In 2017, YPP launched an innovative "Service-Learning" elective through a partnership with Boston Public Schools and the GE Foundation, at the Excel High School in South Boston. For the elective, which is lead by YPP instructors, College Math Literacy Workers, and a teacher of record from the school, the high school students are taught core coding and problem-solving skills, then through out the year they teach BPS middle schools students at special STEM Bootcamp events. This elective course, named Exploring STEM Literacy, takes on a robust near-peer approach at teaching Computer Science in schools where Computer Science learning is non-existent or limited to advanced placement classes.
The course was designed and taught by a YPP instructor with support from a team of YPP trained STEM Literacy Instructors, current college students. Much of the design and success of the course was based on feedback and recommendations of students in the course. This near-peer model is central to YPP’s work, and it creates a different type of relationship between students and instructors. These relationships support the project-based approach to all coursework. The course designers approached computer science not only as a set of knowledge and skills but as an approach to problem-solving. They created projects that required students to work in ways that STEM professionals work: collaboratively, adaptive, and self-directed. YPP's signature near-peer education model is used, by providing the opportunity for the high school STEM students to teach the concepts they learn to their younger middle school peers.
The STEM Boot Camps
“Exploring STEM Literacy: Coding Bootcamps for Middle Schoolers” (Playbook Available CLICK HERE)
Each boot camp is comprised of a set of activities that allow participants of the boot camp to explore core concepts in the Python coding language. The genius to the design of the boot camp is there are 4-5 stations participants must visit, in no particular order, to get the bigger picture of what is being taught at the boot camp. By designing both the activities and the overall flow of how middle school students will move across these activities, the students wrestle with larger challenges of how discrete information fits together into bigger concepts or applied usage in real life.
Year 3 Coding Bootcamp Worksheet (CLICK HERE)
Course History
Year 1
Our first year of doing computer science in this way turned out to be a wild success. When we began our work at the beginning of the 2017 school year, Excel High School was in turnaround status and its turnaround plan takes a Linked Learning approach, integrating rigorous academic work with work-based learning experiences. Within its Emerging Technologies career pathway, computer science is a critical ingredient. With this backdrop, Excel and YPP crafted a new Computer Science elective, supported by the GE Foundation, for 9th-grade students. This class brings together foundations of computer science with project-based learning opportunities provided through math+coding boot camps in which 9th graders teach middle school students essentials of STEM and coding instruction needed for 21st-century youth.
At the end of the 2017-18 school year, 20 9th graders earned the title STEM Literacy Worker and made some significant personal and professional gains. Through pre-post survey and cognitive assessments of student learning progressions, STEM Literacy Workers report increased understanding of what computer science is; increased confidence that they can produce code, that they can teach others about computer science and in their ability to encourage others to learn computer science. More STEM Literacy Workers report that science (in general) will be important to them in their life and that they could do advanced work in math. The majority of students (60% or more) have confidence that they can make changes when things do not go as planned, respect the differences between their peers, and include other perspectives in making decisions and setting learning goals.
In their community, this small bunch of 20 accomplished even more.
A total of 13 math+coding boot camps were held at 5 Boston Public Schools (BPS)
1500 elementary and middle school students participated in their math+coding boot camps
3 college students, 2 recent college graduates, 1 graduate student developed as STEM Literacy Instructors who are prepared to lead classrooms of their own.
Year 2
Our second year of doing computer science in this way was successful. When we began our work at the beginning of the 2017 school year, Excel High School was in turnaround status, utilizing a plan rooted in the Linked Learning approach, which integrates rigorous academic work with work-based learning experiences. Within Excel High School’s Emerging Technologies career pathway, computer science is a critical ingredient. With this backdrop, Excel and YPP crafted a new Computer Science elective, supported by the GE Foundation, starting with one class of 9th-grade students. In the 2018 - 2019 school year we expanded our reach to two 9th grade classes and one returning 10th grade course. The class brings together foundations of computer science with project-based learning opportunities (i.e. boot camps). Students spent the fall and winter learning material and preparing for the boot camps, which involve the 9th and 10th graders in leading integrated math and coding experiences, focused on STEM and coding for the 21st century, for middle school students.
