RO25 Computational thinking

First, a teacher from the Scoala Gimnazială Sfântul Nicolae made a presentation explaining the concept of computational thinking, the four pillars of computational thinking being : Decomposition, Abstraction, Pattern recognition, Algorithm. She gave examples of that way of reasoning in everyday life and emphasized its benefits and how it can be helpful to carry out tasks, complicated or more trivial.

The final task in this situation was to reproduce the traditional embroidery present on all Romanian costumes.

Before moving on to that final task that would require computational thinking, the teachers gave some information about the costume itself and in particular the traditional blouse called "ia". They explained how each element sends a message about the person: age, marital status, place of origin, destination of garment (marriage, festival, etc..).

They gave information about the tailoring patterns, the types of embroidery, the colours and sewing techniques. They also explained how to make the difference between an authentic handmade shirt and the machine-made ones.

Finally, the students started the final task. They had to reproduce patterns of embroidery first by breaking down a complex task into a sequence of simpler actions, then by finding a solution to a problem by applying the four principles of computational thinking. They were given thread and a needle, and some perforated cardboard for cross-stitch practice. Then, they started embroidering on a piece of fabric, following the diagram on paper. Once embroidered, the fabric was inserted into a wooden circle to create a medallion which was the final product.

The students realized the benefits of computational thinking and how they could apply it in their problem-solving situation. The students had the opportunity to transfer traditional motifs by sewing and inserting them into a concrete and here artistic object. They also learnt a lot about the vivid Romanian traditions and the messages and symbols conveyed by the traditional shirt. They all took an active part in the activity, which also improved their manual skills.