Developing Thinking Skills Through the Use of Simple Computer Programming

The computer education program at the Austine School for the Deaf (ASD), Brattleboro, Vermont, is in its second year. A one-semester course, "Introduction to Computers," is offered to junior high and senior high students. Teaching this course has enabled ASD to see how students' thinking skills can be expanded through the use of simple BASIC programming, Logo turtle graphics, and data processing using the PFS:FILE program. Some of the thinking skills are as follows: developing problem-solving skills to discover the most direct paths to reach goals, logical sequencing, analyzing, and classifying and organizing facts. Included are examples of student-created programs, student-expanded programs, and teacher-created or outside source programs that challenge and develop the students' thinking skills. No teacher has to be a computer expert to use these activities.