(Attempting to) Bring Computational Thinking into Under-Resourced Elementary Classrooms during a Pandemic

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work

Abstract

(Attempting to) Bring Computational Thinking into Under-Resourced Elementary Classrooms during a Pandemic

Computation is changing our world. This fact is on full display as we look at how school districts around the world have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a researcher-practitioner partnership, I helped design a curriculum that integrates computational thinking (CT) into fourth-grade mathematics instruction and aligns with the school district’s mission of joyful and equitable learning. The focus of the project, which was designed before the pandemic, is to explore the mutually-supportive nature of CT and mathematics, and do so in equitable ways that empower learners to draw on their Funds of Knowledge while also working within the constraints of the public education system. As the reality of the pandemic set in, the goals of the project shifted from the initially stated research outcomes toward exploring ways to use the computing resources made available through the curriculum to support teachers working in these challenging instructional contexts. In particular, the CT-enhanced activities, and the spherical robots we distributed to students’ homes as part of the project, became a way for teachers to engage learners in fun, exploratory mathematical play, reinvigorating the virtual math classroom and providing positive mathematics learning experiences in an otherwise very challenging instructional situation. Thus far, this project has served to highlight the importance of being responsive to the needs of teachers and learners when conducting classroom research and also demonstrates the value of researcher-practitioner partnerships, as this work would not be possible without extensive support from the district.

Author

• David Weintrop, University of Maryland - College Park