Week 2 - Computational Thinking

The article from ISTE about Computational Thinking explains that it is a new concept that involves a large list of skills that would be taught and encouraged by including it in the general curriculum. It basically says that this "skill" is just as essential as math or writing skills. Since it is a fairly new idea, there are still research projects being conducted to find out more about what skills Computational Thinking would foster. It is supposedly very similar to mathematical or critical thinking but it utilizes computers and other digital tools for gathering information and analyzing it. Tools and resources are also being developed and discovered so that teachers who are receptive to the idea will be able to apply age-appropriate instruction of Computational Thinking to their classroom instruction. The article contains several examples of how it might be used in the classroom.

It sounds like a cool idea that I think many teachers have already tried to move toward (i.e., digitally connecting with the world, using the internet and computers more than just books and paper) but that hasn't been labeled until now. I think it would be great to include something like this in the general curriculum because it would force some reluctant teachers and districts to step into the 21st century. It also would help develop social skills because students would be working together in many opportunities. By making it part of the curriculum it would also ensure that students leave high school ready to enter a 21st century work force.

However, I can see a few downsides that we actually are currently experiencing at my school. One is that not every child does or will have access to the technology that would be required in their home. Two, students might develop a dependency on technology and not be able to problem solve or analyze data without it (which, you never know, could be necessary sometimes!). The other issue that may arise (this conversation actually came up over the weekend) deals with standardized testing. The issue may be that, if students are learning in this way but are still being tested by the state in the traditional way, will their performance be negatively affected? Or would it make any difference at all? So many factors and things to think about! Maybe it would be a better idea to try to implement this in the classroom more and keep "playing" with it for a while before it becomes a mandatory thing.