¡Bienvenidxs, bienvenidas, bienvenidos! Welcome and thank you for taking the time to watch our video. In this first year of our 2-year project we have focused on sharing and building knowledge across the team on the topics of computational thinking, culturally responsive pedagogy, bilingual pedagogy, project-based learning, and the two school communities for whom we are creating pilot curriculum. By summer we will have five project-based learning modules ready for pilot implementation and refinement during the 2021-2022 school year. Each module uses the Sol y Agua video game in different ways as a context for practicing and discussing computational thinking and a way to get kids talking about how we can use computational thinking to identify and solve community challenges. 

We’re looking forward to conversation with you! In particular,

• What strategies have you found to use students’ multiple languages to increase engagement in computer science and STEM?
• How have you connected computational thinking with middle schoolers’ everyday lives? 

¡Bienvenidxs, bienvenidas, bienvenidos! Welcome y gracias por tomarse el tiempo de ver nuestro video. En este primer año de nuestro proyecto de 2 años, nos hemos enfocado en compartir y desarrollar el conocimiento del equipo sobre los temas del pensamiento computacional, la pedagogía culturalmente significativa, la pedagogía bilingüe, el aprendizaje basado en proyectos y las dos comunidades escolares para las que estamos creando currículum. Para el verano, tendremos cinco módulos de aprendizaje basados en proyectos listos para la implementación piloto y el refinamiento durante el año escolar 2021-2022. Cada módulo utiliza el videojuego Sol y Agua de diferentes maneras como contexto para practicar y discutir el pensamiento computacional y hacer que los niños hablen sobre cómo podemos usar el pensamiento computacional para identificar y resolver los retos de nuestra comunidad.  

¡Esperamos conversar con Uds.! En particular, 

• ¿Qué estrategias han encontrado para utilizar los múltiples idiomas de los estudiantes para aumentar la participación en la informática y STEM? 
• ¿Cómo han conectado el pensamiento computacional con la vida cotidiana de los estudiantes de secundaria? 

Buen trabajo! Great video and program! I love the elements of gamification and culturally responsive pedagogy. I've been usuing Duolingo and other gamified language learning programs like Mango Languages and verbly.io to study Spanish for a few years now and have often thought that computer games are the future of learning. Not long ago, Duolingo branched out to offer a reading literacy game as well. Why not extend gamification to STEM learning too as you've done here? We offer a robotics program that uses innovation and competition to engage diverse students in STEM: https://videohall.com/p/1985  

Thank you for the feedback! WE love the vision of this project and love our teachers for joining us in this journey! We know the possibilities are endless when we meet our students in their interests and goals!

Thank you so much for such a great video.  I lived in El Paso for a few years and I found it such a rich tapestry of cultures and perspectives.  I love that you are giving the students so much agency in this project.  I can't wait to watch how your study develops.

I am such a fan of integrated STEM, and your project has done an excellent job of creating opportunities for exploration and learning of science, CT, math and language! The platform looks  engaging, and I was impressed by a comment of a teacher who stated that its features enable her to address students needs, so that their engagement isn't impeded. If possible, I'd like to hear about an embedded challenge that supports student development of a CT practice(s).  Having an example might help us viewers to appreciate the types of experiences that the modules offer, since there wasn't enough time to show them fully.  I'm also curious about your pilot study.  What type of data might you collect from teachers or students--there is so much to learn!  Thank you.

Thank you for a very interesting video.  I especially like the emphasis on "culturally significant" instruction, which would seem to transcend "culturally relevant" by truly valuing different cultures unique contributions to instruction.  I am a definite fan of promoting computational thinking across the curriculum, and while computer science offers a good starting point, I would encourage you to "think bigger" with respect to the concept, especially within the context of the middle school curriculum.

Congrats, I think that the project has many components that allow educators, students, and community members to have a voice. I wonder how are you are able to craft a project from different voices and keep the project student focus? 

Such a great project that truly embraces so much of what the El Paso community needs. It will be great to see this project replicated across the region and in other communities. Kudos to my colleague and friend Dr. Katherine Mortimer, Dr. Monika Akbar, Stephanie Galvan, and all of the RPP partners in EPISD.

Thank you everyone for your comments and your feedback! I feel so excited to be part of this collaboration.  I truly believe that our students will benefit immensely from using computational thinking to become better solvers. Looking at actual problems that affect their very own communities adds authenticity to the projects and increases student engagement.  And, as a teacher, of course, it makes teaching so much more fun!

I love seeing projects that integrate games for learning.

Did anyone in the team have experience with game design already, or did they learn as part of the process? Or rather, was the game developed in consultation with a game developer?

Felicidades. What a fantastic project. Can't wait to see the students' projects y el impacto que va a tener en la zona.

Congratulations on the work that you have done to extend Sol y Agua.  I'm impressed with the bilingual pedagogy and can see the future impact from introducing CT, including translanguaging in the game,  and exciting students about computing.  I look forward to learning more!

This seems like an interesting project. I am a researcher on the Making Sense of Models project and we are also looking at the integration of CS/CT into Science and Math. If you would like to learn more about Making Sense of Models you can watch our video here. One of the aspects we are focusing on is the role of decoding in helping students make connections across content. I am curious how the integration of CT in your project is helping to facilitate student learning of science, can you speak more to this aspect of your work? 

What an interesting and important project!  I'm wondering if there are parts of what you're creating that you think would work well in an urban school in Dallas, TX?  If there are, are there resources you'd be willing to share as we're opening a STEM-focused school that aims to integrate project-based learning and culturally sustaining pedagogies and we will be working with 7th and 8th grade students next year?  

Beyond specific resources, I'm also wondering if there are design principles or other big-picture take-aways you can share.  Thank you!

Yes! Thank you Dr. Gates! We look forward to seeing how these CT projects are integrated in the core curriculum- addressing the areas of translanguaging and young women's interests... all bundled within a PBL :) 

Great description of the project and engagement of the partner voices.  Will you be able to track over time the impact of this project on students?

Thank you for the great video and project. The idea of incorporating video games that are bilingual is amazing and something that we will look forward to doing within tribal communities - many Native American tribes have created projects for language revitalization and I think that incorporating computer sciences, analytical thinking / analysis, and environmental testing is the added bonuses and so important for developing tribal communities. Thank you for the great work!