Integrated Computing

Welcome! This website is a repository for K-12 activities that include a computer science element but focus on learning objectives in other disciplines. It is designed to help teachers find an activity that supports learning in their primary discipline while introducing their students to computer science.

Why integrated computing:

In our students’ lifetime, computing (automating processes with the help of a computer) will become a fundamental tool of expression and productivity, like writing. It's already becoming part of other disciplinary standards, like NGSS and Common Core Math. Integrated computing allows us to apply the tool of computing to create and learn outside of computer science.

Computing often uses programming skills to describe processes to the computer. Because programming is just a communication tool, we can use it that way in integrated computing activities to promote problem-solving, creativity, and logical thinking.

Computing for learning:

A good way to learn is to teach. We can think of programming as teaching a computer.

A computer is also a particular kind of learner that will

• let the student try as many times as they want without fatigue
• give instant feedback
• follow instructions exactly
• not interpret instructions based on assumptions or prior knowledge

If a student can teach a computer to execute a process, then they have to deeply understand it. Plus, if they get stuck, it can be easy for teachers to see why because the student has externalized what they know in the program.