was usual. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +13:15-13:30|Outside: coordinats + +We went outside. I had an exercise in which I first use all kids +to draw a raster, after which I ask them to run to a coordinat. +I did not start why this is important, as I feel in this case it is +more fun to gradually realize why something is useful. +At the end, I finally shared the importance of the exercise, +repeating the most important things on coordinats. + +When |What +-----------|--------------------- +13:30-14:00|Work + +After that, it was smooth sailing again. + +In the break, I asked the volunteer how he thinks the lesson went and how we +could improve. He had no suggestion; he claimed it was good. +We discussed the outside exercise: although the exercise is useful for the +students, its most impact is me having fun. I offered the volunteer +that if he wants to try out things like that, he is welcome to do so. + +The extratimme was simple, with 5 students, divided over 2 teams. +One team has given itself 'The Crew' as a name.