The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has announced its new ISTE Standards for Educators: Computational Thinking Competencies (CT Competencies).
CT Competencies focus on the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to bring computational thinking to all K-12 content areas and are designed for all educators, including those who are new to computer science. The CT Competencies represent the first-ever approach to correlate and align the ISTE Standards for Educators, the K–12 Computer Science Framework and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) standards for students. The CT Competencies will also be used by schools of education across the country helping to prepare new educators to lead the way with CT skills.
“The ISTE Computational Thinking Competencies are designed to prepare students with the skills needed to solve problems of the future,” said ISTE CEO Richard Culatta. “The CT Competencies provide a framework to help teachers leverage computational thinking across all areas of the curriculum, not just in CS classes.”
ISTE worked for nine months with the support and guidance of its Technical Working Group, Stakeholder Advisory Group, Computer Science partners and hundreds of educators to develop the CT Competencies.
As students are becoming creators of technology, not just consumers, the ISTE CT Competencies focus on the use of CT in all K-12 subjects, and are designed to enhance student understanding of how computer science concepts can drive productivity and help solve problems in all disciplines. ISTE and CSTA will collaborate to create CS Educator Standards that will establish clear guidelines on what computer science educators should know and be able to do by Fall 2019. These standards will provide a community of more than 33,000 teachers with aspirational goals to guide their professional learning, and benchmarks for professional development providers as they craft computer science PD experiences.
CT is a powerful ingredient for solving ambiguous, complex and open-ended problems by drawing on principles and practices central to computer science. “Regardless of what your content area is, computer science and the use of technology are an integral part of our students’ learning,” said Eric Anderson, math instructor at KM Perform in Kettle Moraine School District (WI). “It may not be the center of your content, but it is helping your content move forward.”
ISTE Standards for Educators: Computational Thinking Competencies include:
- Computational Thinking (Learner)
- Equity Leader (Leader)
- Collaborating Around Computing (Collaborator)
- Creativity and Design (Designer)
- Integrating Computational Thinking (Facilitator)
For more information about the ISTE Standards for Educators: Computational Thinking Competencies visit,
http://www.iste.org/standards/computational-thinking.
