Coding teaches our students the essence of logical thinking and problem solving while also preparing them for a world in which computing is becoming increasingly pervasive. While there's excitement and enthusiasm about programming becoming an intrinsic part of K-12 curricula the world over, there's also growing anxiety about preparing teachers to teach effectively at all grade levels.This book strives to be an essential, enduring, practical guide for every K-12 teacher anywhere who is either teaching or planning to teach computer science and programming at any grade level. To this end, readers will discover:? An A-to-Z organization that affords comprehensive insight into teaching introductory programming.? 26 chapters that cover foundational concepts, practices and well-researched pedagogies related to teaching introductory programming as an integral part of K-12 computer science. Cumulatively these chapters address the two salient building blocks of effective teaching of introductory programming-what content to teach (concepts and practices) and how to teach (pedagogy).? Concrete ideas and rich grade-appropriate examples inspired by practice and research for classroom use.? Perspectives and experiences shared by educators and scholars who are actively practicing and/or examiningthe teaching of computer science and programming in K-12 classrooms.

Computational thinking is a lifelong skill important for succeeding in careers and life. Students especially need to acquire this skill while in school as it can assist with solving a number of complex problems that arise later in life. Therefore, the importance of teaching computational thinking and coding in early education is paramount for fostering problem-solving and creativity. Teaching Computational Thinking and Coding to Young Children discusses the importance of teaching computational thinking and coding in early education. The book focuses on interdisciplinary connections between computational thinking and other areas of study, assessment methods for computational thinking, and different contexts in which computational thinking plays out. Covering topics such as programming, computational thinking assessment, computational expression, and coding, this book is essential for elementary and middle school teachers, early childhood educators, administrators, instructional designers, curricula developers, educational software developers, researchers, educators, academicians, and students in computer science, education, computational thinking, and early childhood education.

A guide to computational thinking education, with a focus on artificial intelligence literacy and the integration of computing and physical objects. Computing has become an essential part of today’s primary and secondary school curricula. In recent years, K–12 computer education has shifted from computer science itself to the broader perspective of computational thinking (CT), which is less about technology than a way of thinking and solving problems—“a fundamental skill for everyone, not just computer scientists,” in the words of Jeanette Wing, author of a foundational article on CT. This volume introduces a variety of approaches to CT in K–12 education, offering a wide range of international perspectives that focus on artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and the integration of computing and physical objects. The book first offers an overview of CT and its importance in K–12 education, covering such topics as the rationale for teaching CT; programming as a general problem-solving skill; and the “phenomenon-based learning” approach. It then addresses the educational implications of the explosion in AI research, discussing, among other things, the importance of teaching children to be conscientious designers and consumers of AI. Finally, the book examines the increasing influence of physical devices in CT education, considering the learning opportunities offered by robotics. Contributors Harold Abelson, Cynthia Breazeal, Karen Brennan, Michael E. Caspersen, Christian Dindler, Daniella DiPaola, Nardie Fanchamps, Christina Gardner-McCune, Mark Guzdial, Kai Hakkarainen, Fredrik Heintz, Paul Hennissen, H. Ulrich Hoppe, Ole Sejer Iversen, Siu-Cheung Kong, Wai-Ying Kwok, Sven Manske, Jesús Moreno-León, Blakeley H. Payne, Sini Riikonen, Gregorio Robles, Marcos Román-González, Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, Ju-Ling Shih, Pasi Silander, Lou Slangen, Rachel Charlotte Smith, Marcus Specht, Florence R. Sullivan, David S. Touretzky

Explore how to apply innovative, technology-driven strategies in the classroom to create personalized and dynamic learning experiences for your students. As educators seek out new ways to energize and engage their students and prepare them for the future, they need to know how to employ the latest technologies in creative and innovative ways. Learning Supercharged looks at emerging approaches and tools, and incorporates professional educators’ stories of how and why they have implemented each trend, including information on challenges faced and overcome, how to get started and other resources to explore. Topics covered include: • Digital equity considerations • Digital citizenship • Personalized learning • Project-based learning • Blending formal and informal learning • Coding and robotics • Makerspaces • Gamification and badging • Open Educational Resources (OERs) The book inspires educators to try new approaches with the understanding that they will devise new ways to synthesize, interpret and implement ideas to fit their context, learners and resources.

A book for anyone teaching computer science, from elementary school teachers and coding club coaches to parents looking for some guidance. Computer science opens more doors for today's youth than any other discipline - which is why Coding in the Classroom is your key to unlocking students' future potential. Author Ryan Somma untangles the current state of CS education standards; describes the cognitive, academic, and professional benefits of learning CS; and provides numerous strategies to promote computational thinking and get kids coding! Whether you're a teacher, an after-school coach, or a parent seeking accessible ways to boost your kid's computer savvy, Coding in the Classroom is here to help. With quick-start programming strategies, scaffolded exercises for every grade level, and ideas for designing CS events that promote student achievement, this book is a rock-solid roadmap to CS integration from a wide variety of on-ramps. You'll learn: tips and resources for teaching programming concepts via in-class activities and games, without a computer development environments that make coding and sharing web apps a breeze lesson plans for the software lifecycle process and techniques for facilitating long-term projects ways to craft interdisciplinary units that bridge CS and computational thinking with other content areas Coding in the Classroom does more than make CS less formidable - it makes it more fun! From learning computational thinking via board games to building their own websites, students are offered a variety of entry points for acquiring the skills they need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce. Moreover, Somma understands how schools operate - and he's got your back. You'll be empowered to advocate for the value of implementing CS across the curriculum, get stakeholder buy-in, and build the supportive, equitable coding community that your school deserves.

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

This This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.This book offers a comprehensive guide, covering every important aspect of computational thinking education. It provides an in-depth discussion of computational thinking, including the notion of perceiving computational thinking practices as ways of mapping models from the abstraction of data and process structures to natural phenomena. Further, it explores how computational thinking education is implemented in different regions, and how computational thinking is being integrated into subject learning in K-12 education. In closing, it discusses computational thinking from the perspective of STEM education, the use of video games to teach computational thinking, and how computational thinking is helping to transform the quality of the workforce in the textile and apparel industry.