Clever Computing for Children is an opportunity for schools to offer a world-class computation course to its students
What is Clever Computing for Children?
Clever Computing for Children is an online computer programming course for upper elementary and middle school students taught by Dr. Gary Stager. Schools may enroll classes of students for the eight-week course. Schools should select a fourth through eighth grade class to participate during the first iteration of the program. Mixed-age classes run as electives or afterschool courses are also possible. A limited number of schools will be accommodated each term.
Organization
There will be a thirty-to-sixty-minute synchronous Zoom session each week to introduce new concepts, answer questions, and share that week’s learning adventures (challenges). Videos of these sessions will be available immediately for students to consult and for those who miss the session for whatever reason.
The remainder of the week’s activities will take place asynchronously. Students will be encouraged to share their work to inspire peers and receive feedback. Questions are always welcome with an “ask three before me” protocol employed and encouraged. Students may contact the teacher (Dr. Stager) publicly or privately at any time within the course interface. “Office hours” may be scheduled as needed. Project work is expected to be shared online by the next synchronous session. Support materials and project briefs will be posted online for anytime anywhere retrieval.
What makes this course different from other online computer science classes?
Students in this course will learn from one of the world’s foremost authorities on learning by programming. Dr. Stager believes that computer programming is a new liberal art. It gives children agency over an increasingly complex and technologically sophisticated world. Programming is intellectually rich, creatively expressive, and fun. It is perfectly suited to a child’s remarkable capacity for intensity.
In addition to teacher expertise, the content of the Clever Computing for Children experience is quite unique. Most schools offer computer literacy instruction that provide awareness or “do a little Scratch.” These courses endeavor to inspire children to go much deeper. Being online, even partially, allows kids to work on projects unencumbered by a traditional school timetable. Ingenuity, creativity, and “hard fun” will be prized. The Internet affords the opportunity for students to learn with and from an expert. It adds invaluable expertise to your faculty.
More than technology – mathematical thinking is at the core
Clever Computing for Children has a strong emphasis on thinking mathematically. Building on the powerful ideas of Dr. Seymour Papert, these courses offer opportunities for children to be mathematicians, rather than being taught math. Mathematics is a way of making sense of the world and computer programming is the way mathematics is made. If our goals are no more ambitious than improving achievement on the existing math curriculum, we would teach every child to program computers. Much of the school math curriculum has no relevance or meaningful context outside of computing. Clever Computing for Children will feature learning adventures in which programming, computer science, and mathematics reinforce each other without an emphasis on syntax or vocabulary. The goal is fluency.
Computing makes project-based learning possible in mathematics. Even while designing graphics, storytelling, or gaming, mathematical thinking and computation are required to realize one’s ambitions. Debugging develops problem solving skills, resilience, independence, and other habits of mind critical for successfully navigating an uncertain future.
Who should take the course?
- Students who are ambivalent towards math
- Students who are good at math
- Students who enjoy computing
- Students with varying levels of motivation
- Students without access to formal computing experiences
- Students who have “done Scratch”
- Teachers
Open to public and private schools.
What makes this course different from other online computer science classes?
Students in this course will learn from one of the world’s foremost authorities on learning by programming. Dr. Stager believes that computer programming is a new liberal art. It gives children agency over an increasingly complex and technologically sophisticated world. Programming is intellectually rich, creatively expressive, and fun. It is perfectly suited to a child’s remarkable capacity for intensity.
In addition to teacher expertise, the content of the Clever Computing for Children experience is quite unique. Most schools offer computer literacy instruction that provide awareness or “do a little Scratch.” These courses endeavor to inspire children to go much deeper. Being online, even partially, allows kids to work on projects unencumbered by a traditional school timetable. Ingenuity, creativity, and “hard fun” will be prized.
Gary Stager began teaching children to program computers in 1982. Since that time, he has taught tens of thousands of educators to teach children to program. He has published countless articles, edited journals, and co-authored the influential book, Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, considered the “bible of the maker movement in schools.” Gary has consulted on the design of and written learning materials for LogoWriter, LogoEnsemble, and MicroWorlds. Dr. Stager led professional development in the world’s first 1:1 laptop schools and helped realize the potential of computer programming across the curriculum in countless schools around the world. He was on the advisory board of the National Science Foundation funded project, Beauty and Joy of Computing for New York City: Bringing a Rigorous Computer Science Principles Course to the Largest School System in the US and two other STEM NSF projects. He is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on learning-by-doing, robotics, computer programming and the maker movement in classrooms.
The secret sauce – teacher mentoring
As schools embrace the expectation that all teachers will teach computer science, models of what such teaching and learning look like are critical. When teachers see what is possible through the eyes, hands, and screens of students, they become motivated to learn and grow. Clever Computing for Children offers educators closest to the participating students to be mentored as part of the experience.
Teachers may participate in the course or observe students. Video documentation should be assembled and edited to inspire teachers within your school and beyond. This work may also form the basis for ongoing action research projects at the pre-service and in-service levels. The participating class and site should be selected based on a willingness to be recorded, interviewed, and participate in the documentation process.
Applications for new cohorts are now being accepted
For additional information regarding the curriculum and educational benefits, click here.