3749 Views (as of 05/2023)
  1. Heather Sherwood
  2. Research Associate
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. Education Development Center
  1. Cheri Fancsali
  2. https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/cheri-fancsali
  3. Deputy Director
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. Research Alliance for NYC Schools at NYU, New York University
  1. MAYA ISRAEL
  2. https://education.ufl.edu/faculty/israel-maya/
  3. Associate professor
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. University of Florida
  1. Babette Moeller
  2. http://www.edc.org/babette-moeller
  3. Distinguished Scholar
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. Education Development Center

Building CT Readiness: A Framework for Integrating Computational Thinking

NSF Awards: 1838523

2021 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades K-6, Grades 6-8

The Computational Thinking (CT) Integration Framework is a tool to assist school leaders and teachers in evaluating their readiness for and guiding the creation and implementation of a plan for integrating CT schoolwide. In this video, we walk through the CT Framework, highlighting its six categories and individual elements within each category that have been found to influence schoolwide CT integration. We also present examples of how educators use the Framework to help identify and think strategically about the factors that are likely to have an impact on their own CT integration efforts, and present potential starting places and pathways educators have taken when engaging in this effort. 

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Discussion from the 2021 STEM For All Video Showcase (14 posts)
  • Icon for: Heather Sherwood

    Heather Sherwood

    Lead Presenter
    Research Associate
    May 10, 2021 | 08:42 p.m.

    Hello and thank you for viewing our video! We are excited to share the Computational Thinking (CT) Integration Framework with you and look forward to your questions, discussion, and learning more about how others are thinking about integrating CT within core content areas. 

    Some questions we have about this work is:

    1. How are you integrating CT into your school/classroom?
    2. What have been some barriers or challenges you've face? 
    3. What were your indicators of success? 
    4. How are you measuring your progress? 
    5. How have you involved families and the broader school community in your CT integration efforts?
    6. What are some compelling examples of integration that you've seen? 

    Thank you for viewing our video and joining our discussion!

     

  • Icon for: Kimberly Elliott

    Kimberly Elliott

    May 11, 2021 | 04:20 p.m.

    Hello! I enjoyed this video, and I am wondering if the CT Integration Framework is widely available or will be available? Thank you!

  • Icon for: Babette Moeller

    Babette Moeller

    Co-Presenter
    Distinguished Scholar
    May 12, 2021 | 09:08 a.m.

    Thanks for you question, Kim! A draft version of the Framework is publicly available at the following link: https://go.edc.org/CTFramework

    As we wrap up our work on this project, we will still make further refinements. Any and all feedback on the tool would be welcome! A final version of the Framework will be available in Spring 2022.

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Kimberly Elliott
  • Icon for: NATHAN KIMBALL

    NATHAN KIMBALL

    Facilitator
    Curriculum Developer
    May 12, 2021 | 06:18 a.m.

    I'm fascinated to learn that you have a tool to help schools adopt CT teaching systemically. What a wonderful approach to realize that CT problem-solving touches many human endeavors and that schools could adopt that perspective. Was developing the CT Integration Framework part of this project, or is this project primarily focused on facilitating or documenting how curricular change occurs? Does the Framework provide guidance on how to make school-wide curricular change?

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Kimberly Elliott
    Heather Sherwood
  • Icon for: Babette Moeller

    Babette Moeller

    Co-Presenter
    Distinguished Scholar
    May 12, 2021 | 07:41 a.m.

    Thanks for your comments and questions, Nathan! The CT Integration Framework was developed as part of this and another project. NSF funding has allowed us to conduct multiple rounds of expert reviews with representatives from various stakeholder groups (including teachers, professional development providers, administrators, and researchers). We have used data from the expert reviews to refine the tool and to establish its construct validity. In addition, we have been able to pilot test the framework in school settings to examine its implementation and use and to collect preliminary data on its potential impact. The framework offers schools guideposts for things to consider as they plan for school-wide integration; it does not prescribe any particular strategies for doing so. It thus offers guidance to schools to develop plans that are responsive to their particular school community and local context.

     
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    Kimberly Elliott
  • Icon for: Aman Yadav

    Aman Yadav

    Facilitator
    Professor
    May 12, 2021 | 08:30 a.m.

    Looks like a great tool for schools to be intentional about CT integration. It looks like the focus is primarily on defining and implementing CT, but I was wondering how does the framework help teachers think about disciplinary integration. Do the teachers adapt the tool for their own grade level and subject area? How does the tool help teaches think about how CT enhances learning in those subjects?

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Victoria Lennon
    Kimberly Elliott
  • Icon for: Babette Moeller

    Babette Moeller

    Co-Presenter
    Distinguished Scholar
    May 12, 2021 | 09:23 a.m.

