Advancing Equity in the K-5 Classroom

Introduction

What can a university teacher education faculty member do to teach and prepare teacher candidates on how to advance equity in the K-5 classroom? Along with this quandary, how can a teacher education faculty member model equity? These are questions that were addressed in a Language Arts for Young Children course and Music and Movement course at Hostos Community College/City University of New York as part of the author’s quest to (1) Increase the author’s scholarship of teaching and learning; and (2) Integrate computational thinking (CT) in teacher education courses with a dual goal of advancing equity in the K-5 classroom.

Purpose and Rationale

The purpose of this article is to call attention to the critical role of equity in the K-5 classroom, primarily through the integration of computational thinking (CT) in lesson planning. An initiative of the City University of New York (CUNY), integrating computer-integrated technology in academic disciplines is designed to increase teacher candidates’ learning outcomes as they prepare to teach in K-5 classrooms (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group, 2023) and to help them identify and disable inequities in the classroom.

The article is significant for teacher candidates who need to learn how to apply equity viewpoints when using crosscutting digital and computing practices to enrich learning and practice around conventional and contemporary teacher education topics. The article emphasizes the importance of student-centered methods that enable teacher candidates to create comprehensive and engaging learning experiences. By utilizing a framework like the 5E Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lesson plan template, the article demonstrates how teacher candidates can effectively merge technology and digital literacies across numerous disciplines, examples of which have been put in practice in CUNY teacher education courses (Patel 2021, 5).

Terms like computer-integrated technology education (CITE), equity, and equality are defined, strategies to manage diversity in the classroom are explored (Gray 2019, 2–4), and a method of infusing equity in lesson plan design is shared. Gaining a clear understanding of these terms and concepts are foundational to the method employed to help teacher-candidates.

Background

CITE refers to the integration of computing and digital literacies across disciplines in teacher education (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023). This includes CT vocabulary and definitions, various computing and non-computing strategies, and usage of varied computing platforms. CITE seeks to equip teacher candidates to teach and learn about, with, through, and against technology (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023).

The approach is to engage teacher candidates in affirming, learner-centered design processes guided by equity-focused mindsets. Development of artifacts fosters learning for teacher candidates as follows:

• ABOUT—Develop pedagogical practices that include conversation with their students regarding CT integration in multiple disciplines.
• WITH—Learn to teach with technology to support student learning and participation.
• THROUGH—Are empowered to encourage their students to express themselves through the creation and modification of computational activities.
• AGAINST—Develop effective ways to discuss CT concepts with their students.

This information is reflected (below) in chart form to better illustrate this information for teacher candidates.

CITE—Focus for Teacher Educators

Featured here are six categories for which CUNY outlined for teacher educators to focus in the CITE Initiative:

1. Learners; learning theory, including social, emotional, and academic dimensions; and application of learning theory
2. Creation and development of positive learning and work environments, including understand and engaging diverse local school and cultural communities
3. Equity and culturally responsive practice, including intersectionality of race, ethnicity, class, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and the impact of language acquisition and literacy development on learning, teaching strategies, materials, and technology used
4. Content, pedagogical, and/or professional knowledge relevant to the credential or degree sought
5. Instructional Practices and Assessment of and for student learning, use of data to inform planning, teaching strategies, materials, technology used
6. Dispositions and behaviors required for successful professional practice

About CT Integration

“Computational thinking is often mistakenly equated with using computer technology,” (Yadav et al. 2017, 11). With respect to this field, “The ideas behind coding a machine to perform certain tasks require very abstract concepts” (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich. 2021, 8). As students develop ideas around computational thinking (CT), helping them to make the transitions among coding concepts and other CT concepts is key.

In contrast, CT is defined as “a set of problem-solving thought processes derived from computer science, but applicable in any domain” (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 6). In brief, the processes can include computer usage, however, there are activities that can drive thought processes whereby computer usage is not needed with respect to other disciplines.

The CITE initiative was designed to engage faculty in developing CT content knowledge to share with teacher candidates. My work as a teacher education faculty member, cited in this article, was designed to train teacher candidates on how to use CT as a tool for their development so that they can use the same tools in the classroom with K-5 students. The concept of equity addressed in this article is also directed toward teacher-candidates in their learning process and as a model for them to replicate when they ultimately teach in K-5 classrooms.

