Teachers' Use of Video Reflections to Reinforce Computer Science Language and Concepts

This paper examines teachers' use of Flipgrid, a student-facing video platform, as a reflection tool to promote computer science language in upper elementary classrooms. We take a case-study approach with three fourth grade teachers: one had a high number of students with special needs, one had substantially more gifted and talented students, and one taught a dual immersion English-Spanish class. Data sources include teacher interviews, design meetings between researchers and teachers, and classroom observations. We find that teachers with different pedagogical visions adopted the tools for reinforcement, student engagement, and formative assessment. We document teachers' iterative improvement strategies and shifts in teacher noticing, particularly the objects (i.e., computer science vocabulary and concepts), level (i.e., whole-class versus individual students), and depth of how they noticed students learning through video reflections. This study contributes to the ongoing work that examines instructional approaches to promoting computing education in diverse K-12 classrooms, especially among teachers with no formal training in computer science education.