No Fear Coding: Computational Thinking Across the K-5 Curriculum

By Heidi Williams

This new edition of the popular book No Fear Coding offers current research, updated tools and more cross-curricular connections for K-5 teachers to integrate into their classes.

Coding has become an essential skill for finding solutions to everyday problems, while computational thinking (CT) teaches reasoning and creativity, and offers an innovative approach to demonstrating content knowledge and seeing mathematical processes in action. No Fear Coding introduced many K-5 educators to ways to bring coding into their curriculum by embedding computational thinking skills into activities for different content areas.

This second edition features updated tools—including programmable robots and other physical computing devices—as well as new activities aligned to the ISTE Standards for Students and Computational Thinking Competencies.

Also new in this edition:

• New tools for teaching coding—including physical computing devices, block-based programming and AR/VR— along with methods for introducing, tutorials and lesson plans.
• Teachable examples and activities that illustrate CT concepts—decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithmic thinking.
• Resources for deeper understanding and discussion questions for professional development and reflection on the practice of teaching coding and CT.
• Tips on demystifying basic coding concepts so that teachers are comfortable teaching these concepts to their students.

No Fear Coding, Second Edition will help build students’ coding and CT knowledge to prepare them for the middle grades and beyond.

Audience: K-5 classroom teachers

• Language: English
• Publisher: International Society for Technology in Education
• Release date: Feb 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781564848628

Book preview

No Fear Coding

Computational Thinking Across the K–5 Curriculum, Second Edition

Heidi Williams

Copyright © 2021. International Society for Technology in Education

World rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system—without prior written permission from the publisher. Learn more at iste.org/resources/thought-leadership/permissions-and-reprints.

Director of Books and Journals: Colin Murcray

Acquisitions Editor: Valerie Witte

Managing Editor: Emily Reed

Copy Editor: Angela B. Wade

Proofreader: Laura Gibson

Indexer: Kento Ikeda

Book Design and Production: Jeff Puda

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Williams, Heidi, author.

Title: No fear coding : computational thinking across the K-5 classroom / Heidi Williams.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020039668 (print) | LCCN 2020039669 (ebook) | ISBN 9781564848659 (Paperback) | ISBN 9781564848628 (ePub) | ISBN 9781564848635 (mobi) | ISBN 9781564848642 (PDF)

Subjects: LCSH: Computer science—Study and teaching (Elementary) | Computer programming—Study and teaching (Elementary)

Classification: LCC QA76.27 .W38 2020 (print) | LCC QA76.27 (ebook) | DDC 372.34—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039668

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039669

First Edition

ISBN: 978-1-56484-865-9

Ebook version available.

Printed in the United States of America.

ISTE® is a registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in Education.

About ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that works with the global education community to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems and inspire innovation. Our worldwide network believes in the potential technology holds to transform teaching and learning.

ISTE sets a bold vision for education transformation through the ISTE Standards, a framework for students, educators, administrators, coaches, and computer science educators to rethink education and create innovative learning environments. ISTE hosts the annual ISTE Conference & Expo, one of the world’s most influential edtech events. The organization’s professional learning offerings include online courses, professional networks, year-round academies, peer-reviewed journals, and other publications. ISTE is also the leading publisher of books focused on technology in education. For more information or to become an ISTE member, visit iste.org. Subscribe to the ISTE YouTube channel and connect with ISTE on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Other titles in the Coding and Computational Thinking in the Curriculum Series

Creative Coding: Lessons and Strategies to Integrate Computer Science Across the 6–8 Curriculum by Josh Caldwell

Rev Up Robotics: Real-World Computational Thinking in the K–8 Classroom by Jorge Valenzuela

Coding + Math: Strengthen K–5 Math Skills with Computer Science by Keith Howard and Nicol Howard

To see all books available from ISTE, please visit iste.org/resources.

About the Author

Heidi Williams is a passionate coding and computational thinking advocate. Over her thirty-plus years of experience in education, she has served as a language, science, and mathematics teacher for grades 6–8 and held roles as a differentiation specialist, technology integration specialist, instructional coach, gifted and talented coordinator, elementary principal, and K–8 director of curriculum. Williams has shared her passion for integrating coding into the curriculum at local, state, regional, and national conferences, and has provided her expertise for conference presentations, coding coaching, professional development, and K–12 scope-and-sequence alignment of computer science and computational thinking throughout the curriculum.

