Standard 11: STEM learning experiences integrate all STEM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEM.
Concept 1: The curriculum and associated learning activities integrate learning across all STEM disciplines (and additional content disciplines in schools that have adopted other include models of integrated learning, such as The Arts for STEAM schools)
Our team views Computer Science as a way to solve problems. Those problems can exist in various topics across all curriculums. Although many of our student created apps have been related to foreign languages, history and English, a large percentage of the assignments focus on the disciplines of STEM.
SCIENCE
Computer Science can crossover to other sciences like Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. We often talk about biology concepts when we discuss inheritance hierarchies. Physics is a important topic in game design. We often discuss acceleration, speed and mass. Chemistry is probably the most popular when we start our Flash Cards app. Students love to make their app use flash cards for the elements in the Periodic Table. We also discuss various events related to weather like earthquakes, hurricanes and tornados and specifically how they are categorized.
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TECHNOLOGY
Technology is the core of innovation. We teach students current technology standards and also learn about developing trends in the industry. The assignments below are a sample of topics that we discuss in class.
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Examples:
ENGINEERING
The Engineering process is often used in our computer science classes. Whether we are troubleshooting code or components or building from a blueprint or schematic, students are engaging in engineering processes almost daily.
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MATH
By far, Math is the most often discussed STEM discipline in Computer Science classes. It ranges from basic discussions about how expressions work, order of operations, to more advanced topics like base conversions and geometry.
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Examples:
Concept 2: The curriculum engages students in STEM processes and practices (such as the Engineering Design Process)
Problem Solving
Problem solving is essential in Computer Science classrooms. We teach students computational thinking strategies like how to identify algorithms and analyze how the process works. We also learn about debugging processes. We also teach students various ways to approach problems and how to recognize patterns, which could lead to them writing their own algorithms.
Design Process
The design process is a major part of Computer Science. It is human nature to jump right in and start building the solution, but we always encourage students to take time to research the problem to understand it fully before trying to solve the problem. Following the design processes below can help students when they are developing apps and games with other students.