Computational Thinking
From "The ISTE Standards" (2018):
The ISTE computational thinking competencies push educators to help learners become computational thinkers who can harness the power of computing to innovate and solve problems.
5.1. Computational Thinking (Learner)
Educators continually improve their practice by developing an understanding of computational thinking and its application as a cross-curricular skill. Educators develop a working knowledge of core components of computational thinking: such as decomposition, gathering and analyzing data, abstraction, algorithm design, and how computing impacts people and society.
Created in the EDU 6720 course at the College of St. Scholastica, this project demonstrates my knowledge of the core components of computational thinking - particularly problem decomposition, abstraction, algorithm design and the human impacts of computing. The task was lifted directly from the AP Computer Science Principles course, and the prompt was to design a program that solves a problem. Empathizing with the needs of my students, who said they would appreciate an app that allowed them to track how much water they drank each day, I developed this application using the MIT App Inventor platform. As part of the task, I was required to identify components that represented abstraction and algorithm design. Click here to view a video demonstration of the app, and click below to view the app write-up and code.
5.2. Equity Leader (Leader)
All students and educators have the ability to be computational thinkers and CS learners. Educators proactively counter stereotypes that exclude students from opportunities to excel in computing and foster an inclusive and diverse classroom culture that incorporates and values unique perspectives, builds student self-efficacy and confidence around computing, addresses varying needs and strengths, and addresses bias in interactions, design, and development methods.
As part of the EDU 6710 course at the College of St. Scholastica, I developed this curriculum unit plan to address the topic of artificial intelligence and machine learning. For the purposes of the assignment, only one lesson from the unit was required to be fully developed. However, issues of equity in computing such as algorithmic and personal biases - as well as discussions about the ethical principles of artificial intelligence - are incorporated into the unit. Considerations for the avoidance of stereotype threat and the inclusion of diverse role models has permeated other examples of my computer science teaching methods and learning materials. For more information, read the Computer Science and Literacy Scope and Sequence that I developed in standard 5.4. Click below to view the files that comprise the unit plan.
5.3. Collaborating Around Computing (Collaborator)
Effective collaboration around computing requires educators to incorporate diverse perspectives and unique skills when developing student learning opportunities and recognize that collaboration skills must be explicitly taught in order to lead to better outcomes than individuals working independently. Educators work together to select tools and design activities and environments that facilitate these collaborations and outcomes.
This set of documents, developed in the EDU 6740 class at the College of St. Scholastica, include a worked example of a computing task with subgoal labeling as well as a scripted example of how I would address alternative conceptions expressed in a student's code design. Each of these documents represent how I would model and learn with students how to formulate computational solutions to problems and how to give and receive actionable feedback. Click below to view a folder with the files.
5.4. Creativity and Design (Designer)
Computational thinking skills can empower students to create computational artifacts that allow for personal expression. Educators recognize that design and creativity can encourage a growth mindset and work to create meaningful CS learning experiences and environments that inspire students to build their skills and confidence around computing in ways that reflect their interests and experiences.
While the unit plan that was developed in standard 5.2 illustrates equitable instruction, the single lesson from that unit that I fully developed illustrates the power of creativity and design in promoting engaging computational thinking activities. This lesson uses guides from the Machine Learning for Kids website to enable students to work directly with real machine learning technology (powered by the Watson supercomputer through an API) to collect and analyze data and produce a working Tic-Tac-Toe game that teaches itself to win. This fun activity facilitates a learning environment that is highly engaging and creative. Click below to view the lesson documents.
5.5. Integrating Computational Thinking (Facilitator)
Educators facilitate learning by integrating computational thinking practices into the classroom. Since computational thinking is a foundational skill, educators develop every student's ability to recognize opportunities to apply computational thinking in their environment.
This capstone project for the Computer Science Education graduate certificate at the College of St. Scholastica was of sufficient size and scope that I like to consider it my equivalent of a Master's thesis. In this work, I have synthesized my knowledge and research about computational thinking, computer science, and other ICT curricular areas. After an overview of my context, I lay out a research-based rationale for the inclusion of each of these areas of study in the curriculum, and I follow up with suggested learning targets, learning materials, and teaching methods that are equitable and in some cases cross-curricular. Click below to view a folder that contains an overview presentation, research base, and the resultant scope and sequence document.
