Computational Thinking
Computational thinking is defined as the thought processes involved in formulating a problem and expressing its solution in a way that a computer-human or machine-can effectively carry out. Some of the skills involved in computational thinking include the following:
- Formulate problems in a way that enables us to use a computer or other tools to help solve them
- Logically organize and analyze data
- Breaking a problem down into steps
- Recognize and find patterns or trends generalizing them into rules, principles, or insights
- Develop instructions to solve a problem or task
Long story short.....THINK LIKE A ROBOT!!!
An activity that could allow you to practice computational thinking would be gaming. Yes I said it playing video games or even creating your own indie video game. Video games have grown to be sophisticated forms of alternate reality. Games range from combat, puzzles, to survival. Many schools now have what are called E-Sports teams. Skills such as breaking a problem down into steps is needed to pass on to the next level. Recognizing patterns in rules in a game will enable you to be a better and optimal player. The other side of this is creating games. This takes a certain level of programming and coding in order to do. There are now teams being established around the country at high schools. Students program their own indie computer games and then go on to compete regionally and nationally. The most notorious being the National STEM Video Game Challenge.
I digress and this leads me to my next point...integration into the classroom. There is a strong link between children on the spectrum and video games. This comes as no surprise because children on the spectrum tend to learn in a very computational way. Subjects such as history and English-Language Arts must be broken down into steps. I often say to myself these lesson formats based in ABA (Applied Behavioral Analytics) would benefit students in the general education program. The rational would be integrating computational thinking into the classroom would allow a clear understanding of the learning material and make for easy data tracking which is becoming a major requirement within school systems.
NOT TO BRAG OR ANYTHING!!!!(THIS THING ON?!)
This week I was challenged with learning code. I must admit I put it off based on pure anxiety but it turned out to be quite fun. Although challenging there were multiple computational skills needed to complete or at least attempt to complete the coding assignments for this week. When working on both coding assignments I had to break down the tasks into steps. Specific coding commands yielded specific results. There was no room for error. I had to absolutely remember what code did what in order to complete the assignments. The second computational skill I had to utilize was to recognize and find patterns and trends generalizing them into rules and insights. As time went on I was able to formulate short rules such as "a lack of a parenthesis symbol will cause the turtle to not move" (I know sounds weird). These weird little rules actually made it somewhat easier to complete the tasks. Coding is an excellent way to practice computational skills and an even better way to teach children to focus while learning something valuable. No wonder some of the best coders in the world are speculated to be on the spectrum...Steve Jobs anyone? I'm not the next tech guru or anything but please see my humble attempts at coding below:
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