Hour of Code

The hour of Code came and went back in December and where were we?  We were home on our first snow break.  Not wanting to pass the opportunity to expose the students to coding, we came back the second week of January, (not the first because we were home in our second snow break) and let the kids experiment with coding.  We started out with Crunchzilla.com.  The students learned about javascript and making rectangles and about the functions rect, fill, and line. One of our students was able to recreate the American Flag just by coding.   From there we went to code.org.  The students worked on the javascript program developed by the Kahn Academy.  It helped them become more familiar with what was going on with the numbers inside the parenthesis and have a better understanding of the canvas.  Many of them were able to make some cool designs based on using the various shapes and functions.   The javascript program also reiterated the x an y axis. This just fit in perfectly with what was going on with graphing in their classrooms.  From there we let them experiment with lightbot on the code.org site as well as the angry birds on code.org.  All of this has led some of them to exploring on their on.  Many of them have learned a lot and have been able to better understand the Scratch coding that MIT developed and a few of them have delved into the language of python. 


Coding is really not something I am going to sit down and work on every night.  It was a little bit of struggle for me personally.  I have to admit I had a real good team mate in facilitating this plan.  Our technology master for our campus, who by his own admission struggles with teaching the kids, would come in and teach me just enough that I could share. He would also hang around for class time to be able to ask those questions I just couldn't.    From there, the kids let us know just how much they wanted to learn.  Their questions led us on a journey.  Whatever they wanted to know, we helped them explore.  Coding gave the kids the responsibility of being in charge of their own learning-their own problem solving.  From this experience we developed a culture of collaboration.  Watching the kids work together to solve problems was one of the greatest benefits. 

School Culture vs School Climate

 

Though many see school climate and school culture has one in the same it appears that one is actually strengthened by the other. 

 The school climate is the attitude of the organization.  It is the collective mood or morale of the school -both its staff and students.  School climate is based on the feeling that goes on within the school.   A basic principle of school culture is “a happy teacher is considered a better teacher and this attitude influences the quality of instruction.”  (Gruenert, Steve:  Principal, 2008)  School climate is the feeling that is present by the staff and the students.  How do you create a school climate free of tension?  How do you create a school where all are happy to be there? 

 Any individual can be happy if everything is going just as they have planned.  A happy teacher can be one that is happy because everything is going right for them.  But is this kind of happy teacher going to really have an impact on the culture of the school?  Are they going to be able to influence the overall culture of the school based on their own happiness in their own personal lives?   Are they going to have a positive impact on student learning?   A happy teacher that has an impact on the culture of the school is going to be one that is happy because of what is going on in the business of school.  That what is going on in the school is the school culture. 

The culture is the personality of the organization.  Culture is the vision, values, and the commitment that each individual has for the school.  It is the seriousness of the business of what is going on day to day.  Through collaboration, commitment, and working together a school establishes a positive self image.  The culture is what has been built over time through the feelings, thoughts, and actions of the staff.  The school culture is the expectations that are present within the school.  By having high expectations for both the staff and the students and meeting those expectations, the culture of the school has an impact on the climate of the school.  A positive school climate can be created with the building blocks of the culture. 

Let’s look at the school climate as the roof of the building.  The school climate is what is covering everything underneath it.  The pillars under that roof, holding it up, determine the climate.  The pillars are the culture.  Those pillars can work together and brace one another to hold the roof (school) or they can stand alone.  Collaboration, shared vision, shared values, commitment to performance, effective leadership and high expectations work together to strengthen the school.   When teachers and staff share in the achievements of the school and are recognized for their efforts, a positive school climate evolves.  The roof that covers is held strong.  When each individual pillar is not braced and is standing all alone, the roof is not as strong and soon the pillars began to break and fall.  Standing alone without any support or recognition, teachers began to fall as well. 

School climate is the feeling one gets when they walk into the school.  It is the moral of the staff.  It is the song of the students.  It is important that in a school that each person is valued.  They are recognized and encouraged.  It is important that the school climate is not an individualized process but is a group working together to hold one another.  The school climate is determined by the culture of the school.  The school culture strengthens the climate. 

 

 

 

Gruenert, Steve (2008)  School Climate, School Culture:  They are not the Same: Principal (March/April 2008)  pgs 56-59. Retrieved March 3, 2014.