Computational Thinking!

Hello Fellow Group Members,

This week, I read the article entitled, “Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill for Everyone,” by David Barr, John Harrison, and Leslie Conery.  According to the article, a lady named Jeanette Wing said that computational thinking (CT) is, “a way of ‘solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior by drawing on the concepts fundamental to computer science.’”   She argued that everyone, including children, can benefit from CT, not just computer scientists.  Her statement became very controversial and many people suggested altered versions of Wing’s original definition of CT, but none of them were universally accepted.  In 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF), funded a project in hopes of making CT accessible in Pre K through 12 classrooms.  NSF joined ISTE and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), in order to come up with an, “operational definition, a shared vocabulary, and relevant, age-appropriate examples of computational thinking tied to current educational objectives and classroom practices.”  The members of ISTE and CSTA who were working on the project stated that computational thinking, “differs from critical thinking or mathematical thinking because it is a unique combination of thinking skills that, when used together, provide the basis of a new and powerful form of problem solving.”  They also stated that CT is “more tool oriented” and that it, “makes use of familiar problem-solving skills such as trial and error, iteration, and even guessing in contexts where they were previously impractical but which are now possible because they can be automated and implemented at much higher speeds.”  CT plays a crucial role in today’s society because technology, now, more than ever, has changed the way that people operate in their personal and professional lives.  Technology has the ability to expand our knowledge in unimaginable ways.  

The authors wrote this article in order to enlighten people on what computational thinking really is and how it can benefit society.  The article states that, “the long-term goal is to recommend ways that all students have the opportunity to learn these [computational thinking] skills and to ensure that they can be transferred to different problems and used in different contexts.”  Therefore, the main purpose of the article was to persuade people to agree to incorporate CT in Pre K through 12th grade curriculums so that all students can benefit from CT.  

I would incorporate CT into my future classroom because it seems like it would be very beneficial for my students to learn.  With technological tools on the rise, it seems only natural that my future students should acquire those specific skills.  One activity that I might do with my future class that would require CT skills would be to do a Scratch Activity.  They would have to create a story, which would follow a traditional story line with the introduction of characters, a conflict, and a solution.  The Students would have to add sound and animation.  They would acquire CT skills because they would be creating and controlling charters through technology and implementing possible conflicts and solutions for them. 

The article aligns with Net Standard 4: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making.  It fits with this standard because according to the article, students “plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project, and “collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.”

Overall, I think CT is a very valuable skill for students to learn and I support the article’s main point and conclusion, which is to incorporate CT skills in the Pre K through 12th grade Curriculum.  It will only benefit students to acquire these types of skills, especially with technology becoming bigger and more popular everyday.  The combination of technology, computational thinking, and our beautiful minds has the power to open a whole new world of knowledge and, in my opinion, endless possibilities!

The APA Referece to this Article is:

Barr, D., Harrison, J., & Conery, L. (2011, March/April). Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill For Everyone.   Leading and Learning with Technology, 38, 20-23, Retrieved March 1, 2012 from ISTE. org. http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/March-2011-Computational_Thinking-LL386.sflb.ashx 

See you all Tuesday :)

-Madison