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Some of the following content is adapted from a Computational Thinking Canvas course by McKay Perkins. The course is currently under development and not yet public.

What is Computational Thinking?

For a quick introduction to Computational Thinking, please watch the video below:

Google defines Computational Thinking as follows:

Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem solving process that includes a number of characteristics and dispositions. CT is essential to the development of computer applications, but it can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including the humanities, math, and science. Students who learn CT across the curriculum can begin to see a relationship between academic subjects, as well as between life inside and outside of the classroom. [Some elements of CT include]

Decomposition: Breaking down data, processes, or problems into smaller, manageable parts

Pattern Recognition: Observing patterns, trends, and regularities in data

Abstraction: Identifying the general principles that generate these patterns

Algorithm Design: Developing the step by step instructions for solving this and similar problems

What is Coding?

The steps of decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithm design could, of course, be taught in many different ways across many different subjects. But one of the most common and effective methods to do so is by teaching coding. To code is to write lines of code for a computer program. Watch this video for a little deeper understanding.

Why Teach Computational Thinking and Coding?

Many believe that computational thinking and coding should be standard curriculum in our schools. Watch this video and review the reflection questions below to better understand some of those reasons.

Reflection Questions:

What arguments for teaching computational thinking and coding were either directly or indirectly expressed in these videos?
What arguments for teaching coding, if any, are most convincing to you as a future teacher?

How to Teach Computational Thinking and Coding

By this point, you’re probably thinking, “That’s all well and good, but how can I teach kids how to code?”

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It’s unlikely that you studied computational thinking in school, and it’s even more unlikely that you have an extensive background in computer programming.

The good news is that you don’t have to have to be a coding whiz to help students learn these concepts. Teaching Computational Thinking is really teaching critical thinking, and chances are, you’re a pretty good critical thinker already. Computational thinking simply gives you a framework to organize that teaching as well as to improve your own critical thinking skills.

Since coding can be a fantastic vehicle for teaching CT skills, it’s also a great idea to get a little experience with coding and the wealth of resources available to help teachers teach their students how to code. For the purposes of this introductory unit, you will need to understand three basic terms in the world of coding, and you will need to know some of the places to go to get resources for teaching CT and coding in your future classes. You will then be equipped to complete the Level I coding badge, which will be your project for this unit.

Coding Basics: Functions, Loops, and Conditionals

In order to complete the assignment for this unit, you will need to understand three basic terms, so that you can recognize when your student (in this case, yourself) has completed lessons in relation to that topic. These three terms are functions, loops, and conditionals.

Please review the following definitions, adapted from the code.org glossary, and watch the short (<2 min.) embedded videos below to better understand each of these fundamental terms. The videos will also allow you to start becoming familiar with block-based coding languages, which are common for several introductory coding programs.

Function. A piece of code that you can easily [use] over and over again. Functions are sometimes called ‘procedures.’

Note: For the purposes of this assignment, you will not necessarily need to define new functions, but you will be ‘calling’ or using predefined functions.

Loops. The action of doing something over and over again.

Conditionals. Statements that only run under certain conditions or situations.

Resources to Get Started

This section lists several resources to get you started on your coding journey, and the project for this unit is designed to help you explore at least one of these resources in greater depth so that you can understand how it can best meet your needs as a teacher, as well as those of the students you will soon serve.

The following list is not exhaustive, nor is it intended to be. Rather, these links function as an entry point into the world of teaching code and computational thinking. Please visit each of the sites below to become familiar with them and know how to find more resources. You may even want to bookmark them for later use as a teacher! (For a spreadsheet summary of the following information, visit this link).

Code.org is one of the best go-to resources for teachers interested in helping their students learn computational thinking and coding concepts. Go to code.org/learn to dive into the increasingly popular Hour of Code lessons, which feature coding games themed with kids’ pop culture (e.g., Moana, Frozen, Minecraft, Star Wars). Check out this link to see ideas for unplugged activities. Or, visit this link to learn about dozens of other coding resources.

Code Studio, a subdomain of Code.org, allows you to set up a classroom and assign a series of FREE lessons to your students, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade level. Logins for younger students are simply their names and a secret picture, so they don’t have to provide emails, last names, or private information. Logins for olders students may be more traditional. You can also explore and compare third party educator resources that similarly allow you to assign lessons to a classroom of students, although sometimes for a fee.

Kodable is another great resource that teaches basic programming skills to students through games. Like Code Studio, you can set up a classroom (with appropriate logins for younger students) and assign lessons to students. Several introductory lessons are free, but you do hit a pay wall after a few lessons. Kodable is also available as an iPad app.

Dash and Dot. Created by Wonder Workshop, Dash and Dot are innovative, interactive, programmable robots that connect via Bluetooth to any mobile device. Just download one of several free programs (the robots do cost money), and send your kids on quests to get the robot to move, shake, talk, and lots of other tasks. They are a great way to help kids see programming at work in a tangible, concrete way.

Scratch. Created as a FREE TOOL by researchers at MIT, Scratch introduces kids to a versatile, block-based programming language (similar to that used by Code.org), which they can use to create stories, games, interactive greeting cards, and just about whatever they can imagine. Teachers can request account pages to manage students accounts, projects, and assignments, or join ScratchEd, a professional learning community focused around teaching with Scratch.

Scratch, Jr. Very similar to Scratch, but for younger kids, Scratch, Jr. is a FREE iPad app that allows kids to learn coding and computational thinking concepts by just dragging and dropping.

CS Unplugged. This website focuses on enabling teachers to teach concepts of computer science, computational thinking, and computer programming in classrooms without computer access. It contains lots of videos, a free book download, and over 20 activities to use in the unplugged classroom.

Computational Thinking for Educators. An online course created by Google, focused on integrating computational thinking concepts into Humanities, Math, and Science.