"Computational thinking is happening in many classrooms already, likely by many other names. Computational thinking is intricately linked with critical thinking, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning, and project-based learning." (Sheldon, 2017) It is stressed that our students need to develop critical thinking skills on a daily basis. I agree with this 100%. However, sometimes I feel that some teachers and administrators think that the only way to develop these critical thinking (computational thinking) skills is to put a complex test question in front of students. When in fact, students need to be manipulating, researching, decomposing, recognizing patterns, collaborating, designing, and building. Yes, students need these same skills to solve those elaborate tested Math problems, but it's more than that. They need to learn how to solve problems critically in real world situations. For example, In my second grade class, students recently completed a cross-curricular project (Math, Writing, Social Studies) where they were required to be a producer and a consumer. Students designed and created a product to sell to their peers. Students were given a set amount of money to purchase items from the class store to build their product. They had to calculate the time it took them to make their product and add labor into the cost. There goal was to see who could make the most profit from their product. This project allowed students to use every step in computational thinking. After designing their product, they had to decompose it to decide what materials they needed to make it. They had to calculate the cost of materials plus labor. They had to recognize mathematical patterns. They had to first think about the function and cost of their product before they worried about the colors or accessories. When encountering problems with development, they had to stop and find a solution. Students also wrote a description of how to make their product, so that others could recreate it. When they completed their project, they filmed Flipgrid videos as commercials for their products and then sold their items to their peers. This project was so much more meaningful to students than completing a complicated math problem on paper. Students were able to have choice, ownership, and voice within an authentic activity while using computational thinking skills.
When used with technology, computational thinking addresses several of the student ISTE Standards. Specifically, ISTE Standards 5a - 5d, Computational Thinking: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions. Resources: International Society for Technology in Education. (2019). ISTE Standards for STUDENTS. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students Sheldon, E. (2017). Computational Thinking Across the Curriculum. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/computational-thinking-across-the-curriculum-eli-sheldon
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Teaching using a digital age learning approach changes the role of the educator in the classroom. No longer does the educator stand in front of the class and preach at students. Technology today allows students to take control of their learning and take ownership of it. The role of the teacher is a facilitator of learning. The educator allows for students to have choice, ownership, voice, while making learning authentic to students. To me Michelle Berkeley explained it perfectly in her article The Role of the Teacher in High Quality PBL, "Teachers must: Be able to provide support, empathy and inspiration, Facilitate thinking, growth and engagement, Generate classroom activities based off of understanding students, Feel safe to experiment and free from strict time constraints."
When applying the ISTE Standards, an educator must use data to drive their instruction and design and facilitate lessons that create autonomous learners. Educators must be leaders and seek out new digital resources. We must model and teach digital citizenship. Collaboration is also key to successful implementation of the ISTE Standards. Educators must collaborate with their peers and also students. Collaborating with students gives them a sense of ownership and importance. I have made several changes to my learning environment over the past couple of years. I was selected to move into a new classroom designed with flexible seating, 1:1 devices, and a large flat screen television instead of an overhead projector. My students have the choice to sit on bean bags, at desks, tables, wobble stools, or on the floor. I do not assign seating in my class. Students are allowed to sit where they choose. I have recently begin using Google Classroom with my students. I post most of their work into Google Classroom. This has helped them to be self-directed and motivated. I have also used a checklist with students. The checklist includes activities, learning videos, readings, etc. that must be completed by the end of the week. Sometimes in a certain order and sometimes not. Students are able to choose which order to complete the activities, as long as they are completed by the end of the week. Most activities are digital using Book Creator, Google Slides, Google Forms, Readworks.org. and EPIC. Resource Berkeley, M. (2017, June 20). The Role of the Teacher in High-Quality PBL. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/04/role-teacher-student-centered-learning/ Crompton, H. (2017). ISTE standards for educators: A guide for teachers and other professionals. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education. I am not sure that I have ever thought about how students are losing the ability to show empathy as a digital citizen. This is something that surprised me during my learning. “Educators and parents need to become more aware of the empathy gap and find ways to counteract it when teaching students about digital citizenship”(Krueger, 2014). Digital citizens should show respect and kindness to their audience. This needs to start at home and in the classroom. Teachers must teach empathy face-to-face before students can show empathy online.
It is important that students at a young age learn how to be a good digital citizen. By teaching these Application Activities in my second grade classroom, students will learn at a young age how to have good online behavior and how to respect and follow user agreements and copyright laws. My students will learn how to share their work appropriately online and how to locate and use other’s creative online work. These Application Activities will allow me as a teacher become a better Digital Agent by implementing a plan to teach my students about proper digital citizenship. By teaching my students proper digital citizenship, they will be able to respond and create online content that is empathetic to their audience, which can in turn promote change if needed. As students grow into proper digital citizens, they can promote change in their online communities. With proper digital citizenship others are more likely to appreciate their online contributions. By teaching students how to be an empathetic digital citizen, they become Digital Interactors. This will also teach them how to collaborate with others online. Students must know how to properly communicate with their peers and adults when collaborating online. Teaching empathy does that. They learn how to make appropriate online contributions with respect and kindness. By teaching my students about licensing and copyright laws, they learn what online content can be shared or used and what cannot. This promotes Digital Self. Not only do students learn about intellectual property, but they will also learn how to protect themselves while online. Students must learn that once they put something online, it is there forever. That means they need to be aware of what that means for their future and their Digital Self. Resources Krueger, N. (2014, October 20). 3 strategies for using empathy as an antidote to cyberbullying. Retrieved January 22, 2019, from https://www.iste.org/explore/articledetail?articleid=188 Team ISTE. (2017, October 12). The New Digital Citizenship: Empower Proactive Digital Learners [Classroom poster]. Retrieved January 22, 2019, from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=1083&fbclid=IwAR2oIYhMRGFf-ucfoG9p1DrSEv83NThzl2Lzn1mObUncrChmnvQZ6EalQx8 Through my ISTE Certification program, I have learned about Creative Commons. A website providing free copyright licensing for people to share their creative work with conditions of their choice. This creates an environment for legally sharing content and knowledge with others. Creative Commons can be used to locate content to be used or to license and share your own work.
This site would be a great resource for my second grade students, when creating online. It is a place where my students can go to research free online content without worry of infringing copyright laws. My students can also learn how to legally share their work. My students frequently create work using Book Creator. They could now publish their creations in Book Creator to share with others by using Creative Commons to allow others to use and build upon their work. This would allow me to teach my students about copyright laws when publishing work and have them learn how to correctly and ethically share and use online content. ISTE Standard: Digital Agent, Citizen 3c.: Mentor students in safe, legal and ethical practices with digital tools and the protection of intellectual rights and property. Resource: Creative Commons (2019) What We Do retrieved from https://creativecommons.org/about/ |
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