Building 21st Century Skills with Computer Science

Students at Howe Manning Elementary School have been participating in the ‘Hour of Code’ this week.  They are using the puzzles on Code.org to develop 21^st Century Skills.  

Students work on a puzzle to make their character move to a certain location.  They use building blocks of code that have directions in which to move.  Critical thinking and problem solving (as well as patience) are essential when building these commands.

Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards and Expectations

Standard 3. Demonstrate the ability to use technology for research, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation.

G3-5: 3.6   With teacher direction, use appropriate technology tools to define problems and propose hypotheses.

G6-8: 3.4   Independently use appropriate technology tools (e.g., graphic organizer) to define problems and propose hypotheses.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards:

1.  Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve

problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

6. Technology operations and concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.