How to Get Started with Computer Science Education
In this episode I provide a framework for how districts and educators can get started with computer science education for free.
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Today's episode is going to walk you
through how to get started in computer
science education whether you're a
district or an individual before I dive
into that I'm going to first explain
what I see as a problem in professional
development discuss why I'm qualified to
talk about this process and why I'm
doing this for the low price of just
asking for you to share the free content
that I create and if you prefer to just
jump straight to the framework that I'm
providing then you can use the
timestamps in a description to do so so
what's the problem that I hope to
address in this particular episode CS
educators are being asked to teach a
subject area where they could very
easily double triple or even quadruple
their income compared to being a teacher
they just simply leave the classroom and
go into industry using the exact same
Concepts and practices that they are
teaching in the class they can make
significantly more income with the
extreme discrepancy and pay like this
coupled with all the pressures and
demands being put onto Educators lately
coupled with the relatively new CS
mandates across many different states in
the United States all of these things
combined have kind of exacerbated the
shortage of computer science Educators
in classrooms in the United States so to
fill this Gap many districts are turning
toward professional development
providers to help prepare both certified
or classified employees to teach
computer science in their schools most
of these Educators do not have a
background in computer science now these
PD opportunities that districts sign up
for often cost tens or hundreds of
thousands of dollars depending on the
size of the district and if it's not a
district that's signing up for it it's
individual Educators who again get
relatively low pay who are being asked
to Fork out hundreds if not thousands of
dollars to attend professional
development on their own dime now there
are some free opportunities for
professional development but these often
come with some kind of a catch the catch
might be something as simple as hey
we're going to provide this free
professional development but if you want
to use the platform we teach you on with
your students you actually have to pay
per student so in other words we're
going to train you on this very specific
platform and then in order to actually
use that platform you actually have to
pay for it now that's a pretty obvious
catch that's right there now on the
other end of the Continuum where you're
getting free professional development
and free curricula there are some less
obvious catches there in terms of like
corporate influence while corporate
sponsors often mean well there is no
such thing as a freelance lunch for
example on other episodes I've mentioned
that curriculum providers have had some
funders asked to remove some Equity
related lesson plans because the funders
disagreed with the focus of that
particular lesson and depending on the
size of the organization and the amount
of funding this could literally mean
several million dollars so this often
leads professional development
organizations to do what's best for
keeping their lights on rather than
doing what's best for students and
teachers or to be completely candid even
making decisions that I would consider
to be unethical now I've talked about
this in other Publications and podcasts
such as episode 134 which is titled
reconceptualizing music making colon
music technology and freedom in the age
of neoliberalism now even though that
episode mentions music in there I
specifically talk about the corporate
influence in education at large and in
computer science education in particular
so if you want to hear more about that
you can listen to that particular
episode so while sales people may
promise you the moon the PD itself will
often underperform in the long run
because it doesn't provide a sustainable
solution that actually focuses on what's
best for the students and for the
teachers so for example if a PD is
training individual Educators what
happens if that individual educator
leaves district will computer science
continue if so how especially if they're
the only ones who know anything about
computer science content knowledge now
if an individual or District decides to
learn from an individual educator they
are often incentivized to do make some
generic mass-produced content rather
than bespoke content because it takes
significantly less time to prepare for
and deliver the same content to
different districts and audiences and to
create custom-made content for every
single individual or District they are
working with in addition many content
creators who create ad supported content
such as like YouTube content creators
typically cater the content towards CS
professionals rather than CS Educators
because there's a bigger demand from an
audience who is more able to support
that content creator through sources
like patreon merchandise courses Etc now
when the content is actually designed
for computer science Educators it's the
kind of content that you'd get from
attending a 100 level course on CS
education rather than a deep dive into a
topic at like The Graduate level now I
say all this with confidence because I
have a background that includes
personally designing computer science
curriculum that is used by thousands of
teachers hundreds of thousands of
students around the world I also led the
development of more than 50 hours of
professional development that had
received several million dollars of
funding from districts and partners I
have a background working with every
single grade kindergarten through
doctoral students received multiple
International Awards as both the teacher
and a scholar have presented over a
hundred times have over a dozen
Publications blah blah blah blah you can
check out my CV on my website if that
kind of stuff interests you I'm just
saying this for some context so you know
that I actually have some experience in
this and know what I'm talking about at
least I think so but I tell you all this
to say that all three of my degrees are
in music education so it's not computer
science or Computer Science Education so
I've had to learn computer science
concept practices skills pedagogies Etc
outside of any degree program and
today's episode is going to help you do
the exact same thing for free now you
might be wondering okay if I'm so fancy
pantsy why am I giving away this
information for free instead of charging
for it like creating a course or
something I don't know about you but I
didn't go into education for the money I
did it because it literally saved my
life I wanted to spend the majority of
my life helping other people rather than
just focusing on I'm making money that's
why I've been sharing free content on my
website since 2003. over the past
