Computational thinking is an innovative approach to teaching that redesigns the STEM and ELA curriculums on a new framework. This framework focuses on turning students from consumers to content creators through game-based learning and computational thinking (CT) skills while developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Teachers all over the world have embraced the use of coding and programming in their classrooms, adapting the online materials for various subjects that stretch beyond the borders of STEM.
6 Digital tools that help educators teach computational thinking
The internet is full of valuable resources that teach you how to include computational thinking in the learning process, so I’ve collected six of the most used platforms with complex materials and guidelines to support educators:
Scratch is a free coding learning platform with a simple interface available in more than 70 languages. It promotes computational thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration. This tool also allows students to create digital stories, games, and animations.
Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, Scratch uses color-coded bars that are placed in an interlocking command sequence. The website offers guidelines, plans, activities, and strategies for successful use in the classroom. Teachers can watch tutorials, print coding cards, and visit the Ideas Page for extra resources.
Also, through Google’s free curriculum, CS First, teachers and students can access over 1,000 instructional videos and lesson plans. There’s also Code Club with 30 free project modules dedicated to providing detailed instructions on how to use the platform.
Teachers can create accounts for their students to manage their projects and comments more easily using a Scratch Teacher Account.
Kodable is a coding platform that provides teachers with a complete K-5 curriculum to implement in the classroom. It helps students solve problems, work with a partner to reach the same goal, share triumphs and struggles, bounce back after a challenge and develop their creativity as they design levels, games, and characters.
Ozobot is an online tool that allows students to code robots included in their kits, which can be ordered online and offline. Ozobots are smart robots that help students learn robotics, math, and programming through using visual codes to follow lines or roam around freely.
The platform provides instructional video lessons on all subjects that can be shared on any learning management system (LMS) with students in third to fifth grade. The lessons integrate multiple subjects and help students analyze, communicate, solve and interpret their ideas effectively.
Roblox is a desktop design tool that allows students to produce their own immersive multiplayer experience. The website offers teachers free software and curriculum to teach computer science, digital citizenship, entrepreneurship, and more, to students of all ages.
With Roblox, students experience a new way of learning that breaks the traditional model of standardized curriculum. It fosters creativity and adaptability for the ever-changing workplace landscape.
Using prebuilt educational templates to customize game levels and tutorials, students learn complex concepts as they play — for example, chain reaction simulations, coding, animation, and digital citizenship.
MIT Full STEAM Ahead
MIT Full STEAM Ahead is a collection of resources that MIT has put together for teaching and learning online during the pandemic. They were meant as a rapid response to the need for online resources when schools transitioned to the online environment.
Teachers can access this learning website to collect resources addressed to K-12 and Higher Education students, updated weekly. From online to offline activity resources, from STEAM-related resources to complete MIT courses, this platform allows teachers to choose the best for their students.
Minecraft is a game-based world full of educational possibilities that promote computational thinking with in-game coding. Available for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad, Minecraft lets teachers explore hundreds of lessons created by educators around the world, for students of all ages. With Minecraft, students can learn and visualize scientific concepts, perform experiments, explore amazing worlds, recreate simulations, tell stories, and more.
Students can also learn math concepts like ratios and proportions, show their knowledge of historical times and places, create stage performances, display their reading comprehension by visualizing characters, plots, and locations.
Minecraft prepares students for the future as they explore real-world issues in immersive, imaginative scenarios, as well as build empathy and digital citizenship.
Computational thinking is a useful skill in today’s educational system. Students need to be familiar with the digital world and self-reliant in a society that is more and more dependent on technology. As a result, they become the creators by visualizing their ideas in a digital format through coding and programming.
Read more: Teaching Computational Thinking: In practice
