Giving Compass' Take:

· With education changing to prepare students for life after school, teachers are finding different strategies to approach learning. Here, Allison DeGraaf explains how computational thinking teaches lifelong skills by encouraging students to solve difficult problems with their own innovative solutions.

· What is the best way educators can incorporate computational thinking into the curriculum? What important life-long skills does this method enforce? 

· Learn about 10 computational thinking resources for K-12 education.

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 about engaging students through computational thinking by Allison DeGraaf at Getting Smart.