Computational Thinking
Computational thinking involves putting one's mindset into that of a computer. For example, if I wanted to tell a computer how to walk, I would have to instruct the computer to lift the left foot, move it forward place it down, and repeat with the right leg. A computer requires very specific instructions to solve problems. This week, my group and I explored the bead concept on a coding website (https://csdt.rpi.edu/culture/beadloom/index.html). We were able to create our own bead pattern using technology with algorithms, which is an important aspect of computational thinking. By instructing the computer with very specific steps, we were able to alter the color of the pattern, how many beads there were, and the repetition of the pattern. I found that it was somewhat difficult to navigate all of the steps so the computer would know what to do but this further stresses how important specific steps and algorithms are to computational thinking. The website mentioned earlier provides several different lessons in how culture can relate to computer science. It shows how computational thinking is involved in braiding, bead patterns, quilting, etc.