NSF Awards: 1742466
This video highlights an NSF STEM+C project focused on integrating computer science and computational thinking into elementary mathematics, with a focus on fractions instruction. This project is currently in a no-cost extension year. In this video, we highlight our approach to CT integration as well as lessons and resources that have been developed.
Maya Israel
Associate professor
Thanks forwatching our LTEC video. We are happy to share any resources and answer questions about our project. We are now in our no-cost extension and are analyzing data related to students' computational thinking within the context of elementary math instruction. We have lesson plans, assessments, and lessons learned from this project.
DeLene Hoffner
Lead Teacher
I really enjoyed your video and project. What were the greatest lessons you learned through your work?
Maya Israel
Associate professor
Thanks for the question. There have been many lessons learned during this project. Two that come to mind immediately are: (1) the need for deep knowledge of both math and CS education as well as inclusive pedagogies in order to create authentically integrated materials, and (2) The importance of creating robust teacher materials including lesson plans, instructional videos, etc. alongside professional development given that the teachers in our study were new to CS (even though they were not new to math instruction).
DeLene Hoffner
Lead Teacher
Thank you so much, Maya. think your approach definitely meet these key outcomes. I agree that deep knowledge of math and CS (as well as those pedagogies) is essential. Along with the creation of robust teacher materials, effective training on these materials are key to their understanding of the what and HOW to reach the minds of their students. Have your reached out to NCTM to share your project? I would love to see your presentation at their next national conference.
Myriam Steinback
Independent Consultant
This project is so interesting. You say that these fractions sessions can be used with any program - have you seen it in action in a variety of programs? What PD if any have you offered to teachers to support them in using your sessions?
Diana Franklin
Associate Professor
The classrooms we worked with all used it with the Everyday Mathematics curriculum. We provided professional development each summer to help teachers be confident in coding in general, the Action Fractions curriculum, and how the mathematics and coding worked integrated. We are working now to retool the teacher materials so that they do not depend on resources provided by the EM curriculum.
Satabdi Basu
Josie Melton
Post-Doctoral Researcher and Senior Instructor
These sound like very engaging lessons! Did the project measure students computational thinking pre- and post- engagement with these curricular materials? I am curious about the types of student data that you are analyzing.
Maya Israel
Associate professor
Thanks for the question Josie. Our intent was to do pre/post in math instruction and three CT assessments (early, mid, and late). Because of COVID, our pre/post assessment was disrupted. We have math pre-assessments as well as the early and mid CT assessments. Our analysis has had to greatly pivot given these challenges. We are currently looking at math preassessment data as a potential independent variable when looking at the CT early and mid assessments. We are also looking at the CT item performance, error analysis, and CT understanding across different item types instead of our original plan.
Satabdi Basu
Josie Melton
Post-Doctoral Researcher and Senior Instructor
Flexibility is key during these times! It sounds like there will still be data to show how student understanding of CT is influenced by this project. Thanks for sharing.
Eric Hamilton
It is great to see a focus on mathematics and computational thinking at the elementary grade level. Some of the pure beauty of mathematics becomes more visible through better understandings of computational thinking. Our projects at Loyola where I was faculty in the 1990s used computational thinking / computers / programming to develop powerful ideas i first learned as a student at the Univ of Chicago before that. I feel institutional and subject matter affinity! And Andy, back in those days, I think you were more chronologically youthful, if memory serves me correctly. I certainly was!
Diana Franklin
Associate Professor
Oh, Andy is perpetually youthful, despite his impending retirement. There definitely are synergies from earlier attempts at CS + math, though I feel like this is a slightly different approach. A lot of early work was in Logo and looking at geometry and drawing with the turtle. Technology today enables a lot more variety in the the different ways we can integrate math and coding instruction.
Eric Hamilton
Wow. I think Andy is a bit my junior, so maybe I should start thinking about retirement. I did work with Max Bell and Karen Fuson before Amoco put its first dime into EM and UCSMP and while the turtle was making its first appearances in educational technology. Max was on my dissertation committee. if you need a funny story on this matter, I am happy to dish. :)
DeLene Hoffner
Lead Teacher
Bravo to all for this wonderful discussion! Thank you for viewing and adding your questions and expertise. Please share the STEM Showcase with others so they can participate in the discussion too. Let's get more educators involved in viewing these top projects. Voting and discussion ends on May 18th at 8PM EDT. (but viewing is open anytime) https://stemforall2021.videohall.com/
For presenters, what are your next steps going forward?
John Casebolt
Thank you for introducing me to the Action Fractions program. I have signed up and will be integrating the CT concepts into my 5th-grade Fractions unit next fall. This has been my first year teaching 5th-grade math and science after teaching at the 9-12 level for 8 years. I look forward to a great experience and future communications with the LTEC group.
Diana Franklin
Associate Professor
Wonderful! If your students have never used Scratch, I would suggest doing a subset of the 3rd grade ones (as fractions review) before doing the 4th grade ones. It does build CT skills across the two years.
John Casebolt
John Casebolt
Thank you very much. I will do that.