Learning with Technology

As our technologies have rapidly developed and manipulating those technologies has emerged as a key college- and career-ready skill, teaching students how to program, question, and manipulate digital devices has become commonplace in our schools. But coding is the application of learning. Before students can effectively perform these tasks, they must understand the concepts behind that application.

Computational Thinking is the prerequisite skill for understanding the technologies of the future. It is a thought process, rather than a specific body of knowledge about a device or language. Computational thinking is often associated with computers and coding, but it is important to note that it can be taught without a device.

For that reason, computational thinking can be a part of any classroom, including the classrooms of our youngest learners in the primary grades. And, I would argue, it is quickly becoming a necessary foundational skill for students. By explicitly teaching, and allowing space for the development of, computational thinking, teachers can ensure that their young students are learning to think in a way that will allow them to access and understand their digital world. Teaching computational thinking, in short, primes students for future success. Furthermore, it can be integrated into existing routines and curricula.

Via John Evans

CT and math reasoning
Most coding environments allow teachers to see the student’s code thereby providing a “behind the scenes” look into the thinking that took place to solve the problem. As Marilyn Burns (2005) suggests in Looking at How Students Reason, this visible thinking is important not only when the student’s answer is wrong, but also when it is correct!  When I ask students to explain their code, I feel I am getting insight into their thinking – they explain their approach to me and I can then make sense of their reasoning. This helps me to identify and address misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Geometry example: Next time you have students coding shapes to demonstrate their understanding of geometric properties, ask them to explain their code – you’ll most certainly hear key math terms and ideas expressed as well as be able to identify and prescribe next steps, adjusting your lesson accordingly.  After all, as Burns suggests “continual evaluation of instructional choices is at the heart of improving our teaching practice” (2005).

Via John Evans