Think Like a Computer: Computational Thinking for Every Classroom

Use decomposition, abstraction, data, algorithms, testing and refinement to design computational-thinking opportunities across subjects without turning every lesson into coding.

• Separate computational thinking from simply using technology — A digital tool can support computational thinking, but using a device does not automatically make the thinking computational.
• Decompose complexity without fragmenting the learning — Decomposition makes a complex problem more manageable by identifying meaningful parts, relationships and dependencies.
• Use abstraction and data to represent what matters — Abstraction helps learners decide which details matter for a purpose; data representations make those choices visible and testable.
• Design procedures that can be followed, tested and improved — Algorithmic thinking makes a process explicit enough that another person—or a computer—could carry it out consistently.
• Test, debug and transfer the thinking — Computational thinking becomes powerful when learners expect first versions to fail, use evidence from those failures and transfer the process to new contexts.