How Libraries Can Promote Computational Thinking and Learning Among Preschool Families with Work It Out @ Your Library

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Learn why computational thinking skills are important for young children, how to access free multimedia resources, and how they have been used to run fun and engaging programs in libraries.

Work It Out @ Your Library! is a new program for librarians and families built around Work It Out Wombats!, the national PBS Kids television series for four- to six-year-olds. The first public media series to promote computational thinking to preschoolers, Work It Out Wombats! follows the adventures of Malik, Zadie, and Zeke, a trio of marsupial siblings who live with their grandmother and an array of diverse friends and neighbors in a fantastical treehouse apartment complex called the Treeborhood.

Through hands-on activities, library storytime sessions, animated videos, and a family app (all available free of charge), Work It Out @ Your Library is a flexible program helps library staff guide families through the exploration of computational thinking (CT for short). CT is a creative way of solving problems in more organized ways. When children make believe they are running a restaurant, they explore sequencing by figuring out the steps for serving a customer a meal. When they play with blocks to make a castle, they can practice the design process by creating, testing, and improving the structure. It is important to start building children’s CT skills when they are young to get them ready for school success right from the start! The webinar will also cover why CT skills are important for young children; how to access these free, multimedia resources; how they have been used to run fun and engaging programs in libraries; and recent research findings that demonstrate significant impact.

Presenter

As the director of media engagement, Mary Haggerty oversees the development and implementation of national educational outreach and engagement initiatives for the WGBH Educational Foundation. She leads teams that work with informal educators, early childhood teachers and caregivers, and researchers to explore how interactive media and other resources can support the healthy development of children and youth. Ms. Haggerty works on research and development initiatives that explore the impact of digital tools on STEM engagement among youth in marginalized communities and emergent multilingual families. Before coming to the WGBH Educational Foundation, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mauritania, and held various positions at Reading Is Fundamental. She speaks Spanish and holds a BA and MA in Spanish language and literature.

Training Provider: PLA

Track: Youth Services