Computational thinking is a set of skills that a student and educator can utilize to break down problems into manageable steps in order to fully explore possibilities and create solutions. Computational thinking is a great resource when thinking creatively. I would like to explore possible uses for computational thinking in the classroom. One skill in computational thinking is decomposition. Decomposition is the breaking down of a problem into smaller more manageable parts. One use of decomposition could be for an educator in an Elementary classroom to break down individual sounds in a word in order teach students to learn how to read it. When the educator utilizes decomposition in this way, and teaches their students to do so also, students learn to read larger and larger words building from smaller building blocks of sounds. An educator can teach students to use abstraction, the taking out of unnecessary bits of information, when teaching story problems. Students can learn to remove the outlining information and focus on the Math, English, or Social Studies questions that are being addressed. Abstraction is also necessary in the teaching of Digital Literacy by teaching students to find the important, relevant, verifiable information relating to a topic and discard that which is biased, unimportant, or unverified. A teacher can teach students the computational thinking skill of pattern recognition by teaching students to recognize that certain combinations of letters make certain sounds when together in a word.
When creating my Online Lesson Project, one of the objectives is for students to develop the ability to analyze the characteristics of an animal and based upon those characteristics, accurately categorize the animal families it belongs to. Part of the lesson is to teach students to use pattern recognition, one aspect of computational thinking, to recognize the patterns between different animal families, and the distinguishing characteristics. Students will then be able to recognize the characteristics that are similar across all animal families and use abstraction to eliminate unnecessary information. Students will then use algorithmic design when creating their final project. By determining which steps need to be performed first, second, and so on, students will create their project. Computational thinking is a great way for teachers to teach building blocks for all other learning. Computational thinking can be applied within all fields of education, by teaching students techniques for addressing questions that don’t have ready solutions. This encourages creative problem-solving skills and for students to incorporate these techniques when faced with any number of different challenges. Computational thinking can also be used when teaching computer science in education. Computer science is an ever-growing need for workers in our country. The teaching of computer science within education is important due to the increasing use of computers, programming, and robotics being incorporated into work environments. As work environments incorporate new technology, the developing workforce, students of today, will face new challenges that other generations did not. As educators, it is necessary to equip students with the skills necessary to navigate these changes. By being taught computer science, students will be better equipped for the work environments they will be working in. When learning about educational robotics, I was struck by the many different uses that the robotics afforded. One such resource was the Bee-bot which can be programmed to move according to coding. The Bee-bot could be used for a number of different learning or assessment activities. One such activity for a formative assessment would be to use the Bee-bot to conduct a spelling bee, providing a visual/tactile hands-on review with students for spelling words. This could be conducted using an Alphabet mat designed for the Bee-bot. The Bee-bot could also be used with a mat of numbers to teach Math concepts, and conduct checks on student learning. Different robotics afford different opportunities for education, these are simply a few opportunities that could be utilized using one type of robotic in the classroom. Robots can be used in any number of different ways, limited only by the imagination of the individual using them. Educational robots can be very beneficial by providing hands-on learning activities. Educational robots can be helpful to enhance student learning and to engage students with the content. The only down-side that is apparent to the use of such in the classroom, would be possible distraction from the material to be covered in the interest elicited by the robot itself. The use of computational thinking, computer science, and robotics within the classroom is an asset to the learning process. Students are able to engage with material in new ways, learn to process challenges creatively, and are actively being prepared for the use of technology in developing work environments. These fields are ever-evolving as new technology develops and as educators it is important to have proficiency in order to best support students in their learning journeys.
1 Comment
Lauren Haraburda
10/30/2022 12:05:41 pm
Katrina, I think you have done a really nice job on designing yoir blog post. You include a ton of information and I feel you sounded professional throughout your entire post. I think your images of your lesson are a really nice addition to proivde a visual represenation for what you are describing and make it easier to read as it breaks up your text paragraph. Overall, I really like your information about how you are designing and reseraching, and I really like your intoduction on your blog post.
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AuthorHello, I am Katrina Stancombe, a senior at Indiana University finishing up an Elementary Education Degree with an additional license in Blended and Online Learning. Archives
December 2022
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