Educational Technology and Design

Computational Thinking in K-12 Education

zeitz@uni.edu (Dr. Leigh Zeitz, Robin Galloway & Magda Galloway) — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0500

"Computational thinking (CT) is a problem-solving process in which people formulate problems or instructions so that a computer [or human] can solve or implement them" (ISTE, CSTA, 2016).

Computational thinking (CT) is a fundamental part of computer science (CS) but can (and should) be applied across all content areas and everyday life. In fact, it is called by some a New Literacy of the 21st Century.

In this unit, you will discover how you can use the aspect of computer science and computational thinking to support students' literacy, critical thinking, thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Introducing computational thinking to a young student may sound intimidating at first. But when you decompose (break down) this problem into the four components, you will find it relatively easy and helpful across the curriculum.

So let's dive in:

Use this visual to help you think about the four aspects of computational thinking: Abstraction, Decomposition, Pattern Recognition, and Algorithms:

How can you turn real-life photography into a drawing? The problem may seem daunting, but when you remove the unnecessary details and think about what is the basic, the minimum that makes pizza a pizza (abstraction), you can break your drawing down (decompose) to the basic shapes. Now you can draw it!
How to make pizza? Can you build a simple step-by-step recipe (algorithm) so we can shop for the ingredients? Can you provide the essential steps explaining the preparation process and make it easy for beginner chefs to follow?
What ingredients are on that pizza? I spot olives and pepperoni. If I slice the pizza and give you just two slices, will you be able to tell me what is on the third one? If the answer is yes, you probably recognized a pattern.

With that in mind, watch the following short videos in which Linda Liukas, an author of the children's book series Hello Ruby explains in student-friendly language what computational thinking is and how you can connect computer science to the real world.

Computational thinking can be applied to all grade levels.
Watch how this teacher uses humor to introduce students to algorithms (procedures for solving a problem) and debugging (finding and fixing mistakes)

Kids in the video above learned by trial and error and practiced the art of the exact instructions.

Here are some other ideas:

Explore digital story creation with a simple (and free) web-based programming tool called Scratch
Create timelines and complete sequencing activities (can be with technology or 'unplugged')
In music, reading, or writing - explore pattern recognition with rhythm, structure, and rhyme - try creating new forms
In social studies - have students generate step-by-step directions to complement the creation of community maps
In art, Student A describes an image or object hidden from Student B, while Student B follows instructions to draw or re-create that object.
Students practice exact instructions and step-by-step algorithms in a classroom while designing instructions for watering the classroom flowers, logging into the classroom computer, and morning (or any) class routine.

This blog post aims to assist you in incorporating computer science and computational thinking in the K-12 classroom. Perhaps you can set up a new Pinterest board and start a collection of resources you can use in your future classroom. Make sure to pin the primary sources, not just this blog. Have fun, and please consider teaming up with a teacher to implement CS-related activities in teaching and learning!

ISTE standards for Educators connection:

Standard 2.1 - Learner: Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to enhance student learning.

2.1c - Educators stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.

Standard 2.6 - Facilitator: Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students.

Standard 2.6c - Educators create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.

ISTE Standards for Students connection:

Standard 1.5 - Computational Thinker: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

1.5a - Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models, and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.
1.5b - Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
1.5c - Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
1.5d - Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.

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Want to Learn More? Here are some EXTRA resources you might find interesting:

Free Training Courses for Teachers

Code.org (Workshops, courses, digital 'dance parties, and the famous 'Hour of Code)
'Computational Thinking for Educators' (Google's free CT training for teachers)
Scratch Ed - a free online course/intro to Scratch (provided by Harvard University)
UNI's partnership effort with the IA Department of Education (offers a free course in "programming with Scratch")

Here are a couple more home examples of fun with the Exact Instructions

Making a PB&J sandwich https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN2RM-CHkuI
Brushing your teeth, making toast: https://youtu.be/CT8Z1LlooCM?t=238

Analyze the vocabulary from the ISTE Computational Thinking Competencies are used to guide educators to integrate computational thinking across disciplines with all students. The goal is to help learners become computational thinkers who can harness the power of computing to innovate and solve problems.

Watch a brief video introduction to computational thinking as a New Literacy of the 21st century:

Browse resources from Osmo: Teaching Computational Thinking to Kids

Computational Thinking Skills: Image Source: Osmo: Teaching Computational Thinking to Kids

Resources curated by Dr. Sarah Bryans-Bongey and Magdalena Galloway.

Information Literacy

zeitz@uni.edu (Dr. Leigh Zeitz, Robin Galloway & Magda Galloway) — Thu, 6 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0600

Do you want to know...

Remember, all I'm offering is the truth... nothing more.

The Matrix could be an excellent allegory for finding truth in the chaos of disinformation. It could be about breaking an information bubble we may live in and choosing the right path. Unfortunately, we cannot load the skills like Neo could. Fortunately, our information and fake news Matrix is not as grim as the one in the movie...or is it?

“You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

I hope you choose the knowledge, aka the red pill. So, here it goes:

Information literacy is more than possessing information. Information literacy is the ability "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information." (ACRL, 2000)

Developing information literacy skills requires a combination of tools, educational resources, and critical thinking practice.

What practical steps can you and your students take to critically evaluate information found on the Internet? How can we protect them and ourselves from fake news, scams, and phishing?

