Explore

Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Sequences and Loops

Approx. 11 hours to complete

Save Course

Go to Course

Course Summary

Learn how to incorporate computational thinking into K-12 education through the use of sequences and loops in this course designed for educators.

Key Learning Points

Gain a deeper understanding of computational thinking and how it can be applied in K-12 education
Learn how to use sequences and loops to create programs and solve problems
Explore various tools and resources for teaching computational thinking in the classroom

Learning Outcomes

Develop a deeper understanding of computational thinking and its applications
Create programs using sequences and loops
Incorporate computational thinking into K-12 education

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic understanding of programming concepts
Access to a computer with internet connection

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced
Video lectures
Interactive quizzes

Similar Courses

Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science
Creative Coding

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Code.org
Scratch

Related Books

Description

How do we give instructions to a computer? Isn't programming hard? Not really! Whether it's giving someone directions to a nearby store or writing out some dance moves we frequently exhibit aspects of computational thinking in our everyday lives!

This class teaches the first key concepts of programming -- sequences of instructions and basic counted repetition of instructions. For each concept, we'll start by helping you connect real-world experiences you are already familiar with to the programming concept you are about to learn. Next, through a cognitively scaffolded process we'll engage you in developing your fluency with problem solving with sequences and repeated instructions in a way that keeps frustration at a minimum. Along the way you will learn about the common challenges or "bugs" students have with these concepts as well as ways to help them find and fix those concepts. You'll also be guided in running classroom discussions to help students develop deeper understanding of these concepts. Finally, you'll learn about a recommended pedagogical practice, Pair Programming, and find out why research recommends teaching block-based programming first.

Outline

Course Orientation
Welcome to the The Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization
Welcome!
Using Googledocs in this Course
Why Snap? Create your account

Computational Thinking and Sequences
What is computational thinking
Computational Thinking Concepts
My Robotic Friends in Action
My Robotic Friends: A CS Unplugged Activity
What are interactive puzzles?
How to do an interactive programming puzzle
Interactive Puzzles Instructions: Sequences
Puzzle It Out

More Sequences
Writing Programs: What's special for teachers?
Debugging: Common Challenges for Sequences
More programming puzzles -- but different!
(Optional) Demo: How to do Non-Interactive Puzzles
Bloom's Taxonomy
What is Bloom's Taxonomy Good For?
Developing Computational Thinking
Classroom Discussions: Sequences
Teacher Powerup: Reinforcing + Gaining Curricular Experience
Revisiting Unplugged My Robotic Friends Lesson Plan
Did I get it?
Vocabulary: Programming with Sequences
Create a Sequences Program
Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles
Unplugged Activities: Great for introducing concepts
Introducing the language Blockly -- for maze programs
Make a prediction
Experience a code.org lesson: sequences
Check your knowledge quiz
Concept Mastery Quiz: Computational Thinking & Sequences

Repeats
Debugging: Repeats
Getting Loopy!
Interactive Puzzle Instructions: Repeats
Create a Repeats Program
Non-Interactive Programming Puzzles
Puzzle It Out
Check your knowledge quiz

More Repeats
Classroom Discussions: Repeats
Introduction to Repeat Loops
Experience a code.org Artist/Drawing lesson: repeats
Concept Mastery Quiz: Repeats

Equity & Pedagogy
The State of K-12 Computing Education
What Do You Think?
Why Teach with Block-Based Languages?
Use Pair (and Buddy) Programming
What have I gotten into? (Don't worry it's great!)
What standards have we addressed so far?
Pedagogy Equity Mastery Quiz

Summary of User Reviews

Read reviews for Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Sequences, Loops, and Conditionals on Coursera. Discover what users think about this course, including the overall rating and key aspects that many users found good.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Many users found the course to be engaging and informative.

Pros from User Reviews

Well-structured and easy to follow lessons.
Great explanations and examples.
Helpful for teachers looking to incorporate computational thinking in their classrooms.

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course to be too basic.
A few technical issues were reported during the course.
The course may not be suitable for those with advanced coding experience.

Recommended for you