Acknowledgments

The author and editor would like to thank the educators across the globe who continue to make an impact on student learning. During the historic time of COVID-19 and #BlackLivesMatter, passionate educators have spent countless hours redefining and reimaging what classroom instruction looks like. Without dedicated teachers such as you, we cannot move out of the industrialized and marginalized model of education. Thank you for embarking upon this journey as a trailblazer and being willing to STRETCh¹ yourself into the unknown.

A special thank you to all those educators who have read and provided feedback on the first edition of this book.

Due to the feedback of these educators, many resources have been added to the second edition. We encourage you to check out the QR codes embedded throughout the book, as many represent the work of educators currently implementing computer science and/or computational thinking lessons within their classrooms. The resources, lessons, and activities are truly global in representation. A special thank you goes to the educators across the world willing to share their work. The possibilities of K–5 CS/CT integration are endless!

This book would not have been possible without the support, encouragement, and involvement of the ISTE Computer Science Network. This community actively works to encourage the teaching of computer science in PK–16 and to advance educators’ skills and expertise in the area of computer science. Longstanding leadership team members who directly contributed to the ideas within the book include Joe Kmoch, Karen North, Michael Tempel, and Steve Rainwater. To learn more about ISTE communities and membership visit iste.org/join.

1  Striving to Reach Every Talented Child (STRETCh). Learn more about becoming a STRETCh Instructor at stretchinstructor.com.

_______________________

To Jeff Williams, my partner in life. You have been by my side

for every twist and turn, and your love continues to make me

strive to be my best self.

To Stephanie, Kimberly, Ashley and Bailey, my beautiful and

strong daughters. My hope is that you continue to be

the change-makers, for every story you share makes

the world a better place.

To all the educators who have touched my life,

please continue to STRETCh − Strive To Reach

Every Talented Child… Every Day!

_______________________

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part 1: Coding and Computational Thinking

CHAPTER 1: Why Should K–5 Educators Teach Coding?

CHAPTER 2: Coding = Computational Thinking in Action

CHAPTER 3: How Do Coding and CT Fit into Curriculum?

CHAPTER 4: What Teaching Coding Looks Like

Part 2: Engaging Young Coders with Physical Computing Devices

CHAPTER 5: Why Teach with Physical Computing Devices?

CHAPTER 6: How to Teach with Physical Computing Devices

CHAPTER 7: Physical Computing Devices in the Classroom: Resources to Help You Get Started

Part 3: Coding with Block-Based Programming Languages

CHAPTER 8: Why Introduce Students to Coding with Block-Based Programming Languages?

CHAPTER 9: How to Use Code.org within the Curriculum

CHAPTER 10: How to Use Scratch within the Curriculum

Part 4: Physical Computing: Coding and Physical Devices

CHAPTER 11: Why Pair Block-Based Programming with Physical Computing Devices?

CHAPTER 12: Physical Computing Resources

CHAPTER 13: What You Can Do to Support CS for All

Part 5: Coding and Beyond

CHAPTER 14: Augmented Reality: Create Real-World Experiences with ARIS

CHAPTER 15: Global Collaboration Challenge: Chess

Conclusion

References

Appendix A: Coding and the Standards for Mathematical Practice

Appendix B: Discussion Questions

Index

Preface

In his 2009 TED Talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Simon Sinek introduced a powerful model for inspirational leadership that begins with asking Why? He explained that most organizations and companies know what they do and how they do it, but less clear is why they do what they do. Simon discovered a pattern in how great leaders and organizations think, act, and communicate. He coined it the Golden Circle.

Using the Golden Circle, successful organizations begin by exploring their Why?: their purpose, belief, or reason for doing something. The Why? informs the processes we take to reach our desired result.

Educators can employ this same thinking by asking themselves why they embarked on a career in education. Answers to this question will vary but might include things like to help students succeed in their lives and careers or even to make the world a better place.

Figure F.1. Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle.

Keeping the Why? in mind, one can begin to explore from the inside out how to achieve teaching goals and what an effective instructional practice should look like.

