Computer Science in MCPS; my kid is utterly lost

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Self-advocacy is important, but sometimes kids just need someone with more clout to intervene on their behalf. You might need to email the teacher about your daughter’s specific difficulties and what level of assistance she needs. If necessary, could you have the counselor talk with the teacher? Since the teacher wasn’t at the IEP meeting, they may not really understand your daughter’s situation (even though your daughter has been trying to explain).

As someone with absolutely no official expertise, I think too much emphasis is placed on grades. Too often, they become the primary goal, as opposed to a rough indicator of how much learning is taking place. While that function becomes more important in high school, as colleges are evaluating students, it is still just an indicator. Assuming your daughter isn’t planning a future of building robots, I don’t know that a D is that damaging. It communicates that your daughter has problems with those kinds of tasks, but presumably that information is already available in her IEP, which can be used to explain the grade, if necessary. That being said, I’d double check with your school counselor to be absolutely sure it won’t interfere with graduation or her future plans.

Not all kids can self advocate well, especially if they teacher is not approachable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. When DD went for help at lunch, the teacher worked with the AP kids but did not work with my daughter at all. I think she’s accommodating the extra time, and might help with the programming aspect, but is just not grasping what my DD needs, because the task is just so simple and easy. I mean, what high school senior can’t build a robot? The teacher doesn’t understand DD’s disability.

I will encourage DD to ask if she can bring the pieces home, or if she can use a kit. That would make all the difference. I would help, the tutor would help, etc. I have a hunch that if I showed her explicitly what to do, it would click and she could finish on her own. She just needs hands-on demonstration and practice with motor/sequential tasks.

Thank you for all the advice!

Reach out to the teacher. For AP computer science, there is a project that needs to get turned in for the AP exam coming up which is why its probably the priority but that's unfair to your daughter. Ask specifically what is the assignment and what are they building - can it be sent home or can you buy the parts to work on/practice at home. We often buy the books and things needed that they use at school that they don't send home with the kids. But, this project sounds very advanced to build a robot and code it for regular computer science. We didn't have that even in AP.

Wow!! Well, it’s reassuring to know that it’s advanced. I will share that with my daughter, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,
CS was difficult for DS as well, we had to get tutoring.

Can she utilizes peer-to-peer tutoring programs at after-school, subject-specific tutoring, and specialized programs like Peer Partners and Vike2Vike?

[Anonymous]

Very valuable feedback all, thank you again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Self-advocacy is important, but sometimes kids just need someone with more clout to intervene on their behalf. You might need to email the teacher about your daughter’s specific difficulties and what level of assistance she needs. If necessary, could you have the counselor talk with the teacher? Since the teacher wasn’t at the IEP meeting, they may not really understand your daughter’s situation (even though your daughter has been trying to explain).

As someone with absolutely no official expertise, I think too much emphasis is placed on grades. Too often, they become the primary goal, as opposed to a rough indicator of how much learning is taking place. While that function becomes more important in high school, as colleges are evaluating students, it is still just an indicator. Assuming your daughter isn’t planning a future of building robots, I don’t know that a D is that damaging. It communicates that your daughter has problems with those kinds of tasks, but presumably that information is already available in her IEP, which can be used to explain the grade, if necessary. That being said, I’d double check with your school counselor to be absolutely sure it won’t interfere with graduation or her future plans.

Thank you. She is definitely not pursuing anything even remotely adjacent to STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. When DD went for help at lunch, the teacher worked with the AP kids but did not work with my daughter at all. I think she’s accommodating the extra time, and might help with the programming aspect, but is just not grasping what my DD needs, because the task is just so simple and easy. I mean, what high school senior can’t build a robot? The teacher doesn’t understand DD’s disability.

I will encourage DD to ask if she can bring the pieces home, or if she can use a kit. That would make all the difference. I would help, the tutor would help, etc. I have a hunch that if I showed her explicitly what to do, it would click and she could finish on her own. She just needs hands-on demonstration and practice with motor/sequential tasks.

Thank you for all the advice!

Reach out to the teacher. For AP computer science, there is a project that needs to get turned in for the AP exam coming up which is why its probably the priority but that's unfair to your daughter. Ask specifically what is the assignment and what are they building - can it be sent home or can you buy the parts to work on/practice at home. We often buy the books and things needed that they use at school that they don't send home with the kids. But, this project sounds very advanced to build a robot and code it for regular computer science. We didn't have that even in AP.

Wow!! Well, it’s reassuring to know that it’s advanced. I will share that with my daughter, thank you.

