Titled “Unplug the Internet,” my nifty assignment is an unplugged simulation of how the internet works. Because students are taking on the role of different parts of the internet (DNS, router, client/server, TCP, etc) they are able to build a connection with that vocabulary. This year, I had my AP CSP students facilitate the simulation to my CS1 class as a review for their AP test. They gave lots of positive feedback and for the rest of the year referred back to the person playing the role in class discussions. Find out all the information about my nifty assignment here!
If you’re reading this, you better not be sleeping on CSTA Conferences. I’ve attended every year since I started teaching CS and I always walk away reinvigorated for the next school year. Like many early in my CS teaching career, I used to look for ready-to-go curriculum or fun gadgets. Now, I try to find new pedagogical techniques, engaging activities, and ways to go deeper with the material I’m already teaching. Here’s an unordered list of ideas, takeaways, and sites I want to revisit before school starts…