By: Raymond Anacaya
Computational thinking (CT) is a cornerstone of 21st-century education. Yet, in classrooms across the country, CT is associated narrowly with coding and technology. Yet, its principles, like pattern recognition, abstraction, decomposition, and algorithms, are fundamental to every subject area. Building off of prior projects around STEM integration, The Citadel and UT-Arlington’s innovative project funded by NSF, “Unboxing CT,” led by Dr. Jennifer Albert, Dr. Robin Jocius, Dr. Candace Joswick, Dr. Deepti Joshi, and Dr. Melanie Blanton, is broadening how elementary teachers in South Carolina view CT by providing them the tools they need to integrate CT concepts into their daily teaching, especially in literacy.
Central to the project is a professional development series that values collaboration, hands-on experience, and teacher-driven learning. Elementary teachers will engage in sessions led by their peers, where they will learn how to bring the joy of computational thinking into their existing curriculum. Teachers co-create lesson plans and receive various resources like books and robotics kits to help them integrate CT knowledge, skills, and dispositions into their everyday teaching in the classrooms. For example, while sharing a story, teachers can help students recognize themes or patterns (pattern recognition), paraphrase the main idea (abstraction), dissect the narrative into key parts like setting, characters, and plot (decomposition), and outline the sequence of events (algorithm). Unboxing CT helps students see computational thinking as a valuable tool for analyzing and solving problems. As teachers become more skilled in integrating computational thinking into their core curriculum through a cycle of professional development and online sessions, students build literacy skills and enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity, which are crucial abilities for success in this modern world.
Accessibility is truly at the heart of Unboxing CT.
The project features a mix of plugged and unplugged activities to ensure every teacher can integrate CT with and without the technology. The program provides accessible lesson plans that will be published in the coming years after testing from the teacher participants. These lesson plans provide different alternative modes (plugged and unplugged) to ensure that all can implement CT lessons. These engaging hands-on activities make computational thinking accessible and also enhance students’ literacy and problem-solving skills. The lack of resources doesn’t hold teachers and students back from bringing CT into the fabric of their teaching-learning process. Unboxing CT aims to foster a more equitable learning environment that shows computational thinking goes beyond technical skills but offers a solid framework for learning and solving problems in various settings.
Furthermore, beyond its immediate benefits, Unboxing CT provides a flexible model for integrating computational thinking into various educational settings. The project refines its approach through ongoing cycles of design, implementation, and assessment, resulting in flexible solutions for teacher professional development and lesson planning that may be applied in other schools and districts. This effort builds a solid foundation for the widespread adoption of lesson plans in integrating computational thinking across various educational environments by focusing on teacher development and the dynamics of research-practice partnerships.
As a participant in Unboxing CT, I have been able to enhance and expand Project AIM (Animating Imaginations in Motion), designed to help my students animate their stories, which incorporate CT principles in creative and engaging ways. With the knowledge that all students have access to technology like laptops, Chromebooks, and iPads, I have intertwined CT with free tools like Canva and Scratch. Students break down their narratives into scenes (decomposition), identify recurring themes (pattern recognition), and design step-by-step sequences for animations (algorithmic thinking). These projects strengthened my students’ comprehension and storytelling skills and advanced their problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, as reflected in their increased academic performance and test scores. Unboxing CT professional development opportunities and collaborative support have allowed me to refine my initiative, making it even more impactful in the classroom.
Unboxing CT empowers teachers to be leaders in integrating computational thinking in their schools and elevates them as leaders driving this meaningful change. Through this project, teachers will be equipped with practical tools that promote teamwork and equal access to resources. It serves as a compelling reminder that when we fully embrace computational thinking, it evolves from just coding into a universal language that unlocks new learning opportunities and promotes equity in education, empowering teachers and students to flourish in an increasingly digital world.
About the Author
Raymond Z. Anacaya is an interventionist at Olanta Creative Arts and Science Magnet School in South Carolina, with 10 years of teaching experience and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership degree. He has dedicated his career to improving reading comprehension and numeracy skills through innovative STEM projects. Raymond was named PeeDee Region STEM Educator of the Year and was one of the Top 5 Finalists for South Carolina. He introduced after-school courses in coding, STEM experiments, and robotics, significantly expanding his school’s initiatives. He also implemented the AIM (Animating Imaginations in Motion) project, which led to notable improvements in students’ test scores. Raymond is committed to ensuring equitable access to STEM education, particularly for underprivileged students. He continually seeks professional development opportunities and collaborates with various stakeholders to enhance educational outcomes. His passion lies in motivating students to engage with STEM early on, believing that this early exposure is crucial for underrepresented students to pursue CS careers.
