Language Leads to Competencies: The Role of Language in Developing District-Wide Computational Pathways in Both Concept and Practice (Poster 4)

• In Event: Computational Thinking in Humanities

Abstract

Objectives
While all 50 states have adopted computer science (CS) education policies, to what extent these academic standards are actually transforming classroom practice varies significantly across schools (Mills et al., 2021). This paper reports upon one school district’s efforts to translate its own state CS standards into a consistent, cumulative, and competency-based K-12 computing pathway for all of its students. In particular, the paper focuses on the district’s prioritization of clear and common language across grade bands as a lever to secure teachers’ and administrators’ understanding and support, as well as the role of language in gauging classroom implementation and student learning.

Background
Computational thinking (CT) is increasingly being understood by districts as a cross-disciplinary skill, particularly on the K-8 level where CT offers the integrative potential to heighten existing coursework. The integrative potential of CT however also has created problems for schools. While Wing’s 2006 formulation of CT as an essential skill represented an important call to action, the persistent lack of clarity (and wider debate, see Grover, 2018) around what exactly constitutes CT has left districts stubbornly bereft of a meaningful definition. Based on Digital Promise’s multi-year “CT Pathways” initiative (Roschelle, et al., forthcoming), this work presents how one district addressed this challenge of definition (and discernible curricular integration) as a challenge rooted in language, and accordingly developed a matrix of key terminologies, shared examples, and watch words to formalize CT as an observable literacy across its classrooms.

Data & Methods
The site of this study was Talladega County Schools, a district of 7,300 students located in rural central Alabama. Data collection and analysis for this work relied first on the development and revision of Talladega’s own K-12 Pathway document that articulates how the state computing standards could be integrated specifically into humanities disciplines with associated activities and lesson plans featuring key terms and underlying competencies. We couple this document review with the perspectives of key Talladega teachers, coaches, and administrators who led the design, implementation, and revision of Talladega’s Pathway, and the specific inclusion of its integral literacy component.

Results
Results are structured into this same dyad of “Product”, detailing Talladega’s Pathway document itself, and “Perspectives”, reporting on district feedback on the process of its composition and implementation. To the latter, we report on a series of teacher focus groups and one-on-one interviews in which they reflect upon the document’s genesis and the degree to which designated terminology offered them (and their students) a way to internalize CT conceptually. We also examine how the Pathways document translated to classroom practice through an analysis of student exit tickets from select classrooms, in which students’ own description of classroom activities are mapped back to the key terms and watch words associated with Talladega’s Pathway document.

Significance
Other STEM disciplines—notably math and science—have dedicated empirical research on the role of language/ discourse on students’ learning progress (Erath et al., 2018; Fang, 2004; for example). This area however represents relatively new and important ground in K-12 computing.

Authors

• Quinn Burke, Digital Promise
  Presenting Author

• Kelly Mills, Digital Promise Global
  Presenting Author

• Pati Ruiz, Digital Promise
  Presenting Author