CTN-2016-Playground

> >> > Computing Teachers Network (CTN) Playground for ISTE 2016 Pennsylvania Convention Center  (modified 6/11/2016:11:30pm CDT) > The mission of the Computing Teachers Network is to advance the practice of teaching computing and computer science in PK-12 education that meets needs both for all students and for those wishing to study some aspect of the discipline in more depth. || > **The CTN Playground** is focused around ideas, issues and practical examples which support our mission of teaching and learning about computing. We want all exhibits to identify aspects of Computational Thinking they support and be primarily staffed by students if at all possible. Areas included are computer science and information technology areas. From a degree, program or career perspective, this would include the ACM Curriculum areas of Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Information Systems and Computer Engineering. > > Our members come from a very diverse educational component – many are teachers in the classroom, but we also have teacher educators, media specialists, some in education services (such as consultants or providers of outside content). Our membership draws from many of the 26 Professional Learning Networks (PLNs). Our members are looking for ways to to encourage the creative use the technology including its modification and adaptation, by students solving interesting, relevant and new problems in the classroom. In this way we meet our mission of teaching and learning about computing. > > As indicated earlier, for ISTE 2016 our Playground will again focus on Computational Thinking (CT). The knowledge, skills, dispositions and vocabulary are defined and exemplified in three documents from ISTE's Computational Thinking page of resources. > (includes knowledge, skills and dispositions) > > >
 * **Computing Teachers Network (CTN)**

> __Time and location:__ half day, Sunday, June 26 from 12:30pm-4:00pm, with a location in heavy traffic with wall space if possible, similar to the last few years. > __Area Layout__: We will have 4 presentation areas with interactive screens for projecting data along with an area for 12 tables of size 4'x4' and about 10 six-foot rectangular tables used as project demonstration/ exhibit areas > __Leaders:__ Joe Kmoch  and Karen North  > > __Playground Title__: Computational Thinking in Computer Science, STEM, STEAM and CTE > __Playground Description for Program:__ > Interact with student teams showing projects highlighting core CT concepts. They represent programs in the Philadelphia area. See the future in these students! > __Purpose and Objective__ > The purpose is to have each of our project teams (at least 8) identify both concepts and dispositions of Computational Thinking which their project highlights primarily and secondarily. The mapping to the CCSS Mathematical Practices should be clear from this. Both informal education (ala 4-H, Boys & Girls Clubs) and formal classroom education will be seen. > __Outline__ > The participants in the playground will determine any short presentations they will make to visitors; by necessity, these will be short but informative to the visitors. The playground area is laid out in a kind of buffet-style where visitors can pick and choose who they want to talk to and what they want to see > __Standards addressed__ > There is a distinct and close mapping between the CCSM Mathematics Practices and the Computational Thinking Dispositions and Concepts. Through the student projects which will be primarily grades 4-12, the dispositions on display will be > These are consistent and are mapped to the 8 CCSM Math Practices. > > Plan
 * PLAYGROUND**
 * Confidence in dealing with complexity
 * Persistence in working with difficult problems
 * Tolerance for ambiguity
 * The ability the deal with open ended problems
 * The ability to communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal or solution
 * Our plans now include
 * engaging informal education groups that have STEM or CS or IT programs which students would demonstrate (for 2016, Boys and Girls Clubs) at least two student groups
 * including one or more tabletop robotics with student demonstrations (e.g., Bee-Bots/Pro-Bots, Spheros)
 * finding a college team that has created an outreach program aimed at middle and/or high school students
 * involving one or more winners of the Denver area NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing competition to demonstrate their current work
 * engaging a workshop leader of the Code.org K-5 computer science program
 * engaging representative USFIRST Robotics Teams at each of their levels: FRC, FTC, FLL and FLLjr.
 * engaging a representative VEX Robotics Team
 * We will focus our Playground with the dual notions that this is all about Computational Thinking and that computing careers (largely computer science based) will make up about 70% of all new STEM jobs over the next half dozen years at least.

Previous Playgrounds 2010: Denver; 2011: Philadelphia; 2012: San Diego; 2013: San Antonio; 2014: Atlanta; 2015: Philadelphia; 2016: Denver; 2017: San Antonio

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