In this episode I discuss some example questions we can ask to encourage kids to think deeper about computer science and computational thinking by unpacking two papers on using guiding questions in mathematics education. The first paper paper by Way (2014) is titled “Using questioning to stimulate mathematical thinking” and the second paper by Pennant (2018) is titled “Developing a classroom culture that supports a problem-solving approach to mathematics.”

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

01:32 Introduction to the first article

01:39 Four types of computational thinking

02:07 Starter questions

02:42 Questions to stimulate computational thinking

03:24 Assessment questions

04:13 Final discussion questions

04:59 Levels of computational thinking

05:37 Memory

05:58 Translation

06:23 Interpretation

06:56 Application

07:22 Analysis

07:54 Synthesis

08:28 Evaluation

09:27 Introduction to the second article

09:44 Who does most of the talking in whole-class parts of the lesson?

10:46 What questions do I ask?

11:16 Who answers the questions?

11:55 How well do I listen to the students' answers and seek to understand what they are saying?

13:13 What do I do with the students' answers?

13:44 How do I facilitate the learning?

14:19 How confident are the students to take a risk, to try out ideas, to make mistakes?

15:11 What does my body language communicate?

16:39 Lingering questions and thoughts

16:48 What levels or types of computational thinking questions are different from the mathematical thinking discussed in this article?

17:13 What other question types, levels or techniques from other disciplines might inform the kinds of questions we ask in a computer science class?

18:00 Outro