My kid is in AP CS and they have never had a project to build and code. They code online but there are tons of examples (we have a really good teacher) and information. Last years CS was far more basic than this. It sounds like she's not in the right class as the there is a very basic one need for CS for graduation. Its hard to give you advice as every school and teacher runs the class different and this project sounds very cool but advance.

Ask what the robot is, see if you can buy it for working on at home and you/tutor do what ever you need to to help her get through the project.

And, the teacher sounds bad if they didn't help at all at lunch to focus on the AP kids. Its probably because there is an ap exam project due now and at least at our school, a good number of kids having gotten it done, but the teacher should not be helping with that if its the exam part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to make her do it. A disability is not an excuse. She doesn’t feel like she can do it means she’s not trying.

Make her do it? What the F does that mean? She has been going to lunch for help. She has pretty profound dyspraxia and leaning disabilities but has a good GPA because she works her a$$ off. That was remarked upon in her recent IEP meeting (last one before graduation). Why are you on the SN board?

I hope your daughter isn’t like you.

What is wrong with you? OP said there is a tutor. OP said they will help. This doesn't sound like the appropriate class for this chlld and they were put in the wrong class. This also doesn't sound normal for a regular CS class.

[Anonymous]

Maybe she can take some pictures of the project and you would be able to help/give more advice. She needs to ask the teacher specifically for help. I don't think it's too bad if you email the teacher as well to explain the problem more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would call an IEP meeting. Insist on the CS teacher being there.

She clearly needs more/different support so that’s a starting place.

+1. This is a required class. They need to support her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to make her do it. A disability is not an excuse. She doesn’t feel like she can do it means she’s not trying.

Make her do it? What the F does that mean? She has been going to lunch for help. She has pretty profound dyspraxia and leaning disabilities but has a good GPA because she works her a$$ off. That was remarked upon in her recent IEP meeting (last one before graduation). Why are you on the SN board?

DP. I agree, it sounds like she needs to get the robot part of the project going so that she can start the next part. If it's a required class, then any of her friends will have taken it or is currently taking it. They can help her with the robot so that she can move on to the rest of the project. She needs to get passed this. What she's currently doing isn't working, so she needs to get heip some other way.

Ma’am this is the SN board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to make her do it. A disability is not an excuse. She doesn’t feel like she can do it means she’s not trying.

Make her do it? What the F does that mean? She has been going to lunch for help. She has pretty profound dyspraxia and leaning disabilities but has a good GPA because she works her a$$ off. That was remarked upon in her recent IEP meeting (last one before graduation). Why are you on the SN board?

I hope your daughter isn’t like you.

Get off this board. What is wrong with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she can take some pictures of the project and you would be able to help/give more advice. She needs to ask the teacher specifically for help. I don't think it's too bad if you email the teacher as well to explain the problem more.

This is a good idea. Have her take pictures to see if you can figure out what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to make her do it. A disability is not an excuse. She doesn’t feel like she can do it means she’s not trying.

Make her do it? What the F does that mean? She has been going to lunch for help. She has pretty profound dyspraxia and leaning disabilities but has a good GPA because she works her a$$ off. That was remarked upon in her recent IEP meeting (last one before graduation). Why are you on the SN board?

DP. I agree, it sounds like she needs to get the robot part of the project going so that she can start the next part. If it's a required class, then any of her friends will have taken it or is currently taking it. They can help her with the robot so that she can move on to the rest of the project. She needs to get passed this. What she's currently doing isn't working, so she needs to get heip some other way.

Ma’am this is the SN board.

The SN board where every parent thinks their child is a princess and should never be held accountable for anything because disability.

That's not what OP is saying at all. They are saying their child is struggling, the learning disabilities are impacting her, and they are trying to figure out how to help. Either offer helpful suggestions or don't comment.

[Anonymous]

Maybe look for a YouTube video that walks through the steps? If this is something from a kit, there are probably video explanations available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been through this with my oldest. Not this class in particular, but more like all of them. He did not have the capabilities to do much better than a D final grade for most classes. He had a great IEP and it was being followed. He just lacked the capabilities.

You cannot define success for you child by looking at what other kids do. When a kid is not capable of getting a good grade in a class, success if defined by doing what it takes to meet the graduation requirements. In this case, a D is what it takes. So, if her grade will average out to a D if she fails this semester, then failing this semester will be a success for her because she will meet the graduation requirements.

OP isn't doing that though. OP wants her kid to get some help being shown what to do. That doesn't seem all that wild. You are projecting, not reading.