Computational Literacies Lab

Projects

Rethinking computational thinking

The introduction of computer science (CS) into primary and secondary education raises two questions for researchers and policymakers: What is the essence of computer science? And how might computing be broadly relevant across and beyond disciplines? Computational thinking (CT) has been tasked with answering both questions. This largely-theoretical project developed the construct of Computational Literacies, a more robust alternative.

Interactive Storytelling

This is all about Unfold Studio. This is all about Unfold Studio. This is all about Unfold Studio. This is all about Unfold Studio. This is all about Unfold Studio. This is all about Unfold Studio.

Minecraft Utopia

Minecraft Utopia is a weekly Minecraft workshop for children in late-elementary/early-middle to be held over the course of Summer 2021. The project is a collaboration between Dr. Dalia Antonia Caraballo Muller, Associate Professor of Latin American and Caribbean History at UB's College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Chris Proctor, Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences at UB's Graduate School of Education.

The central goal of this workshop is to design critical educational experiences for children which recognize the profound impact of computing on our lives. Dalia's prior work developing the Impossible Project, an afrofuturist/afropessimist critical pedagogy for UB undergraduates, led her to ask what an Impossible Project for children might look like. Chris's prior work on situated and critical perspectives in K-12 Computer Science education led him to ask how elementary computing education might orient toward different outcomes.

Please check back here for updates.

Community computing

This project is about building community understandings of what computer science is and designing the kind of CS they want in their schools. Funded by NSF CS For All RPP grant.

CS Teacher Preparation

The University at Buffalo will be launching an inital/professional teacher preparation program for new teachers, as well as an advanced certificate for in-service teachers with backgrounds in different subjects. This program creates a pathway for students to specialize in computer science education. In order to do this, researchers from the university will be partnering with a local school district (administration, faculty, students, parents, and community members) to design a curriculum, study aspects of CS pedagocial content knowledge, and create an environment in which to train future CS teachers.

If you're interested in the research behind our research, and the goals of this project, follow the link to the right! If you're a member of the local community and have questions, please contact chrisp@buffalo.edu.

More coming soon!