No Fear Coding will start with why you should be teaching coding and computational thinking, how you can get it done without adding another thing to your day, and finally, what you can do to bring coding and computational thinking skills into your existing curriculum and daily instruction.

Introduction

The Industrial Model of Education Must Change

Visualize a telephone from one hundred years ago. Two months ago, I was in my father’s basement with my daughter when she found an old rotary phone. She asked how it worked and began poking her finger into the round holes by each number. With her finger in one of the holes, I slowly rotated the dial around. She watched in awe as it returned to its original position. Wow, she remarked. You had to do that seven times before having it ring on the other end? Didn’t that take, like, forever?

Unlike the telephone, our educational system hasn’t changed much from the classrooms of one hundred years ago. This is expressed in I Sued the School System, a YouTube video created by Prince Ea, an American rapper, in 2016 that has gone viral, receiving nearly 22 million views at the time of this printing (youtu.be/dqTTojTija8). The video contains a strong message for change, as the narrator calls School to the stand and accuses him of killing creativity and individuality. The case begins with images showing the changes in telephones and cars over the past century, and there is an audible gasp from the crowd when the image of a classroom from one hundred years ago is compared to one we see today. There is virtually no change.

For change in education to occur, we need to redefine what it means to be an educator. The video challenges us to think about how the world has progressed and requires students who can think creatively, innovatively, critically, independently, and with the ability to connect. For their important role in shaping future leaders, the speaker argues that teachers should earn as much as doctors. Just as doctors treat each person as an individual and perform tests to determine what treatment will help improve their patient’s health, teachers must help students improve their ability to process and use information. Learning to code and think computationally can help students master vital digital age skills (Williams, 2016).

Education Is Moving from Teaching to Learning

Those who went into teaching twenty years ago studied subject matter and teaching methodologies, and were often considered (and considered themselves) the holders of knowledge. With the availability of the internet, however, educators may no longer be the subject-matter experts in the classroom. Through Google searches, YouTube videos, and other methods, students are constantly finding and engaging with content they find interesting and have a passion for. In today’s classroom, it is quite possible that a student knows more about a given topic than the teacher does.

Thanks to technology and connectivity afforded by the internet and mobile devices, students no longer need to sit in a traditional classroom to learn the same thing at the same time. Students have access to tools such as Khan Academy, LearnZillion, Dreambox, IXL, and a variety of others to allow them to learn almost any subject they want to know more about. Gone are the days of having students leave school in June and return in September to pick up right where they left off. Students now leave for the summer only to continue learning, exploring their passions and gaining a whole new set of skills and background knowledge.

Changing our model of education involves shifting our focus from a teaching pedagogy to a learning pedagogy. In a teaching pedagogy, one asks, What should I teach? In a learning pedagogy, one asks, What should my students be able to do with what they learn? Both are important to the educational process and can be explained from the vantage point of the Golden Circle.

Within this construct, teaching is the how (the process or delivery mechanism) and the what (the content delivered or knowledge imparted). Motivation becomes a key factor in learning, as this should be the why of the educational process.

Here is where coding and computational thinking (CT) become so important. Coding and CT provide a vehicle for students to become creators with and/or of content, rather than just consumers of content. For example, students in a first grade class at Central Elementary School in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, were learning about addition and subtraction. Some of Ms. Kitzerow’s advanced math students were struggling with the mathematical concept of adding two numbers and subtracting a third number (for example, 2 + 5 − 3). Ms. Kitzerow provided students with a traditional number line, but they still struggled. Then she decided to use her Code & Go Mouse robots with a number line she created on the floor using blue tape. One student finally had an aha! moment and said, I get it! I move forward two and then five more. After that I move backward three. Seeing the robot mice move forward and backward within the intervals marked on the floor (the number line) helped the student visualize the concept with a hands-on, kinesthetic activity.

With the demand on teacher time to differentiate instruction for all learners, coding and CT are digital age skills that naturally lend themselves to differentiation. For example, there are at least five different ways to make a character move using any block-based programming language (as shown in Figure I.1). While all of these ways achieve the goal of creating character movement, students will naturally find ways that work for them. Those with stronger CT skills will