Computational thinking is a great way to define the tools students need to keep pace with the tech revolution. I really appreciated the discussions on applications of computer science skills including algorithmic thinking, decomposition, abstraction and pattern recognition that Sheldon (2017) delved into.
I also really appreciated Snelling’s (2018) description of coding as a literacy and the huge role that librarians play in developing the competencies needed to be literate in computer science and essentially problem solving. So much of technology changes so quickly but the problem solving that goes into the development of technology is the same methods applied to different challenges.
I did two activities for my hour of code experience. The first was basic HTML coding for an artist’s shop website. I read a little bit about Betsy Lam, creator of Threadless, whose love of art, science, and math landed her in web development after she pursued a Masters in Fine Arts and built her own website. I then played around with simple commands needed to build a webpage and feature products with images and prices and action buttons. It was kind of interesting to see the bones of how websites are made but also kind of boring because so many programs (wix, weebly, etc.) have taken all the nitty gritty coding work out of website design for many people.
My second activity was to make a dog named Karel move around his “world” and plant or pick up tennis balls using block code. It was fun to play around with the inputs and outputs (as described in the code.org youtube video by Limor) and see the dog follow my commands.
I can see how students would enjoy the puzzle that these activities present and the many problem solving skills involved in coding and computational thinking that would allow them to approach the new challenges in the world with confidence. I’m excited to learn more about promoting and fostering computational thinking in the learning experiences of students.
References:
Code.org (2018, January 30). How computers work: Circuits and logic. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoqMiFKspAA&list=PLzdnOPI1iJNcsRwJhvksEo1tJqjIqWbN-&index=4
Sheldon, E. (2017, March 30). Computational thinking across the curriculum. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/computational-thinking-across-the-curriculum-eli-sheldon.
Snelling, J. (2018, April 03). Don’t stress about coding: Focus shifts to teaching problem solving not computer skills. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=dont-stress-coding-focus-shifts-teaching-problem-solving-not-computer-skills
I agree the technology changes so quickly but the process of problem solving that goes into developing will still be the same process or concept and it is these skills that can be used again no matter if the technology has upgraded. Also learning the problem solving skills are invaluable in all areas of life.