Decomposition
Breaking a complex problem into smaller parts that can be solved one at a time.
Module 1 · Lesson 1
Lesson 1 · What is computational thinking?
Defining the four components and locating them in lessons you already teach.
Computational thinking is the process of approaching a problem the way a computer scientist would: breaking it down, finding what repeats, filtering out what does not matter, and writing a repeatable procedure. It predates computers and applies well beyond them.
The four components
Pattern recognition
Noticing similarities and repetition across problems, so a known solution can be reused.
Abstraction
Filtering out detail that does not affect the outcome, to focus on what matters.
Algorithms
Writing a clear, ordered sequence of steps that reliably produces the intended result.
Learning objectives
- Define each of the four components of computational thinking in your own words
- Identify an example of each in a lesson you already teach
- Explain to a colleague why computational thinking is not the same as coding
- Anticipate where students typically struggle with each component
Reflection
Before moving to Lesson 2, choose one lesson you taught in the past two weeks and write down which of the four components it already used. Bring that example to the hands-on activities.