“Computational thinking (CT) as a process involving formulating problems and their solutions in a way that they can be represented by computers can benefit PSTs (pre-service teachers) not only in preparation for teaching CS in K-12, but also in preparation to uncover for students the computational natures of science and mathematics (Weintrop et.al, 2016)" (Patel et. al. 2021, 1). CUNY is advancing equitable access to computing education in New York City. “CT integration was piloted in a generalist childhood program in order to reach PSTs who will be able to shape their students’ computing abilities and their computing identities” (Mills et al. 2021, 55).

I believe that teaching CT to teacher candidates is appropriate because it has been shown to be a useful tool for mind development (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 6). Conceptual development in CT is initially contained in the learning task in which the concept is learned. After this, through multiple instances of addressing a concept or skill, students start to develop deeper, more abstract ideas regarding the concepts (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 6). To develop CT skills, modeling of the skills is key, and breaking down the themes of computer science and CT into manageable parts for younger students is crucial.

About Equity

Turning to the concept of equity, a look at the difference between the core concepts of equity and equality can provide clarity. Equity can be defined as “the quality of being fair and impartial” recognizing that individuals have different circumstances and needs (United Way 2021, 1). With respect to racial and social justice, equity means “meeting communities where they are and allocating resources and opportunities as needed to create equal outcomes for all community members” (United Way 2021, 2). In contrast, equality can be defined as giving the same resources and opportunities to each person or group of people (United Way 2021, 2).

A clear example of an effective way teachers can exercise equity in the classroom is by giving feedback to students, which is essential for student development (Kelley et al. 2023, 3). The feedback should be “timely, specific, and clear in actionable steps” (Kelley et al. 2023, 2).

Another example of exercising equity in classrooms is by managing diversity (Gray 2019, 2–4). The acronym, EMBRACE, points to principles that can be exercised in the classroom to promote equity as follows (Gray 2019, 2–4):

Effective teaching and learning must begin with teachers. Therefore, to advance equity in the classroom, teachers must be equipped by ensuring that their instructional and content knowledge is comprehensive so that they can teach effectively, engaging their students in learning by using innovative content and instructional materials in diverse ways (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023).

The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group (2023) explored how CITE could be taught in an equitable way in the initiative. It was determined that problems could be solved, creativity could be used using platforms, and the overall use of digital technology could enhance learning and other areas.

The CITE working group also addressed inequity as it recognized that technology could also foster injustice by more scrutiny in digital processes for which certain populations might not be exposed and the possibility of encouraging misrepresentation and/or mistreatment in the work environment (Lachney et al., 2021). It was revealed that some technologies with steps to operate are written by authors with biases (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group, 2023). This can adversely affect populations who are ostracized because of their race, gender, ability, initial language spoken, or lack of access to technology or education in computing (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group, 2023).

Higher education institutions like CUNY can be unapproachable, unfair, and even vicious in the institution’s culture, particularly for people who are ostracized, or experience racism, or who are considered a minority in the society (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group, 2023). Multiple systems of oppression like processes of colonialism and slavery have grown in the past, and they continue to repeat in educational institutions, communications among people, rules and procedures, routines, and technologies (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group, 2023).

This article is designed to advance equity and professional practice that is receptive to multiple cultures, including connections like race, ethnicity, class, and the influence of linguistic development and knowledge growth on learning, teaching approaches, resources, and technology usage (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023). My goal is to share a model that teacher candidates can replicate while developing their personal CT skills for usage in the K-5 classroom in order to promote equity and culturally responsive practice. Integrating CT into classroom teaching and learning can help bridge the gap resulting in the development of critical thinking skills and technology-related skills.

Launch of CITE at Hostos Community College

I conducted this CITE innovation at Hostos Community College, located in Bronx, New York where students were predominantly Hispanic (58.4%) and Black (26.1%) (“Hostos Student Profile Data”, 2021). Seventy-one percent (71%) of the students were female and 29% of the students were male (“Hostos Student Profile Data”, 2021). The necessity to advance equity with teacher candidates coming from this context was paramount.

In October 2019, faculty engaged in dialogue as part of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) mindful conversation sessions sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning with respect to the topic of developing innovative teaching methods. The faculty came together again in the fall of 2020 to dialogue in a second conversation on the topic: A New Horizon for Inquiry, Reflecting and Why not, Sharing Insecurity—What’s going on in my teaching? Since the time period was during the Pandemic, the dialogue needed to consider online learning modalities.

