Professional Development

Curriki Debuts Free PD Course on Computational Thinking

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 03/22/16

Curriki has launched a free self-paced professional development course for teachers focused on computational thinking (CT).

Computational thinking asks students to solve problems by breaking them down into chunks, identifying patterns, abstracting solutions and creating algorithms, using computers to assist when appropriate.

"Youngsters instinctively use CT in their play and later find they must relearn computational thinking to successfully use modern and future technologies," said D.E. Stevenson, emeritus associate professor at Clemson University's School of Computing, in a prepared statement. "The Curriki CT PD course provides an excellent introduction to the CT framework for applying critical thinking to open-ended problems."

Designed for computer science, math, science and humanities teachers, the new course, "Problem Solving through Computational Thinking for Educators, will provide teachers with an understanding of what CT is, why it is important, and ways they can incorporate CT skills into their classrooms," according to a news release. "Comprised of five distinct 'bite-sized' learning modules that introduce the concepts behind CT, this course will spark new ideas, expand teachers' skill sets, and provide concrete ways for them to help their students excel at critical thinking and problem solving."

The course is designed to help teachers learn to embed computational thinking into the curriculum they're already using.

"Whether a student's career path involves biology, communications, engineering or sales doesn't matter — they all often involve solving big problems, dealing with big data sets and creating solutions. A skill set in problem solving using computational thinking opens doors for anyone in any area," said Kim Jones, CEO at Curriki, in a prepared statrement. "Curriki is making computer science education possible for all students regardless of zip code and empowering them with skills that will be critical to the jobs of today and tomorrow."