Giving Compass' Take:

• Projects that engage students in STEM curriculum are helpful because they relate real-world activities to computational thinking methods — problem-solving at a high level.

• How can we use these methods and apply across different programs? In what ways can we expand computer science classes in districts where resources might be thin?

• Here's how communication across different education departments is helping more students acquire STEM skills.

In today’s technology-driven world, teachers have a new role in their student’s growth. Teaching used to be focused on learning and retaining information, but now we are changing how we teach so students can take what they’ve learned and apply it in school, work and beyond.

This is where the thought process of computational thinking comes into play. Computational thinking is a higher-level process whereby students can decipher problems and form innovative solutions. At the Janesville School District, our teachers have found immense success inspiring learning and retention through computational thinking. This valuable skill provides a unique method of problem-solving which is integral to many jobs of the future. By 2026, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that were will be 1.5 million computing jobs but just 400,000 computer science students with the skills to apply for those jobs.

With this in mind, we offer an outside-of-school program for students to learn about topics such as computer science, environmental science and engineering. Through a carefully selected group of learning activities, teachers in our district aim to boost excitement for computational thinking outside of school, increase engagement and change the future of curriculum for the school year.

Read the full article on teaching children computational thinking by Allison DeGraaf at Getting Smart.