Faculty shared what worked and failed in their online teaching journey during that time. Topics under consideration included how effective faculty members could be at reproducing face-to-face teaching strategies in the online learning modality. Faculty considered strategies to increase student engagement in the online environment and pondered effective methods to use to structure ways of online instruction that demanded student responsibility.

With the focus on navigating SoTL in Fall 2020 and preparing for the Spring 2021 online academic offerings, the dialogue focused on how to foster a safe space to share faculty vulnerability as faculty recognized the uncomfortable process of acquiring and implementing innovative teaching strategies. Moreover, dialogue focused on determining how to recognize specific academic discipline identity with online assessment tools. In sum, the session invited faculty to start organizing their ideas by probing within themselves the easiest questions in the scholarship of teaching and learning field: What’s going on in my teaching? How can I be a better teacher?

Simultaneously, many faculty at Hostos were participating in the CITE Initiative of CUNY for capacity building of university Teacher Education faculty to increase teacher candidates’ learning outcomes as they prepared to teach in K-5 classrooms with focus on integrating CT concepts in multiple academic disciplines (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023). “Integrating CT in academic disciplines is designed to increase teacher candidates’ learning outcomes as they prepare to teach in K-5 classrooms” (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023).

At Hostos, the grant-funded project goal was to rebuild an Introduction to Instructional Technology course from its base to promote and embed CT into its curriculum. Moreover, the goal was to integrate project-based and flipped-learning approaches to maximize the students’ educational experience. Frameworks like community of inquiry, UDL, 5E Model of Instruction, and the Hostos online course development guidelines were the core bases for the redesign of courses. To complete the task, teacher education faculty collaborated with an expert educator and consultant in the field of computer science education to elevate courses to the next level.

Method

I responded by developing a sample lesson plan (Artifact 1) using the UDL lesson plan template, which appears in the Appendix. The lesson plan template was modified to incorporate learning standards, goals, and objectives prior to the 5E prompts for the Model of Instruction. Courses (i.e., EDU 104-Language Arts for Young Children and EDU 109-Music and Movement) were taught utilizing the UDL lesson plan template, prompting teacher candidates to develop student-centered lesson plans.

Artifact 1—Sample Lesson Plan

(See Appendix)

Artifact 2—Scratch-developed Animal Race Depicting Movement

Artifact 2, using Scratch technology, reflected the achievement of equity in movement. The design depicted a race of two animals. Two sprites (i.e., a Bear and a Zebra) were used to depict movement and to reflect equity in the race. The Bear moved to the goal in steady movements. The Zebra started the journey later than the bear and moved toward the goal but paused. The Zebra then had to gallop more swiftly to catch up with the Bear. The two animals ultimately reached the goal at the same time. The Zebra’s effort required enhanced performance and persistence. The observer of the Scratch artifact sample waited until the end to discover whether one or both animals succeeded in crossing a forest.

Teacher candidates were urged to analyze the artifact sample prior to developing their own CT exercise in Scratch. Teacher candidates were urged to use the same technology but to depict equity in their own unique way. This exercise or intervention sought to equip Hostos teacher-candidates with content knowledge about computer-integrated activities to use in the lesson plans that they would use with students at K-5 levels.

Results

Classroom Pilots—Lesson Plan I

Teacher candidates were asked to develop a lesson plan using the UDL lesson plan template. Students were urged to start each lesson plan with the appropriate learning standards, goals (broad in scope), and objectives (specific and measurable). Students were to complete the categories of 5Es—Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation—in the UDL lesson plan template. The categories with a description for each are identified in a chart (in the Appendix).

The goal of the assignment was to help teacher candidates learn the process of integrating CT in a lesson plan using the UDL lesson plan template for skill development of a student-centered lesson plan. The assignment incorporated teacher candidates learning four CT vocabulary terms and their definitions including (“Computational Thinking Concepts Guide” ):

1. Algorithm—Creating an ordered series of instructions for solving similar problems or for doing a task.
2. Abstraction—Identifying and extracting relevant information to define main ideas.
3. Decomposition—Breaking down data, processes, or problems into smaller, manageable parts.
4. Pattern Recognition—Observing patterns, trends, and regularities in data.

