Greetings!
This week in ITEC, the focus was about computational thinking, including virtual reality and how educators can unite this concept into our classrooms.
After reading articles and watching videos, I learned a lot about how to implement computer science into my lesson plans. I learned that teachers can weave computational thinking strategies into subjects, such as social studies by using Google Glass to provide students with the opportunity to explore places from far away lands.
So, what is computational thinking? “In her book Coding as a Playground, Marina Umaschi Bers explained: “The notion of computational thinking encompasses a broad set of analytic and problem-solving skills, dispositions, habits, and approaches most often used in computer science, but that can serve everyone.” https://www.gettingsmart.com/2018/03/computational-thinking-elementary-classroom/
Put more simply, computational thinking is the process of explaining an answer using an algorithm, or a step-by-step process.
It is crucial for educators to use new technology in the classroom to provide students with updated information and also systems that are available.
Below I am adding links to some of the best articles and videos I came across, while researching and learning about computational thinking and how it can be implemented into the classroom.
Enjoy!
https://edu.google.com/resources/programs/exploring-computational-thinking/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ_whw6oSv4
https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/expeditions
https://educators.brainpop.com/bp-jr-topic/computational-thinking/
https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/augmented-reality-smart-glasses/
Tech Teacher Life 