Leveraging Thought Leadership for Computational Thinking in the K-12 Curriculum--Phase II

International Society For Technology In Education, Arlington VA

Investigators

Abstract

Leveraging Thought Leadership For Computational Thinking in the K-12 Curriculum Phase II Submitted by ISTE and CSTA Project Summary The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) are seeking support from the National Science Foundation for Phase II of a project to develop common language surrounding computational thinking and strategies for integrating computational thinking within K-12 education. Project participants will articulate the challenges and opportunities for integrating computational thinking throughout K-12 education and create pathways for bringing computational thinking into the mainstream. This proposal provides evidence of the pressing need for consensus and unified effort around key definitions, concepts, and strategies for implementing computational thinking into K-12 classrooms. In the first phase, we convened a small Steering Committee to plan the steps needed to accomplish our goal. Phase II of this project will include a meeting of thought leaders charged with building a shared understanding of computational thinking and prioritizing the strategies and resources that need to be developed to implement computational thinking in K-12 education. This will be followed by a workshop of practitioners and leaders who will begin drafting the resources required to bring about real and sustained changes to K-12 education. A Leadership Work Group will be responsible for taking the preliminary resources developed at the workshop and expand, enhance, and refine them for digital and print publication. Intellectual Merit: Jeannette Wing published a germinal paper (Wing, 2006) where she posited that computational thinking encompasses a diverse set of skills that enable us to systematically and efficiently process information and solve complex problems. Grounded in the core activities of problem definition, abstractions, and solution development, Wing further argued that computational thinking could be directly applied, not just to computer science problems, but to the problems in virtually any discipline or field of human engagement. This project will seek to contribute to the advancement of computational thinking throughout K-12 education through the following strategies: -Developing a better understanding of computational thinking through creating a shared working definition of "computational thinking" as it applies across disciplines K-12. - Strengthen the teaching of computational thinking skills in K-12 education through supporting the development and dissemination of classroom resources such as model curriculum and assessments. - Create broad scale dissemination of examples of computational thinking across the curriculum through working collaboratively with subject area specialists across the disciplines. Broader Impact: The drive to embed computational thinking concepts across disciplines and subject areas will require the entire education community to grapple with core issues relating to developing precise and yet generalized definitions of concepts and practices. To achieve this, we must move beyond the limitations of our individual disciplines to a more cohesive and shared understanding of the ways in which computation underlies all problem definition and solution and improve our understanding of the ways in which computational thinking can enrich understanding and practice. This project will therefore address the pressing need to create a more inclusive language to facilitate the identification and sharing of key concepts, challenges, strategies, and best practices and provide a mechanism for convening the larger community in the implementation of these powerful concepts and ideas across K-12 education.