Teacher candidates also were asked to describe at least two components of one of five areas (the Engage section) needed to complete the 5E UDL lesson plan template, and to only identify a CT exercise that could be used in the Engage section of their lesson plan reflecting at least one of four CT vocabulary terms learned.

Teacher candidates were taught the difference between unplugged versus plugged activities. Unplugged CT activities typically come in the form of games and activities or as curricular teaching materials (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 11). Curzon et al. (2018) described unplugged computing as physical objects or role play to illustrate computing concepts (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 11).

In contrast, plugged CT activities “consist of online puzzles or games that students can explore. They are often very tailored and heavily guided” (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 13). Examples: Code.org, Hour of Code activities, Kodables, and Tynker. “These plugged activities guide students through a set of graded exercises/puzzles to move characters through a scene (for example, a red Angry Bird going after a Green Pig). Through these experiences, students learned some of the basic concepts around programming such as sequencing, loops, and conditionals by using command blocks like ‘move forward’ or ‘turn left’” (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 13).

CITE Usage in EDU 104—Language Arts for Young Children

There was some differentiation between the two courses taught. In the Language Arts for Young Children course, students were asked to prepare their first lesson plan using a traditional lesson plan template with the second lesson plan in the UDL 5E lesson plan template that incorporated the CT exercise. The course included exercises to help teacher candidates equitably and meaningfully integrate computing and digital literacies across disciplines (i.e., English Language Arts, Math, the Arts, etc.) into teaching preparation in early-childhood classrooms.

New in this course was the usage of the 5E UDL lesson plan template, a CITE artifact (sample UDL lesson plan integrating English Language Arts or Math, Music, and CT, a second CITE artifact (animal race using Scratch technology), and second lesson plan using the 5E UDL lesson plan template that included a CT exercise. The 5E UDL lesson plan template was used to focus students on developing learner-centered lesson plans. The first artifact was used to provide a sample of what students could develop on a lesson topic they chose. The second artifact that used Scratch technology helped students analyze the various components needed for coding and served as an example of a CT exercise. The second lesson plan assignment helped students become proficient with integrating CT into lesson planning across disciplines in K-5 classrooms.

Learner outcomes were expected in the course via engagement in the following activities:

1. Development of a lesson plan using the 5E UDL lesson plan template.
2. Replication of the first artifact (discipline-integrated lesson plan) using a topic of student choice integrating CT.
3. Analysis of the second artifact (exercise developed using Scratch technology) including debugging.
4. Development of an original CT exercise, constituting the design of an original CT artifact used to enhance a lesson plan.

CITE Usage in EDU 109—Music and Movement

In the Music and Movement course, exercises were included to help teacher candidates equitably and meaningfully integrate computing and digital literacies across disciplines (i.e., English Language Arts, Math, the Arts, etc.) into teaching preparation in early-childhood classrooms. Teacher candidates were asked to prepare both lesson plans using the UDL 5E lesson plan template with the CT exercise to be inserted in the second lesson plan. Specifically, teacher candidates were to show movements by developing a dance project using Scratch technology. In addition, they were able to prepare an algorithm (steps depicting the movement of a character or characters) for the process in a dance project. Teacher candidates were informed that their role was to provide experiences that challenge young learners’ thinking so new connections could be made.

Advancing Equity via CT-Artifact

As part of the lesson plan process, students were asked to insert a CT exercise in their lesson plans. CT refers to the thought processes and attitudes involved in formulating problems and expressing solutions as computational steps that can be conducted by a computer, a human, or both (Wing 2010, 1; Aho 2011, 1). “Computing defined encompasses practices of CT including abstraction, algorithmic thinking, selecting tools, debugging, decomposition, pattern recognition, computational modeling, automation, and data practices as well as computer science . . . “ (Vogel et al. 2024, 15–16).

I introduced the topic of equity through a CT-artifact that was used as an example. The artifact was designed to help teacher candidates develop a CT exercise using Scratch technology that reflected movement and to help teacher candidates grow in CT skills development. The challenge for me achieving the lesson objectives included the need to model CT skills development to better learn how to teach CT integration in multiple courses for K-5 classrooms and to identify resources to explore fun CT exercises for elementary school children. Moreover, I had to learn multiple strategies to teach movement in a Music and Movement course.

