Using Computational Thinking to Demystify Computer Science for Elementary Teachers

The computer science education research community has thought deeply about how students learn computational thinking (CT) as it relates to other domains of computer science (CS; e.g. programming) and core content areas (STEM, humanities), but less work has examined the role of CT in pathways to computer science for K-5 teachers. This panel examines the experiences of practitioners - educators, administrators, and curriculum designers--who have both experienced and supported others in incorporating CT in elementary school settings as a pathway to or component of computer science education. All panelists have worked with teachers not previously trained to teach CS and have encountered the many opportunities and difficulties of bringing CS to in-service teachers. They will reflect on the multiple ways educators grapple with CT: as an entry point to computer science, as a way to enrich core disciplines, and as a way to support equitable practice - for example, several of the panelists have experiences leveraging CT and other domains of CS to support the expression and development of emergent bilingual students. The panel will explore ways in which CT and its associated language and strategies for problem solving may provide a particularly helpful onramp to CS generally, including integration with other disciplines and with language about academic skills more generally.