Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS)

Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) knowledge, reasoning, and skills are essential both to prepare students for personal and civic efficacy in the twenty-first century and to prepare and inspire a much larger and more diverse number of students to pursue the innovative and creative careers of the future. In Massachusetts, DLCS instruction includes the areas of computing and society, digital tools and collaboration, computing systems, and computational thinking.

Although Digital Literacy, Information Technology and Computer Science are distinctive in nature, it is essential to take an inclusive approach to teaching and preparing our students for today's modern society. The standards represent the core elements of digital literacy and computer science, not the totality of each.

Kindergarten to Grade 2: Digital Tools and Collaboration [DTC]

Digital Tools [K-2.DTC.a]

1. Operate a variety of digital tools (e.g., open/close, find, save/print, navigate, use input/output devices).

2. Identify, locate, and use letters, numbers, and special keys on a keyboard (e.g., Space Bar, Shift, Delete).

3. Create a simple digital artifact.

4. Use appropriate digital tools individually and collaboratively to create, review, and revise simple artifacts that include text, images and audio.

Collaboration and Communication [K-2.DTC.b]

1. Collaboratively use digital tools and media resources to communicate key ideas and details in a way that informs, persuades, and/or entertains.

2. Use a variety of digital tools to exchange information and feedback with teachers.

3. Use a variety of digital tools to present information to others.

Programming and Development [K-2.CT.d]

1. Define a computer program as a set of commands created by people to do something.

2. Explain that computers only follow the program’s instructions.

3. Individually or collaboratively, create a simple program using visual instructions or tools that do not require a textual programming language (e.g., “unplugged” programming activities, a block- based programming language).

Modeling and Simulation [K-2.CT.e]

1. Describe how models represent a real-life system (e.g., globe, map, solar system, digital elevation model, weather map).

2. Define simulation and identify the concepts illustrated by a simple simulation (e.g., growth and health, butterfly life cycle).

Grades 3 to 5: Computational Thinking [CT]

Programming and Development [3-5.CT.d]

1. Individually and collaboratively create, test, and modify a program in a graphical environment (e.g., block-based visual programming language).

2. Use arithmetic operators, conditionals, and repetition in programs.

3. Use interactive debugging to detect and correct simple program errors.

4. Recognize that programs need known starting values (e.g., set initial score to zero in a game).

Modeling and Simulation [3-5.CT.e]

1. Individually and collaboratively create a simple model of a system (e.g., water cycle, solar system) and explain what the model shows and does not show.

2. Identify the concepts, features, and behaviors illustrated by a simulation (e.g., object motion, weather, ecosystem, predator/prey) and those that were not included.

3. Individually and collaboratively, use data from a simulation to answer a question.