“Teaching CT to children has been shown to be a good tool for mind development” (Moore and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2021, 6). Moreover, CITE’s mission is to integrate computing across disciplines for all teacher education programs (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023). Furthermore, to provide innovative teaching and learning opportunities, faculty and teacher education candidates must incorporate equity perspectives in lesson planning and “mobilize crosscutting digital and computing practices to enhance and transform learning and practice around traditional and expanded teacher education topics” (The CUNY CITE Equity Working Group 2023).

Teacher candidates were urged to analyze the artifact sample prior to developing their own CT exercise in Scratch. The teacher candidates’ objectives were to develop a CT exercise using Scratch that reflected movement, encompassed equity, and that offered them practice in developing CT skills. Prior to completing a CT exercise using Scratch, each engaged in a lesson focused on learning CT vocabulary and definitions, exploring the purpose of CT, and reviewing evidence of the importance of CT integration in teacher education.

Integrating CT into the Language Arts for Young Children course and the Music & Movement course using Scratch was designed as a creative and fun way to model a strategy that could engage elementary school children in learning about CT and movement. It also served as a means to help teacher candidates learn and model CT skills development to better learn how to teach CT integration in multiple disciplines in elementary school classrooms.

Artifact 2 connected to the Music & Movement course content in that the movement reflected in the Scratch design addressed each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy as follows (Chandio et al., 2021):

1. Remember—The Scratch exercise reinforced the learning of CT vocabulary via learning the definitions of CT concepts and memorization.
2. Understand—Teacher candidates were able to explain CT concepts when analyzing the Scratch artifact and while designing their own CT exercises.
3. Apply—Teacher candidates were able to develop exercises depicting movement using CT concepts.
4. Analyze—Teacher candidates were able to draw connections among CT concepts (i.e., compare and/or experiment) and movement strategies.
5. Evaluate—Teacher candidates were able to develop critiquing skills by continually assessing their Scratch exercises and defending their decisions with respect to debugging and other CT concepts.
6. Create—Teacher candidates were able to design a new Scratch exercise that reflected movement, incorporating an equity mindset in the Scratch exercise depiction.

The Scratch artifact used three learning standards as its foundation:

1. New York State Learning Standards for the Arts—Dance (3^rd Grade) – DA:Cr2.1.3—Identify and experiment with choreographic devices to create simple movement patterns and dance structures (e.g., repetition, AB, ABA, theme variation) (“New York State Learning Standards for the Arts: Dance at a Glance.” 2017 p. 4).
2. New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards (3^rd Grade) – 2–3.CT.6—Create two or more algorithms for the same task. (“New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards Grades K-12.” 2020, p. 26).
3. New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards (3^rd Grade) – 2–3.CT.9—Identify and debug errors within an algorithm or program that includes sequencing or repetition. (“New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards Grades K-12.” 2020, p. 28).

Classroom Pilots—Lesson Plan II

The goal with respect to piloting development of the second lesson plan was to help teacher candidates learn how to promote the development of joyful, meaningful learning experiences and outcomes for their elementary school students by engaging them in affirming, learner-centered design processes using Scratch with emphasis on an equity-focused mindset that recognized inequity and design strategies to overcome the inequity.

The second lesson plan assignment was designed to help teacher candidates analyze CT exercises in a lesson plan. Teacher candidates were able to define the four CT vocabulary terms mentioned earlier in this article, and able to develop a CT exercise that could be used in their second lesson plan that reflected at least one of four CT vocabulary terms learned. CT Exercises were to include: the activity, what the students were to do, what the instructor was to do, concept(s) learned, evidence gathered, teaching mode, and learning time. The CT exercises were assessed with criteria including the CT vocabulary term(s) represented in the exercise, identification of the strengths and weaknesses in the CT exercise, and determination of how the CT exercise could be improved. Teacher candidates were also asked to reflect on the assignment to uncover what they learned.

Discussion and Conclusion

CUNY Initiative—Sample Lesson Plan Artifact Faculty Peer Feedback

Faculty peers who participated in the CITE Initiative provided feedback regarding the author’s sample lesson plan. One peer indicated that the use of a mnemonic was helpful in enhancing teacher candidate learning outcomes with respect to remembering the steps in writing a song. Another peer indicated the effective modification of the UDL lesson plan template to incorporate the learning standards, goals, and objectives of the lesson as part of the template.

CUNY Initiative—Scratch Artifact Faculty Peer Feedback

Appendix

Universal Design for Learning Lesson Plan Template

Sample UDL Lesson Plan