The proposed project, DIScover SciEnce through Computational Thinking (DISSECT), builds on the fundamental role computing has gained within all traditional sciences. The driving force of the project is the infusion of principles of computational thinking in traditional scientific disciplines, creating new opportunities for scientific discovery and for stimulating learning of STEM. The project seeks to develop a collaborative model among NMSU, K-12 schools, and local school districts, to foster the development of a new generation of well-rounded computer scientists (the GK-12 fellows), capable of carrying their research to a broader scientific arena, and with the communication and leadership skills necessary to operate outside their specific CS discipline. Through an innovative collaboration model with K-12 teachers and NMSU faculty members, the GK-12 fellows' scientific exploration will develop in novel educational modules and activities, which will play a vital role in enriching and revitalizing the general STEM content of K-12 curricula. The project proposes to introduce computational thinking as the tool to achieve these results. In the long term, the exposure to computational concepts will train students in foundations of CS. The project will play a vital role in the enrichment of middle/high school STEM teachers. Short term efforts will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in K-12 students; long term, it will play a part in alleviating the shortage of skilled computing professionals in the United States.
