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Culturally-relevant computing has been discussed as a way to promote K-12 Computer Science education and address ongoing challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. What is not well understood about the practice of culturally-relevant computing, however, is how to bring together existing cultural frameworks and Computer Science curricula effectively. To help address this area, focus group interviews were conducted with ten (n = 10) in-service Computer Science teachers working in the multicultural context of Hawai'i. The focus group sessions were designed to reveal teachers' perceptions of the principles and processes involved in designing and implementing culturally-relevant CS lessons and resources. Results revealed a number of key themes, including important variations in the practitioners' philosophical and operational approaches to culturally-relevant computing. The paper ends with a detailed discussion of the findings and their implications for designers, practitioners, and researchers working in Computer Science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research surrounding online computer science education emphasizes the need for high-quality professional development opportunities. However, there is a gap in research in the inclusion of online computer science educators to identify needs and strategies that make the online computer science courses effective. Through a Research-to-Practice Partnership (RPP), this paper examines the instructional strategies and recommendations from online Computer Science teachers. This study seeks to better understand (1) What design, facilitation, and assessment strategies do teachers use to teach programming online? and (2) What recommendations do teachers have for those interested in teaching programming online? The feedback teachers provided during the study assisted in identifying the current needs in online AP Computer Science. The participants suggested additional ways the RPP could support teachers in strengthening their practice, which has assisted in the production of high-quality professional development to support novice teachers entering the field of Computer Science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Wing Communications of the ACM, 49, 33–35, (2006) popularized computational thinking (CT) as a skill for every student, it has gained significant traction as an approach to bring computer science tools and practices into K-12 classrooms. At the same time, teachers often see the relevance of CT as a tool to introduce problem solving and thinking strategies in the classroom. Despite the increasing use of CT in K-12, questions remain about its role in supporting teaching and learning of disciplinary ideas. While CT can be used to bring computer science to all students, we believe that it can serve a bigger purpose to explicitly teach metacognitive strategies, which play a significant role in academic outcomes. In the paper, we discuss the connections between CT and metacognition and how CT could support the development of metacognition in K-12 classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As computers have become commonplace in everyday life, educators have begun to shift focus from working with computers (computer literacy) to thinking with computers (computational thinking). This article describes the progression of computational thinking (CT) from a historical perspective. This paper will first review the early stages of CT in the mid-1900s, along with its evolution over the succeeding decades. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of proposed educational benefits, along with implications for future learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many discussions of the ways in which abstraction is applied in computer science (CS), researchers and advocates of CS education argue that CS students should be taught to consciously and explicitly move among levels of abstraction (Armoni Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 32(3), 265–284, 2013; Kramer Communications of the ACM, 50(4), 37–42, 2007; Wing Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33–35, 2006). In this paper, we describe one way that attention to levels of abstraction could also support learning in mathematics. Specifically, we propose a framework for using abstraction in elementary mathematics based on Armoni's (2013) framework for teaching computational abstraction. We propose that such a framework could address an enduring challenge in mathematics for helping elementary students solve word problems with attention to context. In a discussion of implications, we propose that future research using the framework for instruction and teacher education could also explore ways that attention to levels of abstraction in elementary school mathematics may support later learning of mathematics and computer science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unexamined power and prejudice embedded within technologies and societies has led to direct harm to individuals of color, minoritized groups, and the US ideal of a multi-racial democracy. Rather than an accident of AI or a "glitch" of the system, these inequities highlight the invisible and oppressive architecture – a "New Jim Code" (Benjamin, 2019) – encoded into the bones of the technology. At the same time, computer science education has grown considerably over the last decade. We ask how can educators address embedded injustice within the K-12 CS education? Using information asymmetry (Hippel, 2005) as a conceptual framing, we argue for the need to address racialized and patriarchal biases through curricular design and teaching in CS. We argue for a participatory and community centered approach to CS curricula which facilitates community co-designed CS, centers criticality, and fosters civic education within CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an urgent need for professional development (PD) experiences to support teacher learning across hybrid and digital contexts. This study investigates teachers' experiences in a Virtual Pivot, a PD workshop designed to support computational thinking integration into disciplinary teaching. Participants were 151 middle and high school content area teachers, including 49 teachers who participated in previous face-to-face workshops. Virtual Pivot employed research-based design principles for virtual teacher PD, including asynchronous and synchronous engagement, explicit instruction in technological tools and scaffolds for teacher collaboration. Data sources included pre-PD surveys (n = 151), post-PD surveys (n = 119), interviews (n = 57) and six-month follow-up surveys (n = 105). Findings describe elements of Virtual Pivot which supported teacher learning and engagement (virtual community of practice, PD structure, during-PD support, pre-PD support and badges). We conclude by discussing this study's theoretical, methodological and practical contributions for designing and investigating virtual computational thinking PD experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent years, there has been a push to engage primary and secondary students in computer science to prepare them to live and work in a world influenced by computation. One of the efforts involves getting primary and secondary students to think computationally by introducing computational ideas such as, algorithms and abstraction. Majority of this work around computational thinking has focused on the use of digital technologies, in particular programming environments (Yadav, Stephenson, and Hong 2017). In today's highly digitalized world, we often associate computational problem-solving processes with the use of computers. Yet, solving problems computationally by designing solutions and processing data is not a digital skill, rather a mental skill. Humans have solved problems for eons and before anyone even thought about the types of digital technologies and devices we know today. The purpose of this article is to examine the historical route of computational thinking and how history can inspire and inform initiatives today. We introduce how computational thinking skills are rooted in non-digital (unplugged) human approaches to problem solving, and discuss how mainstream focus changed to digital (plugged) computer approaches, particularly on programming. In addition, we connect past research with current work in computer science education to argue that computational thinking skills and computing principles need to be taught in both unplugged and plugged ways for learners to develop deeper understanding of computational thinking ideas and their relevance in today's society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]