ColabWiki: ExpeditionWorkshop/Workshop 09 16 2008 BreakOutGroup Two

CEW-76 Breakout Session - Discussion Group Two (404H)

To be discussed: (404J)

Focus: Computational Thinking (407P)

What Works? (407Q)

A great deal of uncertainty about what it is. More concrete examples needed. (407R)
Algorithms, data analysis elements (407S)
Abstraction, good design, critical thinking, logic – applied across a wide variety of disciplines (407T)
Perhaps able to do things you could not have conceived of before (407U)
Can teach CT concepts without expensive curriculum (407V)
Logic and manipulatives – many ways to do this, robots (407W)
Computing mind approach (book) – Masuda -- think tank from Japan, notion of information society (407X)

What Doesn’t Work? (407Y)

What do We Need to Create? (4081)

Enhance people’s ability to problem solve (4082)
Too much data, too many decisions (4083)
Formal and informal experiences at all ages, fundamental as needed in K-12 education (4084)
Important skill for the information age – need formal methodologies and education for all students (4085)
Knowledge of CT skills to be woven into courses and experiences (4086)

What do We Need to Know? (4087)

Does CT include elements of feedback thought? – ex, driving car, hunger, controlled process (biological) – ubiquitous (4088)
Can we train people to mimic this behavior? (4089)
Modeling of phenomena- mental toolkits to solve problem (408A)
Is CT just thinking – or is there no thinking without computation? (408B)
Where is CT going? What is unique about CT (say from mathematical thinking, logical thinking, etc)? (408C)
Massive amounts of data – ways to deal with it - making reasonable decisions based on masses of data (408D)
Cultural aspects – access issues, what capacity might be needed to teach this in developing countries, what belief systems might be fundamental (408E)