Search for: All records

Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on training teachers to integrate computational thinking (CT) practices into disciplinary instruction. However, many current approaches involve a "top-down" method, where CT concepts and teacher training are dictated by external CT “experts,” often in an abstract and generalized manner, rather than being developed collaboratively or contextually with the teachers. These approaches typically treat CT as a set of abstract concepts, which can fail to promote a holistic understanding of the purposes and disciplinary value of CT. Consequently, teachers may feel less inclined to integrate CT into their regular teaching practice beyond the confines of professional development sessions. Furthermore, teachers are frequently positioned as novices awaiting the transmission of relevant CT knowledge rather than as agentive knowledge-builders with valuable expertise. This can undermine their autonomy, ownership, adaptability, and long-term commitment to implementing CT effectively in their teaching practice. We propose an alternative, “bottom-up” approach to supporting teachers in CT integration through a collaborative partnership between researchers and practitioners. We share evidence that this partnership led to understanding CT as inherently contextualized and productive for disciplinary problem-solving. 

To address the complex threats to Earth's life-sustaining systems, students need to learn core concepts and practices from various disciplines, including mathematics, civics, science, and, increasingly, computer science (NRC, 2012; United Nations, 2021). Schools must therefore equip students to navigate and integrate these disciplines to tackle real-world problems. Over the past two decades, STEM educators have advocated for an interdisciplinary approach, challenging traditional barriers between subjects and emphasizing contextualized real-world issues (Hoachlander & Yanofsky, 2011; Vasquez et al., 2013; Ortiz-Revilla et al., 2020; Honey et al., 2014; Takeuchi et al., 2020). Despite extensive evidence supporting integrated approaches to STEM education, subject boundaries remain, with disciplines often taught separately and computer science and computational thinking (CS & CT) not consistently included in elementary and middle school curricula. In today's digital age, CS and CT are crucial for a well-rounded education and for addressing sustainability challenges (ESSA, 2015; NGSS Lead States, 2013; NRC, 2012). While there's consensus on the importance of introducing computational concepts and practices to elementary and middle school students, integrating them into existing curricula poses significant challenges, including how to effectively support teachers to deliver inquiry instruction confidently and competently (Ryoo, 2019). Existing frameworks and tools for teaching CS and CT often focus on maintaining fidelity to canonical concepts and formalized taxonomies rather than on practical applications (Grover & Pea, 2013; Kafai et al., 2020; Wilkerson et al., 2020). This focus can lead teachers to learn terminology without fully understanding its relevance or application in different contexts. In response, some researchers suggest using a learning sciences perspective to consider “how the complexity of everyday spaces of learning shapes what counts, and what should be counted, as ‘computational thinking’” (Wilkerson et al., 2020, p. 265). These scholars emphasize the importance of drawing on learners’ everyday experiences and problems to make computational practices more meaningful and contextually relevant for both teachers and their students. Thus, this paper aims to address the following question: How can we design learning experiences for in-service teachers that support (1) their authentic engagement with computational concepts, practices, and tools and (2) more effective integration within classroom contexts? In the limited space of this proposal, we primarily address part 1. 

Traditional professional development aimed at integrating computational thinking (CT) into K-12 classrooms frequently fails to link abstract technical terminology with teachers' personal experiences or real-world situations, which can impede overall teacher understanding and effective classroom implementation. This paper investigates an alternative method that employs personal storytelling to introduce CT to educators. We discovered that storytelling helped build emotional connections and prompted deeper reflections on CT concepts. Participants shared how CT appears in various settings, including teaching, parenting, and outdoor activities, which transformed their understanding and forged significant connections between theory and practice.