Computational thinking requires understanding the capabilities of computers, formulating problems to be addressed by a computer, and designing algorithms that a computer can execute. The most effective context and approach for developing computational thinking is learning computer science; they are intrinsically connected.

We learned that Discovery Education developers had already outlined the conceptual parameters of a space within Discovery Education for students to post original digital content mashed up with editable Discovery Education resources.

Students will use their own smart phones, tablets, netbooks, and other devices at school and outside of school to create digital resources . . .  Students will access the resources of our private cloud anytime, anywhere, and from any device with internet connectivity in order to create and use videos. 

In school, most youth only consume digital stories and resources. We need to transition from consumption to creation of digital content, from students as consumers to students as creators of digital content. When students create digital content that they value, they are much more likely to be engaged.

Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure. Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration. Construction calls on creativity as well as persistence, flexibility, and revision. Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product. Construction also brings in the role of groups of learners in the process of learning and as a result includes elements of social and cognitive constructivism. Learners are encouraged to be creative as they build and revise content.

Phase 3: Student-Centered Learning During Phase 3, students work both individually and in small groups at using strategies and skills from the previous phases to develop lines of inquiry around curricular topics. This type of project requires clear questions, multiple reliable sources, citations, and a final product that communicates that information to others.

performance tasks and other evidence. The perfor-mance tasks ask students to apply their learning to a new and authentic situation as means of assessing their understand-ing and ability to transfer their learning.

we consider our goals, examine established content standards (national, state, prov-ince, and district), and review curriculum expectations.

ading and writing are reciprocal; they’re both constructive, meaning-mak-ing processes. Researchers have found that reading leads to better writing,and that writing has the same effect on reading (Spivey, 1997). Not surprisingly, they’vealso learned that integrating instruction improves both reading and writing (Braunger& Lewis, 2006; Tierney & Shanahan, 1996). It’s possible that students use the same typeof thinking for both reading and writing

he reading process that Mrs. Goodman uses represents a significant shift inthinking about what students do as they read. Mrs. Goodman understands thatreaders construct meaning as they negotiate the texts they’re reading. Sheknows that it’s quite common for two students to read the same book and comeaway with different interpretations because meaning doesn’t exist on the pages of a book;instead, comprehension is created through the interaction between readers and the textsthey’re reading. This individualized view of readers’ interpretations reflects Rosenblatt’stransactive theory (2004).