Instructional Setting Analysis

Introduction
In alignment with the goal of giving all students exposure to and preparation for success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers, kindergarten students were given the opportunity to learn how to code. It was a compelling program for the students, but as with any technology, there were risks to assess and mitigate before allowing the students to use the software and tablets.
Volunteers were used to help introduce the students to the software and allow for more one-on-one and small group support than the teacher could provide on her own. However, the volunteers would not be familiar with the software or with how to safeguard the children when using technology during instruction. The presentation was designed to give them an overview of what they would need to know. …show more content…
The instruction took place in small self-directed groups on the floor in a carpeted area where the energetic students could sit, sprawl, wiggle and rearrange themselves freely. The students were allowed to help or advise each other. The overall approach was one of exploration, rather than following a set of prescribed steps.
The teacher has seven years of teaching experience, mostly in …show more content…
The first safe practice is that the teacher needed to become familiar with the program herself to ensure the content was appropriate for her classroom. Next, the volunteers would guide the students in how to use the program, so that the students would not be distracted and attempt to access other programs on the iPad. Furthermore, the volunteers would be asked to monitor the interactions, not only for students who needed assistance with the software, but also for any potentially unsafe behaviors the students might perform or that the software might