Have you ever thought about how you would you map the entire human DNA sequence? It is really possible that William Shakespeare wrote all of the plays that bear his name? What about designing a computer program that creates novel music compositions?
All of the skills needed to answer these questions make up what we consider computational thinking (CT), a problem solving technique that software engineers at Google and elsewhere apply all the time to write the programs that underlay the computer applications you use every day, including search, Gmail and Google Maps. Not only is this 21st century skill critical to being successful in the field of computer science, it’s also increasingly important to several careers outside of our industry and computer science, given the ubiquity of technology in our lives today.
As a result, educators are using Computational Thinking in their disciplines around the world. Whether they teach math, science, or humanities, computational thinking can be a powerful addition to classroom activities. By integrating computational thinking skills across subjects, we can help prepare all students to contribute new solutions to seemingly impossible problems!
Our new online course, Computational Thinking for Educators, is free and intended for anyone working with students ages 13 to 18, who is interested in enhancing their teaching with creative thinking and problem solving. We believe all students should learn computational thinking, regardless of subject, age or access to technology in the classroom. If our students are technology creators, equipped with computational skills, they’ll be able to participate and position themselves professionally in a globalized society, helping to solve the biggest challenges using creativity.
Sound interesting? Join us and other educators around the world as we take on Computational Thinking for Educators. This course will run from July 15-September 30, 2015.
