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ERIC Number: EJ1172571
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Mar
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8555
EISSN: N/A
Boom. Bust. Build.
Kite, Vance; Park, Soonhye
Science Teacher, v85 n3 p22-28 Mar 2018
In 2006 Jeanette Wing, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, proposed computational thinking (CT) as a literacy just as important as reading, writing, and mathematics. Wing defined CT as a set of skills and strategies computer scientists use to solve complex, computational problems (Wing 2006). The computer science and education research communities, along with the authors of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013; see box, p. 28), agree that CT is essential for students' successful participation in today's economy To help teachers incorporate CT into their classrooms, David Weintrop and his colleagues (2016) proposed the Computational Thinking in Mathematics and Science Taxonomy (Figure 1). In an effort to move CT beyond the computer lab and into the mathematics and science classrooms, their framework proposes 22 CT practices divided into four categories. This article describes a project that incorporates many of the practices outlined in their broad view of computational thinking. The Boom. Bust. Build. project employs a project-based learning (PBL) approach (Krajcik and Blumenfeld 2006) to teach computational thinking and NGSS-aligned environmental science concepts through redevelopment of a fictional city. The project is student-centered, collaborative, authentic, includes student choice and autonomy, and could be made interdisciplinary through collaboration with civics and economics classes (Knoll 1997). Furthermore, teachers serve as facilitators and guides rather than driving the process.
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: Support Staff
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A