This article begins by focusing on the idea of increasing "digital literacy and mathematical fluency" through a workshop dealing with computer coding. Computer coding helps people to advance mathematical understanding and spatial reasoning. Coding is significantly important with numbers showing that five of the top ten jobs in the United States are in information technology. However, they state that girl's attitudes towards math related careers diminished diminish at a far more substantial rate than boys, highlighting the need to focus on girls and STEM disciplines, and this led to the creating of the computer coding unit designed to girls in grades 6-8. The program that the girls use is called Scratch: "a graphical two-dimensional, drag-and-drop programming approach, with easy to understand graphical icons representing basic programming elements." They began using this program in the classroom by implementing lessons that may address how to create a new project, add and modify, move projects around the screen, etc. Scratch was also designed to help emphasize the role of mathematics and science in computing and technology. Three mathematical topics are focused on during the lessons: mathematical descriptions of position and movement, scaling and percentages, and mathematical abstraction of physics concepts. The article continues to talk about how Scratch could easily be implemented in your own classroom one to two hours a week. It talks about how math teachers could design a multidisciplinary coding unit with science, technology, and mathematics.
I was very surprised when I began reading this article that this is what it was about. Overall, though, I think this is a very interesting concept. It reminded me that in our high school we had a class that was similar to this, although they only considered it to be a "computers class." When I think back on it now, however, I remember how much math really went into the coding. You had to have a solid understanding of each mathematical concept before you could even begin to understand the program. This is somewhere that I could see trying to implement the Scratch program hitting a bump in the road. Even though this program is fairly interactive and usable, students would need to have a complete and thorough understanding of the concepts you would want them to use. I was extremely surprised that they wanted to implement this project in middle schools, because I just think they would have a very rough time being able to actually use this to its full potential. I like the idea and the goal they are working to accomplish and it is a great program, however I think something like this would be much more useful at the high school age once they have mastered these concepts and are closer to choosing their career path in college.
Thank you, Amanda:)
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