    Thank you for this great question, Aman. Our CT Integration planning tool is designed to spark discussion among members of a school community about what CT content and skills students need to learn, and how they can best address such learning within and across different subject areas. The tool guides teachers and administrators in thinking through the following key questions regarding curriculum integration:

    • How can they adapt existing lessons to incorporate CT?
    • How can they create new lessons to incorporate CT?
    • How can they adapt and differentiate lessons to help diverse learners achieve rigorous CT and content learning outcomes?

    The tool also sparks discussion among different members of the school community about where teaching and learning about specific CT concepts and skills best fits. In our experience, different schools may use different approaches. For instance, a school may decide that a CT concept such as decomposition is best taught in one subject area, such as mathematics. Another school may decide that it wants to incorporate learning about decomposition across multiple subject areas.

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Victoria Lennon
    Kimberly Elliott
  • Icon for: Shad Wachter

    Shad Wachter

    K-12 Teacher
    May 12, 2021 | 09:52 a.m.

    This looks like a fantastic tool.  In our district, the STEAM and Computer Science teachers meet several times each year to plan and implement our K-12 vertically aligned computational thinking pathway.  This tool would be great for us to take the next step in integrating CT into the other curricular areas.  Perhaps with he STEAM and CT teachers as facilitators, this can be presented to grade level and content area teachers.  The most difficult challenge I think we will face is buy-in with these teachers as they already have s much on their plates. I appreciate how you encourage them to "adapt existing lessons, then create new lessons, then adapt and differentiate to help diverse learners."  This scaffolded approach seems more manageable.  Thank you for this tool!

     
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    Kimberly Elliott
  • Icon for: Babette Moeller

    Babette Moeller

    Co-Presenter
    Distinguished Scholar
    May 12, 2021 | 10:15 a.m.

    Thanks for your comments, Shad! Please feel free to use and test the tool in your school. You can access it here: https://go.edc.org/CTFramework

    In fact, we are still recruiting schools to participate in our pilot test. Participation in the pilot test means that your school would receive additional support in using the tool (we would facilitate one or more planning workshops for you). Please email Heather (hsherwood@edc.org) or me (bmoeller@edc.org) directly if you are interested in this.

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Heather Sherwood
  • Jeremy Gubman

    K-12 Administrator
    May 13, 2021 | 09:51 p.m.

    WOW - what a powerful tool! CT is always so tricky because it's at its most powerful when it's leveraged across subject areas, but the school-wide coordination that requires can be really daunting. 

    I'm curious about the ideas you've heard from teachers in subject areas who might not see CT as relevant for them: how do PE teachers, or art teachers, or music teachers approach this framework?  Do you have thoughts on what strategies school teams might use to help bring in educators from those kinds of disciplines who might not see this kind of thing as "for" them?

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Cheri Fancsali
    Heather Sherwood
  • Icon for: Babette Moeller

    Babette Moeller

    Co-Presenter
    Distinguished Scholar
    May 14, 2021 | 06:58 a.m.

    Thank you, Jeremy, that is a great question. We have observed that discussions around the definition of CT can help teachers a lot in seeing the connections to the subjects and grade levels they teach. Teachers come to realize that CT is a form of problem solving, which permeates all subject areas.  Often teachers discover that they may already be using or teaching CT concepts or skill without explicitly naming them as such. For instance, decomposing numbers is a frequent activity in mathematics classrooms and teachers may not think of this as CT, but decomposition is a key CT concept. The conversations that educators have around the CT Integration framework can help them become more explicit and intentional in highlighting the CT concepts and skills they are already using, as well as in developing new activities that help students learn about CT concepts and skills not previously taught.

  • Icon for: David Lockett

    David Lockett

    Facilitator
    Albert Einstein Fellow
    May 14, 2021 | 02:27 p.m.

    What an amazing tool for CT integration. Learning how to program not only enables learners to develop computing applications, but it can also enhance learners’ CT practice. Are new tools being adapted for grade levels and specific subject areas? 

     
    2
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Heather Sherwood
    Cheri Fancsali
  • Icon for: Babette Moeller

    Babette Moeller

    Co-Presenter
    Distinguished Scholar
    May 14, 2021 | 05:54 p.m.

    Thank you, David!  School-wide integration can take very different forms in our experience. In some schools it is primarily STEM teachers who plan for CT integration. At other schools we work with teachers who teach a broader range of subjects and teachers from all grade levels within the Pre-K to grade 5 span. Sometimes teachers use the same tool (e.g., Ozobots) across different grade levels, in other cases they use different tools in different grade levels and subject areas.

  • Icon for: Eric Hamilton

    Eric Hamilton

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 14, 2021 | 04:51 p.m.

    Heather and team, thank you.  It is great to see this, especially with the link to the framework.  Much appreciated :)

     
    2
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Heather Sherwood
    Cheri Fancsali
  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.