What is Making CT?
Making CT: Integrating Computational Thinking into P-5 Classrooms is a National Science Foundation grant that aims to develop and investigate a model to support P-5 teachers in implementing interdisciplinary, CT-integrated lessons into their classroom content. The Citadel project team is working collaboratively with educators at a suburban elementary to design engaging curriculum that aligns with state content and computer science standards, requires students to think critically and solve problems through making, and is differentiated to meet the unique needs of all learners.
In South Carolina, computer science standards have been developed for K-8 grade students but there is a need to develop materials that support these standards. The Maker movement relies on the theory that students learn best when they are engaged in hands-on, personally meaningful activity. By combining both computational thinking and making, students are introduced to important concepts in ways that excite and challenge them. Making CT lessons have been designed specifically for students to ensure that every lesson is interdisciplinary, grounded in state standards, differentiated, rigorous and fun. |
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Kits have been developed by the faculty and staff from The Citadel's Zucker Family School of Education for P-5 grade students with support from our partnering elementary teachers.
Note: While these kits were developed for teachers in South Carolina, posted lessons are available for all to use. |
A Case for CT in the Classroom |
A Case for Making in the Classroom |
Computational thinking (CT) is more than just using technology or computer science. It is a way of thinking through problems and processing the steps in order to find a solution. This mindset can allow students to take ownership of their learning and become good digital citizens.
Our elementary students are exposed to technology from birth but by explicitly teaching CT, we can help students be more than just consumers of technology; they can use these tools to someday impact the world. By using computational thinking in the content area classroom, students are provided with a familiar framework to approach and solve problems. While the content in a math classroom may be different from social studies, the CT concepts can be used across disciplines. Further, using CT in the classroom can provide students with confidence in dealing with complexity, the skills to work through open-ended problems, the ability to communicate and work with others, and, the persistence to persevere through difficult situations. |
The Maker Movement has continued to gain traction across the US as a way to help both adults and students learn through hands-on exploration. Traditionally makerspaces, dedicated rooms where making occurs, provide creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering. They provide a space and time for students to build, explore, fail and retry, and share their ideas with others.
Since many schools are unable to build and support a makerspace, The Citadel research team developed Mobile Maker Kits (mobilemakerkits.com), which included all materials and lesson requirements so teachers could replicate the making experience in their own classroom. By doing this, students were able to create products to solve problems in math, science, social studies, and ELA. We saw students learn at a deeper level and retain more when engaged in creative thinking connected to the subject. Much like computational thinking, the Maker mindset requires students to engage in iterative thinking, creative thinking, critical thinking. They need to know how to pivot, how to change, how to revise, how to persevere, to solve complex problems and think divergently. |