Digital Literacy & Computer Science

Kate Benson

Elementary Technology Integration Specialist

bensonk@weston.org

781-786-5315

WPS has identified key standards, lessons, and timelines that support student progress towards proficiency with the Massachusetts Department of Education’s GK-G5 Digital Literacy and Computer Science Framework (2016) and the 2022 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Curriculum Guide.

DLCS standards are organized in two grade spans, K-2 and 3-5. Within each grade span, standards are grouped into four strands: Computing and Society (CAS), Digital Tools and Collaboration (DTC), Computing Systems (CS), and Computational Thinking (CT).

Practices are integrated throughout the standards to help define performance expectations; what students should know and be able to do. Practices include connecting, creating, abstracting, analyzing, communicating, collaborating, research.

Elementary classroom teachers partner with the librarian and technology integration specialist to run lessons and activities with students in classrooms, school libraries, the Woodland School Hatch, the Country School Star Lab, and the Field School Innovation Space. Lessons and activities focus on the three DLCS strands identified below. Big ideas and essential understandings (standards) are documented on the district’s Teaching and Learning/Curriculum/Curriculum Standards page.

Computing & Society

  • Practicing and promoting safe and productive behaviors when online.
  • Recognizing rules and laws exist to provide and protect digital content.
  • Understanding how technology impacts individuals, families, and societies.

Digital Tools & Collaboration

Digital Tools & Collaboration

  • Using digital tools to create, review, and revise simple artifacts that include text, images, audio, video, and 3D models.
  • Using digital tools to communicate key ideas and details in a way that informs, persuades, and/or entertains.
  • Using digital tools to answer a research question.

Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking

  • Collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data with computing devices or digital tools.
  • Using algorithms to complete a task.
  • Read and write programs to predict and control what is happening on a screen and with a robot.