Read about those Facebook 'Like' Scam Posts - by Better Business Bureau
Watch the short video from Commonsensemedia.org about 5 ways to spot fake news. Look around the Common Sense website. Notice organizational tabs for Parents, Educators, and Advocates. Add useful links to your bookmarks or pins collection.

Read Stephen Downe's post about Principles for Evaluating Website
What is a Filter Bubble? How does it isolate you? - watch this short video (2.37min ) explaining just that!
Browse and bookmark (pin?) for later - Fake news and misinformation advice hub from internetmatters.org where you can learn about fake news, how to spot it, and how to empower children to recognize what fake news is and how to stop the spread of it.
How to check the credibility of controversial information?

Browse and bookmark snopes.com - a reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
Browse AllSides.com: Balanced News from the Left, Center, and Right
Look for resources about media bias, and check the incredibly well-developed resources for schools!

Learning (and teaching) today is much different than it used to be. So, it is logical to look for new learning theories!

Connectivism is a relatively new but mighty theoretical framework for understanding learning in a digital age.

It is a theory that argues that learning is not just about memorizing facts but about how you connect those facts together. It's like building a network of information in your mind, where each piece of knowledge is a node, and the connections between them are what help you understand and navigate the world. So, instead of just storing information, you're actively creating a web of understanding. It will be important to keep in mind when building your Personal Learning Network (PLN)
Connectivism acknowledges that learning is a social process and individuals bring unique perspectives and experiences to the learning process. Interacting with diverse viewpoints enriches understanding and fosters creativity and innovation.

Watch this short video explaining the theory of Connectivism (3 min). This will be further discussed in the lecture.

What strategies could students adopt to make decisions or solve an information problem?

Analyze the Big6 and Super3 process models of how people should solve information strategies. S per 3 is a simplified model for the youngest students.

Connect it to the ISTE Student Standard #5: Computational Thinker: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems that leverage technological methods' power to develop and test solutions.

5b Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
5 c Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.

Consider pinning or bookmarking the resources for future use (build that PLN!

Browse classroom resources for media literacy at newseumed.org (you can access resources with a free sign-up)
Browse K-12 teaching and learning resources about Digital Citizenship from Commonsense.org
Browse and bookmark Kathy Schrock's Guide to Critical Evaluation of Information - TONES of resources for your classroom.
Not sure about the safety of a website? Check Safe Browsing Site Status with Google

Additional resources (not required; to use, bookmark, or pin for later):

Helping students understand the biases in generative AI - materials on this page are intended to help instructors and students analyze and discuss the biases and ethics of generative artificial intelligence.

Strawberry Problem - How Overconfidence in AI Responses can perpetuate misinformation and create a feedback loop, and on how GenAI desire to satisfy the user may not be the best thing.

Chat GPT for media literacy -an interesting article about why using AI could be a great media literacy instruction tool.

Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning (pdf) provides a conceptual framework and broad guidelines for describing the information-literate student.

Ground.news: See every side of every news story. Similar to AllSides.com

Siemens and Downes theory of Connectivism

Battling Fake News in a classroom

How to spot a fake online store

How to Spot a Fake or Scam Website

Poynter.org - The International Fact-Checking Network is a unit of the Poynter Institute dedicated to bringing together fact-checkers worldwide.

opensecrets.org - Follows the money. D ta on campaign finance, Super PACs, Industries ect.

factcheck.org - nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. A dress public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.

truthorfiction.com - Get the truth about rumors, inspirational stories, virus warnings, hoaxes, scams, humorous tales, pleas for help, urban legends, prayer requests, calls to action, and other forwarded emails.

hoax-slayer.com - dedicated to" debunking email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and educating web users about email and Internet security issues"

sourcewatch.org - a collaborative resource for documented information about the corporations, industries, and people trying to influence public policy and public opinion

domaintools.com - a collection of domain name ownership records in the world (also look easywhois.com)

Breaking News Generator
Fake News templates

News Paper clipping generator

ISTE Standards for Students connection:

Standard # 3: Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

3a. S udents plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.
3b. S udents evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility, and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.

Standard #2 Digital Citizen: Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical

Standards #5: Computational Thinker: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

5b Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
5 c Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.

ISTE Standards for Educators connection:

Standard #2: Leader: Educators seek out opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and success and to improve teaching and learning

2c. Educator model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation, and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.

Standard #3: Citizen: Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world.

3b. E ucators establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.
3 c mentor students in safe, legal and ethical practices with digital tools and the protection of intellectual rights and property.

Activities during the lab (we will work on them together)

Using Stephen Downe's Principles for Evaluating Websites, lecture, and resources above, analyze the resources below.

Can you find an argument to support or discredit the legitimacy of your resource? It is not enough to use "gut feeling" or common knowledge.
How can you prove it?
Can you see the purpose of the resource?
Could you use it in your classroom?

Exhibit A: (elementary):
http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

Exhibit B:
https://mousetrapnews.com/breaking-marvel-theme-park-coming-to-disney-world/

Exhibit C:
https://insttech.uni.edu/240-031/images/infliteracy-vaccinate.jpg

Exhibit D:
https://insttech.uni.edu/240-031/documents/mail_SlowDance.pdf