Supporting teacher understanding of emergent computational thinking in early elementary students

在小学早期教授计算机科学和计算思维越来越受到人们的关注和兴趣。该项目将使研究人员、专业发展提供者和早期小学教师(K-2)参与合作研究和开发过程，为K-2年级教师设计可扩展的专业发展体验。该项目将对人工制品、促进策略和互动模式进行现场测试和研究，以有效地使K-2教师了解他们的学生紧急使用计算思维策略。教师将使用在线平台进行协作，共享资源，该项目还将研究在线平台如何帮助接触和支持更多教师。教师的学习将得到教学教练的支持，他们将帮助教师将计算机科学融入到他们的教学中，并解释他们的学生理解计算思维的证据。该项目探索如何帮助教师识别和支持早期小学儿童的新兴计算思维。教师的专业学习模式包括一个由在线平台支持的实践社区和一名具有计算思维专业知识的教练。这项工作利用了早期数学专业发展的模型。该项目侧重于为可扩展的专业学习创造制度和条件，包括连贯性、教练、教师网络以及与学校和地区领导层的接触。研究问题是：(1)教师需要什么样的专业发展和指导来识别和支持青年学生语言和工作过程中的涌现计算思维发展？(2)教师需要什么样的专业发展和指导来识别青年学生工作产品中的涌现计算思维发展？(3)可扩展的专业学习系统如何帮助教师了解K-2学生的涌现计算思维发展？教师将开发课程，与学生一起使用，并与教练和实践社区中的其他教师一起反思他们的工作。数据收集和分析包括在线平台上的访谈、调查、观察和文献资料，以了解教师的专业学习和发展。该项目由CS for All：Research and RPPS计划资助。该计划旨在为所有美国学生提供有意义的机会，在他们的学校参加预科-12级的计算机科学教育。计算机科学，在这个项目中，包括使用计算工具，但也包括在我们的数字世界中应用计算所需的广泛的理解、能力和技能。这些通常被称为计算能力。探索研究预科-12项目(DRK-12)是该项目的共同资金来源，旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高预科-12学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验上的证明。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

There is an increasing focus and interest in teaching computer science and computational thinking in early elementary school. The project will engage researchers, professional development providers and early elementary teachers (K-2) in a collaborative research and development process to design a scalable professional development experience for grade K-2 teachers. The project will field test and conduct research on the artifacts, facilitation strategies and modes of interaction that effectively prepare K-2 teachers to learn about their students’ emergent use of computational thinking strategies. The teachers will collaborate using an online platform for sharing resources, and the project will also study how the online platform can help to reach and support more teachers. The teachers’ learning will be supported by instructional coaches who will help the teachers to integrate computer science into their teaching, and to interpret evidence of their students’ understanding of computational thinking.The project explores how to help teachers identify and support about early elementary children’s emergent computational thinking. The professional learning model for teachers includes a community of practice supported by an online platform and a coach with expertise in computational thinking. The work leverages models for professional development in early grades mathematics. The project focuses on creating systems and conditions for scalable professional learning including coherence, coaching, teacher networks, and engagement with school and district leadership. The research questions are: (1) What kind of professional development and guidance do teachers need to identify and support emergent computational thinking development in young students’ language and work process? (2) What kind of professional development and guidance do teachers need to identify emergent computational thinking development in young students’ work products? (3) How can a scalable professional learning system help teachers understand the development of emergent computational thinking in K-2 students? The teachers will develop lessons, use them with students, and reflect about their work with the coach and the other teachers in their community of practice. The data collection and analysis include interviews, surveys, observations, and documentation from the online platform to understand teachers’ professional learning and development. This project is funded by the CS for All: Research and RPPs program. This program aims to provide all U.S. students with meaningful opportunities to participate in computer science education in their schools at the Prek-12 levels. Computer science, in this program, includes use of computational tools, but also the broad range of understandings, competencies, and skills needed to apply computation in our digital world. These are often referred to as computational literacy.The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12), which has co-funded this project, seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.