The focus of instruction in year 2 was:
- Increased knowledge, mastery, and application of key algebraic concepts (i.e. ratio & proportion, function, solving equations)
- Class attendance and grade improvement
- Increased knowledge of STEM academic/career pathways
- Increased knowledge of fundamental principles of coding
- Improved computational and critical thinking skills
- Increased ability to utilize estimation to solve real world problems
- Increased ability to develop and facilitate workshop cont
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2018-19 School Year Boot Camp Fact Sheet
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Time Frame |
Event Name |
Event Description |
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October 2018 |
Sophomore led Boot Camp for Freshman |
Yr 1 students model year 1 bootcamp content and format for Yr 2 students |
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November 2018 |
Freshman led Boot Camp for Sophomores (2) |
Yr 2 students host internal Bootcamp for Yr 2 students who give critical design and content feedback |
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December 4, 2018 |
Sophomore Mini Boot Camp for Department of Youth Services Staff (DYS) |
Mini Boot Camp - Train the Trainer model at DYS conference. 3 Excel High students attended a professional development workshop with YPP as junior professional developers. (30 adults served) |
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January 23, 2019 |
Freshman/Sophomore Boot Camp for GE, Partners & Teachers |
Design # 2 included elements of the 9th and 10th grade bootcamp designs. Attendees provided feedback for improvement. (30 attendees) |
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May 2nd - 5th, 2019 |
Pop Up Coding Boot Camp at National Math Festival in Washington DC |
Freshman & Sophomore students facilitated YPPs National Math Festival Math + Computer Science Games in Washington DC Approximately 2,000 attendees between ages 4 and 50+ |
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May 31, 2019 |
Excel High + YPP Coding Bootcamps for Elementary + Middle School Students
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60 student participants from 1 BPS School |
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June 7, 2019 |
Excel High + YPP Coding Bootcamps for Elementary + Middle School Students |
250 student participants from 5 BPS Schools |
Math+Code Stations and Concepts Taught at Bootcamp:
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Introduction to Computer Science: Computational Thinking (Suggested - Elementary Track) |
Computer Science Application: Learning the Python Code Language (Suggested - Middle School Track) |
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Objective:Learn and master the mental building blocks that create the foundation for coding in any computer programming language. |
Objective: Learn and write computer programs in Python, one of the most utilized computer programming languages in the world! |
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Career Readiness Skills: problem solving; communication, collaboration, Computational Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning |
Career Readiness Skills: problem solving; communication, collaboration, Python, How to solve Multi-Step problems |
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Stations: Fermi ProblemsA Fermi problem is a multi-step problem that can be solved in a variety of ways, and whose solution requires the estimation of key pieces of information.
Classifying RectanglesParticipants were given a collection of rectangles and choose a rectangle with dimensions A x B, where A is the length of the vertical edge and B is the length of the horizontal edge, and were asked to classify the rectangle and draw it on the Cartesian plane.
Math LavaParticipants demonstrated their mastery of multiplicative skills in a physical math game derived from the game "Lava" .
TurtleParticipants learned to code and generate mathematical models of rectangles and squares in the Python computer programming language.
Data ScienceParticipated in a relay race which students learned to collect raw data that would be analyzed in a subsequent data analysis station.
Interactive Code Testing & Data Analysis1) Developed mathematical representations of rectangles that were previously classified at the Classifying Rectangles station. 2) Analyzed the data that has been collected from the Data Science station. |
Stations: Strings + Print Function + Mathematical OperatorsLearn the function of Strings, Print Function, and the array of Mathematical Operators and symbols that can be utilized in the Python Coding Language.
Variables in PythonLearn the function of and how to create variables in the Python Coding Language.
Inputs in PythonLearn how to prompt user inputs in the python coding language and strong inputs as various variable types.
TurtleParticipants learned to code and generate mathematical models of rectangles and squares in the Python computer programming language.
Data ScienceParticipated in a relay race which students learned to collect raw data that would be analyzed in a subsequent data analysis station.
Interactive Code Testing & Data Analysis1) Developed mathematical representations of rectangles that were previously classified at the Classifying Rectangles station. 2) Analyzed the data that has been collected from the Data Science station. |
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Career Readiness Skills: problem solving; communication, collaboration, Computational Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning |
Career Readiness Skills: problem solving; communication, collaboration, Python, How to solve Multi-Step problems |
Digital Badges Issued:
https://badgr.com/public/issuers/FO8tbavwQE6ISYCHtJJTDw/badges
View all articles, videos, and memos written about this experience since 2017.
If you want to explore the possibilities of Exploring STEM Literacy in your neighborhood, please set up a time to talk with us by clicking this link below or email [email protected] if you do not use Google Calendar!