Bloom’s Taxonomy and Digital Bloom’s Integration

 During our Frogger Programming Unit, we use many of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy.  Students are taught computational thinking patterns that hit on higher order thinking skills like applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.  For instance, the computational thinking pattern of ABSORB is used in programming when one agent absorbs another agent.  

As a class we discuss real world examples of absorbing, for instance when a car enters a tunnel or a turtle disappears in the water when it jumps in.  Students are taught how to apply the pattern to their programing using the knowledge that they have gained in the lesson.  They then analyze the data by comparing the example with the problem they must solve to get their cars to absorb into their tunnel or their logs and lily pads to absorb into their waterfall.  We read the code and hypothesize what will happen, this hits on Bloom’s category of evaluating.  With all the knowledge they learn they create a working game that uses several computational thinking patterns allowing them to design, construct and make a Frogger game.

As I was creating a wiki for my masters class a suggestion from my professor on how to enhance my wiki really hit home.  I have been struggling as a new teacher to find a way to implement wikis and blogs into my classroom.  It was suggested to add a page to the wiki where students could upload agents they have created for their games to share with their classmates, family and friends.  By including blogging to this page, students could blog with other classmates on their agents quickly and easily.

I would also like to add a page to the wiki strictly for students to post their successes and frustrations they encounter during their programming.  I believe this is a good way to get students to help other classmates if they understand the programming themselves. By being able to answer a question students are inspired to learn more even if the concept is challenging.  When posting their successes students can see that with hard work and perseverance that they can also be successful at creating new games.

With the addition of these two pages to my wiki I will be hitting on Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy of understanding with blog journaling.  I also believe it will make the lesson well rounded and incorporate all aspects of digital learning.  I can say that as we start this unit my students are so excited to learn to code!!!!