Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 1 What is Computational Thinking?

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 2 What is Computational Thinking? l Potter Stewart, 1984, Jacobellis v Ohio  I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description of [computational thinking]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it,

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 3 l Ladder from ‘white’ to ‘house’  White, while, whale, shale, … l I can do that… optimally  My brother was an English major  My ladder is 16, his is 15, how? l The key is sough  Voila, 14 words! l Guarantee optimality! A Computational Thinking Story

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 4 Where do we look for ideas? l Newton  “If I have seen farther than others …” l Parnas  “the wheel is reinvented so often because …” l Polya  “The preparation of high school mathematics teachers is …” l Santayana  “Those who cannot remember the past…”

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 5 Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 6 Changing Minds, Andy diSessa l Outside of schools, a computational literacy will allow civilization to think and do things that will be new to us in the same way that the modern literate society would be almost incomprehensible to preliterate cultures. l..by computational literacy I do not mean a casual familiarity with a machine that computes…

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 7 WWNPD? l Confronted with a student who is bored with the real world, I don’t think we can get away so easily by making available a virtual-reality physics lab. l..the classroom is intended to tame the ego, to connect the individual with others, to demonstrate the value and necessity of group cohesion [unlike, e.g., some uses of technology]

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 8 Finding Computational Thinking l If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Dorothy to the Tinman

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 9 Computational Thinking l Leverages the power of computing  Processes lots of data  Accessible to lots of people  Not just about metaphors, but about facilitating doing things: Computational Doing l New ways of looking at old things  How do we look at data?  State of the Union page: Internet’s Minard?

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 10 Tufte: best graphic ever

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 11

Computational Thinking/Bridging into Education 12 Issues in getting CT in classrooms l Where does it go?  Computer science? Mathematics? …  Differences in high school and colleges?  National and local considerations l How do we get it there?  Who are the right people to talk to?  What do we need when we start a dialog?  What are the plans for doing this?