S. Misar- Computational thinking and mathematics- can we balance programming with hands on?

Grover and Pea’s Computational Thinking, argue that the best environment for computational thinking is a “low floor, high ceiling” which will provide all students access to the curricula while not limiting the complexity or depth of student understanding. I admire this ideal for an environment in the classroom, however I am struggling to see how we can implement this into the mathematical representations presented in the Kaput et al article. Each of their representations of movement require a higher conceptual entry point for the middle school mind and an understanding of motion. This is to say nothing of empowering students to design such programs.  Also wonder why an in class demonstration especially of the second example with the Clown and Dude), couldn’t be simulated in person as opposed to the computer. In science and math, is there a way to embed programming into a problem and use it as a tool to find a solution to a larger problem? Not just embedding programming into the curriculum but into problems and projects. Can programming be used strategically as opposed to its own separate subject and address the variety of computational thinking topics mentioned on page 135 (Weintrop et al)? In reading the Weintrop article, I admired how the program for creating a rollercoaster and measuring its energy. I wonder if there is a way to combine programing and a hands on representation and imbed it into an engineering and design process. My favorite example of this combination is this: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-stem-strategies (however, they are not fully programming the way that is described in this article). I can understand that not all topics can be simulated in real life like the examples of DNA sequencing and gas laws- but for the ones that can be combined wouldn’t that make the use of programming more powerful? Can we teach students to integrate programming as a tool for solving and visualizing problems? So many of these articles argue for programming and digital simulations to become the project or the way to incorporate the engineering design process into the curriculum; but isn’t their value in the hands on experience outside the computer too? Is there a way to balance them? Won’t balancing them prepare students for the real world use of programming?

Both articles present ways to use programming to demonstrate mathematical and scientific concepts in middle and high school curriculum. How to we incorporate it into earlier curriculum so students can develop their knowledge and familiarity with programming?

I found the Kaput article fascinating about the history of mathematics and its relationship with the hierarchical structures within society; specifically, its design of instruction and reduction of the technical details when operating machinery. I wonder how can computational thinking and programming level the playing field when we face large barriers to access(wifi, devices, programs, highly qualified teachers, etc), how do we educate in-service and pre-service teachers fast enough to include it in today’s classroom, and how do we integrate it throughout the curriculum? In today’s assessment environment, I wonder about the time students will need in order to evaluate their “deconstruction, reverse engineering, and debugging” (Grover and Pea) and if computational thinking, prioritizes divergent thinking then how do we assess students if they use a different way to solve or construct?