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Junkbots and computational thinking
The document discusses the Junkbots project, which provides 12 hours of STEM activities to secondary school students using robotics and computational thinking. It aims to teach programming skills through building robots out of junk and programming Lego robots. The project has expanded to primary schools and uses Raspberry Pi and Scratch/Python programming. It teaches fundamental skills like debugging and collaboration. Computational thinking skills are strengthened through activities involving tinkering, abstraction, and logic. The project has received funding and resources, and the author questions how changes bringing computational thinking to K-12 curriculums will impact university curriculums.
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Similar to Junkbots and computational thinking
Junkbots and computational thinking
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- 2. ComputationalThinking Junkbot Where the projectis now? What is the link?
- 3. What is Computational Thinking Wing (2006)“ComputationalThinking” COMMUNICATIONSOFTHE ACM March 2006/Vol. 49, No. 3 pp. 33-35 http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/wing/w ww/publications/Wing06.pdf
- 4. What is Computational Thinking Conceptualizing, notprogramming. Computer science is not computer programming.Thinking like a computer scientist means more than being able to program a computer
- 5. What is Computational Thinking Fundamental, notrote skill. A fundamental skill is something every human being must know to function in modern society
- 6. What is Computational Thinking A waythat humans, not computers, think. Computational thinking is a way humans solve problems; it is not trying to get humans to think like computers. Computer ‘thinking’ is dull.
- 7. What is Computational Thinking Complements andcombines mathematical and engineering thinking. Computer science: - draws on mathematical thinking - draws on engineering thinking, given that we build systems that interact with the real world.
- 8. What is Computational Thinking For everyone,everywhere. Computational thinking will be a reality when it is so integral to human endeavors it disappears as an explicit philosophy. - it is reality when we no longer need to define it seperately – it just is!
- 9. Education changes There is amove in many countries to address the lack of computational thinking in schools. In the UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/publicat ions/national-curriculum-in-england- computing-programmes-of- study/national-curriculum-in-england- computing-programmes-of-study
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- 11. Junkbots 12 hours ofSTEM activities to over 100 secondary school students.
- 12. Junkbots Three areas Programming aLego robot to clear junk. A set of activities onWaste Management Building a moving ‘bot’ out of junk.
- 13. Junkbots Programming a Legorobot to clear junk. Building a moving ‘bot’ out of junk. … ComputationalThinking elements
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- 15. Success Original target of100 students getting 12 hours of STEM activity – meet Approx. 200 (and growing) have had the two computing/engineering focussed activities. Now for the Primary Schools/Youth Groups This is the growth area.
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- 17. What Happened Next The computing elementsstrengthened. Others start delivering sessions.
- 18. Now – Junkbots and RaspberryPi HaydenTetley – Scratch based
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- 20. Now – Junkbots and RaspberryPi James Mitchell – Python and Raspberry Pi Move the programming on. Graphical interface using Blockly Going to be a Secondary School Teacher and is awinner of BCS Scholarship to train.
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- 22. SoWhat? All the approachesare facilitated Tinkering Creating Debugging Perseverance Collaboration
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- 24. Funders East Midlands DevelopmentAgency STEMSouthWest Nuffield Bursary
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- 26. Question How are thechanges in curriculum going to effect University curriculum?