Once upon a time, educators asked whether or not all children should be literate in the principles of computer science (CS). Today, the question is not "Who should receive instruction in CS?" but "When should instruction in CS begin?" Researchers at Cornell University believe that "computational agency," achieved through learning foundational skills in computer science, is just as important as "linguistic agency," i.e., having the skills and tools necessary to understand and decode written English language. Logically, the path that leads to computational agency should run parallel to the path that leads to linguistic agency. By introducing computational thinking skills in the early grades, when children are beginning to read and write, teachers help children acquire key concepts in math while preparing them to thrive in a world that is increasingly digital. In this session the presenter will demonstrate K-5 mathematics lessons using Scratch and ScratchJr, children's programming tools that were developed at MIT. Participants are encouraged to bring computing devices to explore activities and view lesson plans and teaching materials.

KCM PowerPoint Presention - View the 2019 conference presentation.

Resources for Computational Thinking

What is Computational Thinking?  This video explains four facets of computational thinking: 1) Decomposition, 2) Pattern Recognition, 3) Abstraction, and 4) Algorithm Design

SCRATCHJr

ScratchJr Introduction - This introductory video will help you begin exploring the ScratchJr visual programming interface.

ScratchJr Website - This website supports teachers who are using ScratchJr with their K-2 students (or beginning programmers).  ScratchJr is a free app that runs on Android or IOS devices (tablets or iPads).  You can install it  on your device by going to the Google Play, iTunes, the Chrome Web Store, or the Amazon App Store.  Click on Learn for access to ScratchJr tutorials.  Click on Teach for access to teaching materials.

ScratchJr Activities, Curricula, and Assessments - Task cards, step-by-step instructions, ideas for introducing and extending ScratchJr. lessons.

Scratch

Scratch Introduction Video - Get inspired and see what your students can do with Scratch.  

Scratch Website - Scratch runs on any modern browser.  Create a teacher account to see all the resources and to set up classes.  Students will need accounts if they want to save their projects.

Educator Resources - The Educator Guide is a manual that will guide you through the process of introducing Scratch to your students.  The Creative Computing Curriculum is a fully articulated CS curriculum with materials to guide and facilitate student projects.  This site also includes task cards, tutorials and an "ideas" page.

ScatchED  - a PLC for teachers who are using Scratch with their students.

Code.org

Code.org Curriculum Sequence - Code.org is a complete CS curriculum for grades K-12. The curriculum is well-articulated with detailed lesson plans, materials to support student learning, assessments, and off-line activities.  The curriculum and materials are free for students, teachers and parents.  Create a teacher account to have access to all of the materials and to be able to preview in teacher OR student mode.

Hour of Code

Hour of Code -  Hour of Code is an international effort to support computational thinking in K-12.  Search by grade level and subject area to find lessons in computational thinking.

How to Teach an Hour of Code with Your Class - With so many important things to teach, it's hard to make room for something else, but many practicing teachers (and educational researchers) agree that coding and computational thinking improve student performance in other areas.  This is due to the focus on problem-solving, critical thinking, persistence, and creativity inherent in every coding lesson.  Simply put, it's worth the time.

The CodeMonkey "Coding Adventure" lesson is appropriate for students in grades 2 -  5.  Students learn to code using a program similar to Javascript.  There's a game (challenge) format to the learning experience that students really enjoy.  (They earn stars based on how many bananas they collect in each challenge.)   The Teacher's Notes provide tips for preparing the lesson and facilitating student learning.  There are 30 challenges in the Coding Adventure.  (If you want to keep using CodeMonkey, you have to purchase a subscription.)

The following KAS in Mathematics are addressed in "Coding Adventure":