- Re-learn or strengthen content knowledge and skills from Unit 2.
- Re-submit test answers with updated corrections for partial or full credit
- Credit depends on instructor preference
- Read HW 3.1 up to “Limitations of Parameters”
- Correct any incorrect test answers by re-answering on a separate sheet of paper
- To get back credit, they must justify their new answers
- Staple new answer sheet to old test and turn in tomorrow
- Projector and computer
- Whiteboard and markers
- Corrected student tests
- Student grades (posted online, emailed to students, or handed back on paper in class)
- Digital copy of test questions for projector
| Section | Total Time |
|---|---|
| Bell-work and attendance | 5min |
| Class discussion (if needed) | 10min |
| Test review and reteach | 35min |
| Check student notes and return tests | 5min |
Return student grades before class begins or while students are completing the bellwork.
Do not return students’ tests before the review session, since you want to motivate students to pay attention to the entire review, taking supplemental notes the entire time.
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If grades are low, invite the class to a discussion of what can be improved. Begin with student complaints and suggestions to build student buy-in. Ask students:
- how they felt they were going to do before the test
- what surprised them once they were taking the test
- what they felt worked in the first unit (lessons, review strategies, assignments)
- what do they think they want to change for the second unit
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Once you feel that a dialogue has been established, validate students’ feelings, then challenge them (e.g. AP courses are stressful, but this is good practice for college, where the pace is faster and professors don’t give personalized instruction). In a non-judgmental, supportive tone, remind students that to be successful in the course:
- Reading is mandatory
- Homework is mandatory (And valuable! You will never assign “busy” work.)
- To better manage their time, students should plan for 1 hour of homework a weeknight, with up to 2 hours of homework each weekend. If this seems impossible, they should meet with you or their guidance counselor to assess whether they can fit in an AP class at this time.
- It is VERY important to keep your tone sympathetic at this point—an overworked, overstressed, underperforming student will slow your entire class down, and color that student against CS for the future!
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Walk the students through each question on the test, glossing over questions that everyone answered correctly.
a. You can ask for students to volunteer answers, or call on students randomly. Make sure that students explain their logic when they answer. If a student gives an incorrect answer, the explanation will tell you what you need to re-teach or clarify.
b. Do not skip questions that everyone answered correctly, but do not spend more than the time it takes to read the question, and congratulate students’ correct answers.
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Project a copy of each question as you review—this will help students recall the question/process the information.
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Make sure that students are taking notes during the re-teach, reminding students that for homework, they will have an opportunity to win back some of the points on their exam.
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For Section II questions, select a sample of student work (with any identifying information obscured), and work through the answer together as a class.
At the end of class, check student notes, and return the tests in hard copy form if applicable.
If students’ grades are suffering because the reading assignments are taking them too long, you have a few options (some more drastic than others):
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Set aside classroom time to read through the assignment before students leave.
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Give students the lines of code needed to complete assignments, but in jumbled order. Have students rearrange the lines of code into the proper program (this is called a Parsons Problem).
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Flip your classroom: record your lectures, and have students watch them and take notes for homework. Any classwork drills or worksheets can be distributed for “homework,” and the more complicated assignments that would normally be done at home, can be completed with your help when they come to class.
If students don’t have a computer to work on Practice-It problems at home, create printed-out sheets instead that students can write code onto. Class time should then be filled with reading assignments, and more complicated coding practice so that you are available to tutor as needed.
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Encourage advanced students to take on additional programming challenges. One easy way to do this is to assign Programming Projects from the blue pages at the end of each Chapter. A more open-ended (and more interesting) challenge would be to have students flesh-out additional sections of a larger, year-round Pokémon-esque game. For each concept you learn, ask your advanced students to think of a feature or sequence from the game that can be programmed using the tools they’ve acquired.
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Encourage students to carefully name their files, and leave lots of comments so they can use the code later in the year to put the game together.