Computational Thinking and Why It Matters
Beth Murphy · Connected Science Learning · 2023
Every now and then, I think of how much schooling has changed since I was a kid. This is true across all disciplines, and certainly when it comes to science-related subjects. Honestly, as I write this, only a single science memory from before ninth grade comes to mind: learning about archaeological discoveries from textbook and film. I must admit, though, the fact that I remember this is most likely because my classmate Rusty ran around the wooded part of our schoolyard during recess for the better part of a week pretending he was Dr. Richard Leakey digging up Homo sapiens skulls, not because of any classroom lesson. Clearly, Rusty found the textbook reading to be inspiring; I doubt it worked out that way for most of my classmates. Looking back, I realize that I went into science because I liked solving word problems, not because I wanted to be a scientist or, frankly, really understood what the job of a scientist was like. When I was a graduate student and even an early-career college professor, I struggled with coming up with my own questions to investigate because my prior experience honing this skill was so limited. I think of how much better prepared I would have been if I learned science as it is being taught now.