1. A Digital Age Skill for All Joe Kmoch Milwaukee Washington HS of IT joe@jkmoch.com For WI Math Council, May 2012 was: CT: An Important Idea for All Students: New Planning and Curriculum Resources

2. I am working on computational thinking issues. I want to learn more about computational thinking. I’m not sure about computational thinking. Who is in the audience?

3. Critical Thinking + Computing Power = Making Decisions or Innovating Solutions (Think “Create, Produce, Manipulate”) What is CT?

4. The core principles of Computer Science are the basis for Computational Thinking. CT is the use of CS principles in problem domains What is CT?

5. A Digital Age Skill for Everyone A Digital Age Skill for Everyone Why CT? Why Now?

6. The number of computer science graduates declined 70% since the peak in 2001 Thru 2020: Projected job openings ~1.4m Projected pipeline ~450k There is a need to fill the skills gap to keep up with technology innovation To maintain global economic competitiveness and national security Why has the NSF Prioritized CT?

7. To accomplish the following goals: Prepare young learners to become computational thinkers who understand how to use today’s digital tools to help solve tomorrow’s problems. Help teachers envision the potential of CT across all disciplines and be willing to integrate CT in the classroom. Why has CSTA and ISTE Prioritized CT?

8. The knowledge and skills that students need to know and be able to do by the time they graduate from secondary school. CT for All Students

9. The CT Student

10. CT for All Teachers All teachers are responsible for teaching skills, practice, and assessment of CT.

11. CT for All Teachers Most teachers already incorporate CT basics, but may not know it.

12. CT for All Teachers CT has a shared vocabulary that can be highlighted in lessons from every discipline.

13. CT for All Teachers CT is made up of foundational building blocks of concepts, skills, and dispositions that get more sophisticated as students get older.

14. CT for All Teachers CT doesn’t necessarily require computers.

15. CT Operational Definition

16. CT is a problem-solving process that includes (but is not limited to) the following characteristics: Formulating problems in a way that enables us to use a computer and other tools to help solve them Logically organizing and analyzing data Representing data through abstractions such as models and simulations CT Operational Definition

17. Automating solutions through algorithmic thinking Identifying, analyzing, and implementing possible solutions with the goal of achieving the most efficient and effective combination of steps and resources Generalizing and transferring this problem-solving process to a wide variety of problems CT Operational Definition CT characteristics (cont.):

18. Dispositions or attitudes that are essential dimensions of CT: Confidence in dealing with complexity Persistence in working with difficult problems Tolerance for ambiguity CT Operational Definition

19. Dispositions or attitudes that are essential dimensions of CT (cont.): The ability to deal with open-ended problems The ability to communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal or solution CT Operational Definition

20. Computational Thinking is The marriage of –the big ideas in computer science (such as abstraction, algorithms, modeling, problem decomposition) –With problems and big ideas in most other subject matter domains CT Operational Definition

21. CT Building Blocks

22. Elementary school Data collection Algorithms and procedures CT in the Classroom

23. Middle school Problem decomposition CT in the Classroom

24. High school Abstraction CT in the Classroom

25. CT Learning Experiences

32. CCSC: Standards for Mathematical Practice 1.Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them 2.Reason abstractly and quantitatively 3.Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others 4.Model with mathematics 5.Use appropriate tools strategically 6.Attend to precision 7.Look for and make use of structure 8.Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning <http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics/introduction/standards-for- mathematical-practice/

33. CCSC: Standards for Mathematical Content High School: Modeling Modeling Standards Modeling is best interpreted not as a collection of isolated topics but rather in relation to other standards. Making mathematical models is a Standard for Mathematical Practice, and specific modeling standards appear throughout the high school standards indicated by a star symbol ( ★ ). <http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics/high-school- modeling/introduction/

34. CT Statement #1 CT is a key interdisciplinary component in preparing students to be successful in a globally competitive workforce. If students are going to be successful in postsecondary education and compete for and win jobs, they must have the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that CT provides (Wagner). From ISTE CT Website, Computational Leadership Toolkit (8/22/11), p 42 Tony Wagner, Innovation Education Fellow, Technology and Entrepreneurship Center, Harvard U

35. CT Statement #2 CT is a critical enabling skill that will raise the level of achievement for all students, especially those who are traditionally marginalized. Successful students must be able to connect and apply academic content to real-world situations, and CT provides a framework for that learning connection (Marzano). From ISTE CT Website, Computational Leadership Toolkit (8/22/11), p 42 Robert J Marzano, Marzano Research Laboratory

36. CT Statement #3 CT is already a learning strategy in many classrooms and lessons today. However, we need to more closely examine the uses of CT and identify and expand student and teacher awareness about its impact and power. This means we probably do not have to expend large sums of money. We just need to recognize and align CT strategies to current practices. From ISTE CT Website, Computational Leadership Toolkit (8/22/11), p 42

37. NSF CE21 Wisconsin proposal PUMP-CS to increase CS and develop CT in WI (NSF description mentions CT prominently) CSTA K-12 CS Standards, 3 rd ed (CT is a major focus of these new standards) New AP Computer Science Principles and Exploring CS Curricula – CT plays a major role CT is gaining traction!

38. Consuming content and parroting procedures is 19 th and 20 th Century 21 st Century Education is about process, about learning tools and skills to remake content, create new learning and solve problems (think creators, producers) Not about just formal education in school but also about informal education – 24 hour learning – the network CT promotes 21 st Century Learning Re-Imagining Learning in the 21 st Century: MacArthur Foundation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_U6jOKsG4&feature=relmfu Rethinking Learning: The 21 st Century Learner: MacArthur Foundation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0xa98cy-Rw&feature=relmfu

39. Contextual Multidisciplinary Project-based and inquiry based Looking deeply at a problem Using abstraction + algorithms + analysis + bringing to bear any number of tools + possibly automation/computing CT Features

40. CT isn’t necessarily useful for all problems...but for many of our largest problems involving sciences, environment, social studies for example where large datasets abound and modeling and simulation techniques are useful CT for our larger problems

41. Technology Review (June 2012) 10 Emerging Technologies – among them: Egg Stem Cells Ultra-Efficient Solar Light-field Photography Solar Microgrids 3-D Transistors A Faster Fourier Transformation Nanopore Sequencing CT in Emerging Technologies

42. Develop an understanding of CT Highlight CT vocabulary, skills, and dispositions in your lessons Extend current activities and lessons with CT Engage and share with others who are new to CT Teachers Take Action!

43. Use the CT Leadership Toolkit Make a CT presentation to your colleagues or at a conference Connect CT to school improvement efforts Support teachers who want to learn more about CT School Leaders Take Action!

44. Provide feedback on the session, the effectiveness of resources, and the kinds of the resources you’d like to see developed Take the Understanding Computational Thinking survey: Online: www.iste.org/CT-Surveywww.iste.org/CT-Survey By Paper Take Action Now!

45. CT Teacher Resources and CT Leadership Toolkit For free download at www.iste.org/computational-thinkingwww.iste.org/computational-thinking Coming Soon! CT database for links to research and other teacher resources. CT Resources

46. For more information, contact: computational-thinking@iste.org Or http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CompThinking.html www.iste.org/computational-thinking Joe’s site: http://computationalthinking.pbworks.comhttp://computationalthinking.pbworks.com Thank you!