Thanks Rita, good to see you too. Looking forward to checking out your video!

Hi Aman, that's a great question. Our planning grant started by focusing on building the partnership with the development of PD as a vehicle to do that. Our first PD implementation was late Fall of 2020. It was a virtual setting, and we focused on linking an introduction to CS with storytelling. Based on our conversations with teachers and other district partners, storytelling and literacy seemed the obvious places to start. For my part, I noticed in the sessions that some teachers mentioned connections to math and science readily, looking for points of integration. These were obvious in terms of pattern recognition and introducing algorithms. Thus far, it seems that the teachers have implemented more of the unplugged CT activities with an interest in using the hummingbird kits to code robotics as part of a story/book scene. One of the challenges is making enough kits accessible so teachers can work with a class in meaningful ways. Our upcoming plans for Summer and Fall include PD that provides a continuation of the work we have done with CT, literacy, and more scaffolding with the hummingbird kits. Teachers are more involved in the facilitation of this next series. So, in other words, more to come on how teachers integrate these activities into their instruction as they participate in this growing community. That was a long answer to your question! And, I am still not sure I answered it. Anyway, sharing thoughts for now. Would be interested in hearing what others on the team think. 

Thanks for your comments Eric. I have enjoyed being part of this project, working with our team, and meeting teachers in East Tennessee. Interested in learning about your project.

I think building any partnership takes a lot of time, intentionality, and there is improvisation for sure. In this case, the PD work has served as important vehicle to have conversations and opportunities to get to know each other in the context of designing and implementing PD. In addition, having prior partnerships with individuals who serve as boundary agents has been important. And, offering different ways of communicating including zoom, phone, social media messaging, etc. to provide feedback or to have a conversation - this has been helpful in beginning to develop a space for collaboration to take place. 

I would say, like others who work in this area, the team considered the tasks (open with room to grow in different directions, focused in terms of CS and/or engagement, and usually group worthy), the norms (inviting discussion and questions), and logistics that would make things easy for teachers (e.g. delivering bags of materials). The focus on storytelling also offered a way for teachers and the facilitators to get to know each other better since each person shared a significant story through a diorama with robotics added. I can still remember the stories and dioramas. 

Another great question. The challenge and significance are the same. It is about developing a partnership and the local implementation and adaptation of PD to support teacher and partnership learning. So, for me, the focus is on developing adaptive expertise that includes content and context understanding in order to develop the right kind of resources and experiences for CS to become relevant and meaningful for teachers. And for the project team, it is about learning through these processes and seeing CS, PD, and/or partnerships in different ways.