In December 2016, I spent two days in a grade 4/5 classroom to introduce the students to computational thinking in the context of coding. At that time, I had access to twelve Sphero robots; we used them in conjunction with the Lightning Lab iPad app. On the first day, I introduced the class to some of the more basic programming functions in the app, and I modeled some computational thinking practices as I developed and modified my script. The students spent the remainder of the time that day simply experimenting with Sphero and Lightning Lab.
On our second day with the robots, the host teacher and I presented the students with the task of creating mazes on the floor using masking tape, then programming their Spheros to navigate the mazes. As we circulated through the workspace, I noticed that one pair of boys had created a particularly complex maze. I stopped to watch as they very methodically created and adapted a code that enabled them to guide their Sphero through the maze. As they worked, they demonstrated a high degree of resilience. When a change to their code did not work as they had hoped, they simply tinkered with it until it did. At no time did I witness any frustration on their part. I also noted that they demonstrated a strong command of the mathematical concepts at play. These included determining angles without a protractor and the proportionality involved in adapting time and speed inputs to get specific distance outputs. After completing their own maze, these students went on to apply their understanding and skills to other students’ mazes.
As pleased as I was with the boys’ success, I did not quite know what to make of it. I had only worked in this classroom once before, and, as I am not a regular staff member at that school, I did not know the students very well. For all I knew, their performance could have been typical for them. I found the classroom teacher and described to him the computational thinking and mathematical understanding that I had witnessed moments before. He informed me that the two boys I had watched were among his lowest achieving students in mathematics.
On our second day with the robots, the host teacher and I presented the students with the task of creating mazes on the floor using masking tape, then programming their Spheros to navigate the mazes. As we circulated through the workspace, I noticed that one pair of boys had created a particularly complex maze. I stopped to watch as they very methodically created and adapted a code that enabled them to guide their Sphero through the maze. As they worked, they demonstrated a high degree of resilience. When a change to their code did not work as they had hoped, they simply tinkered with it until it did. At no time did I witness any frustration on their part. I also noted that they demonstrated a strong command of the mathematical concepts at play. These included determining angles without a protractor and the proportionality involved in adapting time and speed inputs to get specific distance outputs. After completing their own maze, these students went on to apply their understanding and skills to other students’ mazes.
As pleased as I was with the boys’ success, I did not quite know what to make of it. I had only worked in this classroom once before, and, as I am not a regular staff member at that school, I did not know the students very well. For all I knew, their performance could have been typical for them. I found the classroom teacher and described to him the computational thinking and mathematical understanding that I had witnessed moments before. He informed me that the two boys I had watched were among his lowest achieving students in mathematics.
This response did not entirely surprise me, but only because it is something that I had heard several times before. I have had the opportunity to use coding activities (both with and without programmable robots) to teach math lessons in several classrooms. During such sessions, it is very difficult for me, as a relative outsider, to discern the students who usually excel in math from those who normally struggle. Often, the host teachers’ comments mimic those of that Grade 4/5 teacher: the students who normally have difficulty succeeding in mathematics class tend to perform at a higher level in the context of computational thinking presented through coding activities.
Occurrences such as the one described above cause me to ask the following questions:
To answer these questions, it will be necessary to define computational thinking, coding, and computer programming, and to provide some background information to differentiate them. Then, an overview of Universal Design for Learning will be required. Once these pieces are in place, I will join the two big ideas by highlighting theoretical points of commonality between UDL and computational thinking as presented through coding. Finally, the theory described in the previous step will be tested as the observations and results of a two-month computational thinking project in a grade 6 classroom are revealed and analyzed.
Occurrences such as the one described above cause me to ask the following questions:
- Is there something about computational thinking via coding activities that makes mathematics more accessible to all learners (including those who typically struggle with math)?
- Does the inclusion of computational thinking via coding activities in regular classroom instruction contribute to a learning environment built on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
To answer these questions, it will be necessary to define computational thinking, coding, and computer programming, and to provide some background information to differentiate them. Then, an overview of Universal Design for Learning will be required. Once these pieces are in place, I will join the two big ideas by highlighting theoretical points of commonality between UDL and computational thinking as presented through coding. Finally, the theory described in the previous step will be tested as the observations and results of a two-month computational thinking project in a grade 6 classroom are revealed and analyzed.