Expanding I Do, We Do, You Do Model

PD Model

The PD provider for Case Model 2 was a large cultural institution located in Queens, New York. The PD provider worked solely with the school using the “I do, we do, you do” model, which scaffolded unplugged and plugged CT lessons aligned to STEM and English language arts (ELA) standards.

Computational thinking (CT) was defined by the PD provider and administrative team prior to implementation, which was communicated to and refined collaboratively with teachers during the first PD session.

Year 1: The PD provider spent the first few months modeling CT lessons in the classroom, working with teachers during their common prep time to co-design lessons, and conducting afterschool PD workshops for teachers, which introduced CT concepts through unplugged lessons.

During the winter months of Year 1, the PD provider helped teachers identify places in existing lessons where CT could be integrated and co-designed lessons with the teachers. The PD provider then co-taught one lesson with each teacher in the classroom.

During the spring of Year 1, the PD provider observed a lesson that the teachers created and implemented independently and provided feedback.

Year 2: The PD provider followed the same structure as Year 1 but worked with a new cohort of teachers.

  • PD provider to school ratio: 1 to 1
  • Years the school participated in the PD program: 2018–2020
  • Primary focus of PD: Teacher self-efficacy
School Description

Located in Queens, the school in Case Model 2 is a large elementary school that serves grades K through 5. The majority of students are Hispanic, and a little less than a third of the student population are English language learners.

  • Grades: K–5
  • School size/enrollment: 1,600
  • Race/Ethnicity: 60% Hispanic
  • English language learners: 29.6%
  • Poverty and economic need: 72%
  • Borough: Queens
Pathway to Schoolwide Integration

The vision for schoolwide integration was developed and overseen by the school administrators with support by the PD provider.

Year 1 activities included the following:

  • All CT lessons focused on science, math, and ELA, which was an existing school priority before engaging in the CT PD.
  • CT integration was implemented in half of the 2nd grade in the ELA curriculum, and half of the 5th grade in the math curriculum.
  • The school appointed a teacher who participated as the PD “CT coach” to serve as a support for teachers new to the program.

Year 2 activities included the following:

  • CT was integrated into the other half of the 2nd and 5th grades.
  • The school extended PD to include the 3rd and 4th grade teachers.

In addition, the school administration leveraged existing grade-level meeting and lesson planning structures to provide teachers with a common planning time.

  • Vision of schoolwide integration developed by: School administrative team
  • Content areas: ELA and math
  • Grade levels: Grades 2 and 5 in Year 1 and grades 3 and 4 in Year 2
Lesson and Assessment Practices

Integration in both Year 1 and Year 2 focused on two specific content areas: math and ELA. Initial CT lessons were primarily unplugged and developed by helping teachers identify places within the existing curriculum where CT would fit.

As teachers became more confident in their ability to implement CT in unplugged lessons, they moved to develop plugged lessons that used a computational tool or digital device.

Additionally, during Year 2, the school developed a CT rubric to help teachers assess students’ application of CT during problem-solving. However the rubric was not used widely among the school.

  •  Lesson development: Co-developed by teachers and PD providers
  • Primary instructional approaches used in lessons: Using academic language, encouraging students to persevere, and using computational tools and technology
  • Primary assessment practices used: Exit tickets, student reflection, and CT vocabulary
Structures for Sustainability

By the end of Year 2 of the project, the majority of teachers within the school had participated in some form of PD on CT. Because CT was integrated into the math and ELA curricula across multiple grade levels, and the school created a CT coaching position to support new teachers after the formal PD time period ended, the school was well-positioned to sustain CT efforts in future years—regardless of staffing turnover or changes in teachers’ positions.

In addition, the school made an explicit investment in purchasing technology and support, including:

  • Upgraded Wi-Fi network
  • 1:1 iPads
  • Smartboards in every class
  • Teacher laptops
  • Appointment of a dedicated STEM teacher who worked with teachers to suggest technology to use in the classroom and digital devices to purchase, such as Spheros.

The PD provider and school received a second round of funding to complete a second phase of the work, which included PD training for kindergarten and 1st grade teachers.

Currently the school has teachers in every grade level trained in CT integration, as well as a designated CT coach in every grade level to provide ongoing support to teachers.