5 new lessons and 2 new resources to get you started using Computational Thinking in your classroom!

[Phil Wagner]

There are 5 new lessons published to the Exploring Computational Thinking Forum, and 2 new resources to get you started! Be sure to share these with the educators and students in your life.

Modern science involves modeling and statistics and with these lessons you can enhance what your students are already doing in the classroom. Computational Thinking is a skill that Google uses every day to solve big picture problems and make sense of enormous amounts of data. Your students can learn these vital skills and work with data in real world situations!

The lessons are aligned to the common core standards and are ready for you to start using tomorrow.

Computational Thinking is not about computers or programming, all of the lessons can be done without either. However, programming is a valuable tool for students to learn and you can integrate it into your curriculum far more easily than you would think.

We use the Python programming language because it is free and easy to get started quickly. The Python used in the lessons can be copied and pasted and is designed to be as simple as possible (often shorter than a paragraph).

1) Download and Installation Instructions: Be ready to go in minutes with the free installation, or use the Sage Notebook to program in Python from your browser. http://goo.gl/skVvb

2) Python Quick Reference Sheet: specifically created for these Computational Thinking lessons so you have exactly what you need to do these lessons. http://goo.gl/wxaDz

3) Law of Large Numbers and Probability: Did you ever wonder want to recreate Mendel's Pea Plant Experiment, or see why the Birthday Paradox works out? Test out the probability you have only thought about before in seconds! http://goo.gl/QdM3P

4) Mean and Standard Deviation: The first is often misused, the second is not well understood by many. Clear the confusion and show your students this powerful way of exploring data. http://goo.gl/vh3RG

5) Standard Deviation is such an important topic, we created another about its applications and how you can model it using Python. http://goo.gl/smkXF

6) Bayes Theorem can be your best friend, but it can be confusing as to its purpose and application. Find out how you can finally start analyzing everything from medical trial data to demographics/census data.

Did you know Google has a forum where you can connect with others using Computational Thinking in the classroom? Check it out and join the conversation, find support on implementing CT in the classroom, and resources to help further your understanding: http://goo.gl/IfQx2

If you are using Computational Thinking in your math, science, humanities, or otherwise, please let us know!