EMMANUEL SCHANZER
Bootstrap
Bootstrap
NSF Awards: 1535276
2016 (see original presentation & discussion)
Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
Bootstrap integrates math and computing education to enable equitable access to and success in both subjects for all students in grades 6-12. This video, made in 2014, takes the viewer inside a Bootstrap class.
Mathematics, Computer Science, Integrating STEM and CS
Bootstrap
STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C)
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Discussion from the NSF 2016 STEM For All Video Showcase (21 posts)
E Paul Goldenberg
Distinguished Scholar
This video should certainly be seen by teachers, schools, public, policy-makers. The appeal of the kids, of course, is what makes it sing and their words and expressions are convincing, and it successfully conveys the important message that programming is possible and can be fun.
There’s another important message and I’m wondering if you have videos for that, as well. I recall your presentation in a webinar that made the ideas /behind/ what you are doing, and the particular connection to mathematics clearer. It’s impossible to do all of that in three minutes, of course, but I’m wondering if you have tried to do parts of that in brief and similarly appealing ways. You clearly have resources to make very appealing video, and I’d think that there’s a lot you could do.
Emmanuel Schanzer
Hi Paul – I think the video you’re looking for might be this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MbL4jxHTvY
Is that right?
As for our resources — we actually don’t have the resources to make a good video. This one happens to be one that Code.org was kind enough to make for us, and it’s literally the only good one we have. We spend all our dollars on basically three things: curriculum, supporting teachers, and research.
Emmanuel Schanzer
Whoops – sorry about that! Fixed.
E Paul Goldenberg
Distinguished Scholar
Thanks. I’ve deleted my message about the broken link, and you can clean up, too if you like. This isn’t, btw, the video from that webinar, but serves exactly the purpose and is great. Again, thanks.
Jennifer Knudsen
I would love to see some of the materials you are using..are they available anywhere?
Emmanuel Schanzer
All materials are available on our website, at www.BootstrapWorld.org/materials.
Carol Fletcher
So excited to bring Bootstrap teacher training to Spring Branch, TX on June 27-28. If you would like to join us, go to http://www.thetrc.org/bootstrap-spring-branch-s... for more details. The idea of using video game design to get kids excited about learning algebra is genius!
Emmanuel Schanzer
We’re excited to come back to Houston! Huge thanks to Carol and the TRC for their support of Texas teachers!
Courtney Arthur
Is this something that is done within the school day or afterschool? I wonder what constraints, if any, you ran into when recruiting?
Emmanuel Schanzer
Math is taught during the school day, so there’s no issue with recruiting.
Miriam Gates
Researcher
I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this is a really important piece of work, thank you. After watching this video, I’m curious if outcome testing has been done. That is, how do the students who participate in this program perform on outcome measures in mathematics as compared to those who participate in another mathematics program. Based on what students had to say in the video, it seems students really enjoyed this program. I’d be particularly interested in knowing if students feelings towards mathematics or plans to continue to study mathematics were different after use of this program as compared to a different program. Has anything like that been done? Are there plans for that work?
Emmanuel Schanzer
Hi Miriam – great question. We’ve found statistically significant gains on three standard, pencil-and-paper algebra tasks: function composition, matching representations, and word problems. We published these results at SIGCSE last year, and are planning to publish additional work later this year with a larger dataset and effect size.
In the meantime, you can find all of our publications and evaluation data at www.BootstrapWorld.org/impact
Miriam Gates
Researcher
I look forward to digging into the resources on your website. In the meantime, I’m curious if you have considered an testing on the impact of the intervention on student attitudes toward mathematics and computer science. I’m imagining that this experience might provide a springboard for continuing engagement with STEM education at the secondary or post-secondary levels.
Emmanuel Schanzer
Hi MIriam – we’d originally planned to use the ATMI instrument in our pilot, but wound up having to choose between transfer and attitudinal measures at the time. We hope to gather attitudinal data in the future, though, and the anecdotal data we get from our teachers seems quite positive!
Mary Fries
This is such an exciting project! I look forward to working through the Hour of Code tutorial. How do you find that students adapt to the abstract syntax? What do you do to support students who struggle, for example, to match up parentheses or define functions correctly?
Emmanuel Schanzer
You’ll want to check out our “Circles of Evaluation”. We introduce them in the very first lesson (http://www.bootstrapworld.org/materials/spring2...), and also in the Hour of Code tutorial. They’re a great way to teach order of operations, and happen to be a perfect way to introduce the syntax.
11 year olds typically pick it up in about 15min (slightly faster for older students and adults). And once they’re confident with the Circles, the syntax problems disappear.
Al Cuoco
This is wonderful. Thanks so much.
Can you say a bit about the algebraic territory that comes up in the kids’ work?
Al
Emmanuel Schanzer
Hi Al – the 20-25 hours cover word problems, coordinate planes, order of operations, function composition, linear functions, domain and range, multiple representations of functions, inequalities in the plane, the distance formula, abstraction and piecewise functions. There’s a lot more math in there as well (see the literature on “math talk” and “rich tasks”), but those are the highlights.
Barbara Ericson
Loved seeing that the kids are so excited and that they think both math and computer science are easier after working with Bootstrap. Were these middle school kids? Have you tried it in high school as well?
Emmanuel Schanzer
Hi Barbara!
Roughly half our students are high-school kids. A lot of high schools use as either as a Math class (integrated into Alg 1, or used as part of of a math supplement), or they use Bootstrap as a straight-up Computer Science class as a gentle transition from block to text programming.
Richard Ladner
Great video. Next year show us in your video how you made it accessible. Bootstrap is great.
Further posting is closed as the event has ended.