With the help of the digital tools mentioned here and many more, teachers help students prepare for their future careers and help them navigate their reality through creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Mawazo ya kompyuta ni mbinu ya uhandisi ya ufundishaji ambayo inabadilisha mtaala wa STEM na ELA kwenye mfumo mpya. Mfumo huu unazingatia kugeuza wanafunzi kutoka kwa watumiaji kuwa waundaji wa yaliyomo kupitia kujifunza kwa msingi wa mchezo na ujuzi wa kufikiri kwa kompyuta (CT) wakati wa kukuza mawazo yao ya muhimu na ustadi wa kutatua shida. Walimu duniani kote wamekubali matumizi ya programu katika madarasa yao, wakibadilisha vifaa vya mtandaoni kwa masomo mbalimbali ambayo yanaenea zaidi ya mipaka ya STEM. Vifaa vya dijiti vinavyowasaidia walimu kufundisha kufikiri kwa kompyuta Mtandao umejaa rasilimali muhimu ambazo zinakufundisha jinsi ya kujumuisha kufikiri kwa kompyuta katika mchakato wa kujifunza, kwa hivyo nimekusanya sita ya majukwaa yanayotumiwa zaidi na vifaa tata na miongozo ya kusaidia walimu: Scratch ni jukwaa la bure la kujifunza programu na kiunganishi rahisi inapatikana katika lugha zaidi ya 70. Inaendeleza kufikiri kwa njia ya kompyuta, ustadi wa kutatua matatizo, ubunifu, na ushirikiano. Chombo hiki pia inaruhusu wanafunzi kuunda hadithi za dijiti, michezo, na uhuishaji. Inapatikana kwa Mac, Windows, na Linux, Scratch hutumia baa zenye rangi zilizowekwa katika mfululizo wa amri zinazoingiliana. Tovuti hiyo inatoa miongozo, mipango, shughuli, na mikakati ya kufanikiwa kuitumia darasani. Walimu wanaweza kuangalia mafunzo, kuchapisha kadi coding, na kutembelea Mawazo Ukurasa kwa rasilimali za ziada. Kwa kutumia programu ya bure ya Google CS First, walimu na wanafunzi wanaweza kupata video zaidi ya 1,000 za mafunzo na mipango ya masomo. Pia kuna Code Club na 30 bure mradi modules wakfu kwa kutoa maelekezo ya kina juu ya jinsi ya kutumia jukwaa. Walimu wanaweza kuunda akaunti kwa wanafunzi wao kusimamia miradi yao na maoni kwa urahisi zaidi kwa kutumia Scratch Mwalimu Akaunti. Kodable ni jukwaa la programu ambalo hutoa walimu na mtaala kamili wa K-5 kutekeleza darasani. Inasaidia wanafunzi kutatua matatizo, kufanya kazi na mpenzi kufikia lengo moja, kushiriki ushindi na mapambano, bounce nyuma baada ya changamoto na kuendeleza ubunifu wao kama wao kubuni ngazi, michezo na wahusika. Ozobot ni chombo cha mtandaoni ambacho inaruhusu wanafunzi kuandika roboti zilizojumuishwa katika vifaa vyao, ambavyo vinaweza kuamriwa mtandaoni na nje ya mtandao. Ozobots ni roboti za akili ambazo husaidia wanafunzi kujifunza roboti, hisabati, na programu kupitia kutumia nambari za kuona kufuata mistari au kuzunguka kwa uhuru. Programu hii inatoa mafunzo ya video ya masomo yote ambayo yanaweza kugawanywa kwenye mfumo wowote wa usimamizi wa kujifunza (LMS) na wanafunzi katika darasa la tatu hadi tano. Masomo huunganisha masomo mengi na kuwasaidia wanafunzi kuchambua, kuwasiliana, kutatua na kutafsiri mawazo yao kwa ufanisi. Roblox ni chombo cha kubuni desktop ambacho inaruhusu wanafunzi kuzalisha uzoefu wao wenyewe wa multiplayer. Tovuti hiyo inatoa programu na mtaala wa bure kwa walimu kufundisha sayansi ya kompyuta, uraia wa dijiti, ujasiriamali, na zaidi, kwa wanafunzi wa umri wote. Roblox inatoa fursa kwa wanafunzi wa kujifunza kwa njia mpya ambayo inabadilisha muundo wa kawaida wa masomo. Inaendeleza ubunifu na uwezo wa kukabiliana na mazingira ya kazi yanayobadilika daima. Kutumia templates kabla ya kujengwa ya elimu ya kubadili ngazi ya mchezo na mafunzo, wanafunzi kujifunza dhana tata kama wao kucheza - kwa mfano, mfululizo athari simulations, coding, uhuishaji, na uraia digital. MIT Full STEAM Ahead ni mkusanyiko wa rasilimali ambazo MIT imeweka pamoja kwa kufundisha na kujifunza mtandaoni wakati wa janga. Walikuwa na maana kama majibu ya haraka kwa mahitaji ya rasilimali mtandaoni wakati shule kuhamishwa kwa mazingira ya mtandaoni. Wanafunzi wanaweza kupata tovuti hii ya kujifunza ili kukusanya rasilimali zilizowekwa kwa wanafunzi wa K-12 na Elimu ya Juu, updated kila wiki. Kutoka kwa rasilimali za shughuli za mtandaoni hadi nje ya mtandao, kutoka kwa rasilimali zinazohusiana na STEAM hadi kumaliza kozi za MIT, jukwaa hili huruhusu walimu kuchagua bora kwa wanafunzi wao. Minecraft ni mchezo-msingi dunia kamili ya uwezekano wa elimu ambayo kukuza kufikiri computational na katika-mchezo coding. Inapatikana kwa Windows, Mac, Chromebook, na iPad, Minecraft inaruhusu walimu kuchunguza mamia ya masomo yaliyoundwa na walimu duniani kote, kwa wanafunzi wa umri wote. Kwa kutumia Minecraft, wanafunzi wanaweza kujifunza na kutafakari dhana za kisayansi, kufanya majaribio, kuchunguza ulimwengu wa ajabu, kuunda upya simulations, kuwaambia hadithi, na zaidi. Wanafunzi wanaweza pia kujifunza dhana za hisabati kama vile uwiano na uwiano, kuonyesha maarifa yao ya nyakati za kihistoria na maeneo, kuunda maonyesho ya hatua, kuonyesha uelewa wao wa kusoma kwa kugundua wahusika, njama, na maeneo. Minecraft huwaandaa wanafunzi kwa siku zijazo wakati wanachunguza masuala ya ulimwengu halisi katika hali za kuvutia, za kufikiria, na pia kujenga hisia na uraia wa dijiti. Mawazo ya kompyuta ni ustadi muhimu katika mfumo wa elimu ya leo. Wanafunzi wanahitaji kuwa na ufahamu wa ulimwengu wa dijiti na kujitegemea katika jamii ambayo inategemea zaidi na zaidi teknolojia. Kama matokeo, wao kuwa waundaji kwa visualizing mawazo yao katika muundo wa digital kupitia coding na programu. Kujifunza kufikiri kwa kompyuta: Katika mazoezi, kwa msaada wa zana za dijiti zilizotajwa hapa na nyingi zaidi, walimu husaidia wanafunzi kujiandaa kwa kazi zao za baadaye na kuwasaidia kusafiri katika hali yao ya kweli kupitia ubunifu, ushirikiano na kufikiri kwa ukali.