several months since I decided to go
full time as an independent content
creator I've actively turned down
teaching positions in K-12 schools and
universities because creating content
online allows me to have a broader reach
and a wider impact than face-to-face
teaching ever can for example a single
video on like Tick Tock or YouTube or
something could reach millions of people
and it's not limited by geography or
time zones Etc nor does somebody
actually have to pay for that content
like you would for like a degree program
I've also turned down other positions as
a content creator for computer science
curriculum professional development
because again I want to do what's best
for teachers and students not what is
best for an organization long story
short I'm here to help teachers and
students and I want to do this at no
cost to you the only thing that I ask is
that you simply share the free content
that I create and I do create a lot of
it a bunch of computer science stuff a
bunch of gaming stuff and a bunch of
drumming content on my website all
neatly organized if you're new to this
podcast I can confidently say that the
more than 116 hours of podcast episodes
that I've created have more depth than
most professional development and
graduate courses you can take on
Computer Science Education as the vast
majority of time in professional
development is actually spent just
walking through lesson plans as a
student which is something that I
actually encourage you to do on your own
for free speaking of something you can
do on your own let's actually talk about
how this is 100 something you can do on
your own whether you're a district or an
individual educator you can learn
computer science Concepts and practices
and you could also learn how to teach it
I say this with confidence because there
are thousands of teachers and hundreds
of thousands of students who have
learned how to teach computer science
with the content that I've created not
to mention all the content that I
haven't created that other fantastic
organizations have made like if you
listen to the interviews on this podcast
most of the guests have a background in
something other than computer science it
might be like music or physical
education or English language arts
mathematics science Etc so for
kindergartner can learn how to code you
too can learn how to code and teach
coding or computer science at large so
let's actually get into how you would do
that so the first thing that I would
recommend is to start by setting a
vision so some questions you might
consider are things like what are your
goals for implementing computer science
are you going to do it in your class are
you going to do it in your school in
your district will you treat coding or
computer science as a literacy or are
you just trying to hit the standards
without taking away time from other
subject areas what do you want your
students to be able to know and do when
they leave the program and what
rationales do you align with on the Cs
Visions framework now in the show notes
for this podcast there are several
different steps in here for this
particular framework so if you go to the
setting of vision step there is a
section for podcasts in a section for
resources if you click on either of them
it will expand it and show you all the
podcasts and resources I recommend for
helping you set a vision so for example
there are episodes that talks about CS
for all's CS Visions framework which is
a fantastic way for kind of like
figuring out what kind of Direction you
would like to head in are you going to
focus on equity and social justice are
you going to focus on coding as a
literacy or Computer Sciences literacy
are you going to focus on like future
career Readiness Etc there's no right or
wrong way to use these different visions
that they outline in that particular
framework so which one you use is kind
of up to you and the other Educators
that you work with as well as your
community members so I highly recommend
listening to those particular podcast
episodes to help you to figure out what
direction you'd like to go into and
there are several different episodes in
there for example there's an episode
that talks about Kate Anders Erickson's
notion of deliberate practice and
developing expertise over an extended
period of time this is often referred to
as like the ten thousand dollar hour
rule which is not actually a rule
Because the actual number depends on the
domain Etc but if you're trying to think
about developing expertise in computer
science from kindergarten all the way
through 12th grade that is going to be
very different than focusing on just
developing expertise over the course of
a semester or a unit so that particular
episode kind of unpacks some things to
consider when you are thinking long term
or short term when you are developing
computer science content another thing
you can do with helping to set a vision
is to join your local csta chapter
there's an episode with Jason board that
I highly recommend listening to that
kind of talks about developing a
community or joining a community so for
example you could join a local C csta
chapter or you could join csta National
which would allow you to connect on the
virtual community so you could post some
questions to other CS Educators who may
be further along this path than you are
to be able to ask okay I'm thinking
about heading in this Direction with the
vision what other things should I
consider or think about When developing
a vision for our particular School
District Etc after you've listed you've
listed some of those episodes that kind
of look interesting to you I then highly
recommend opening up the resources
section in under setting a vision and
taking a look at the Cs Visions
framework if you go through their little
quiz on there it will help you to figure
out what direction you as an individual
might want to head in now if you are
working on this from a district
standpoint if each person on the
committee that's like going to start
implementing computer science takes this
CS Visions framework it can lead to some
interesting discussions because some of
you might want to head in One Direction
while other people might want to head
into a different direction that's
something that you'll want to reconcile
and kind of like discuss in advance of
actually developing a plan because if
you don't know where you're going to go
you're going to get lost in the weeds
which there's actually been some
scholarship that I've unpacked in other
episodes that talk about that after you
as an individual or as a district or
whatever have set a plan for where you
would like to head with Computer Science
Education in your schools Community Etc
I then highly recommend actually sitting
down and developing a plan which is step
two of this framework When developing
any kind of a plan whether it's for your
classroom or for your school or for your
District you need to think long term and
about worst case scenarios so for
example what is the current state of
computer science in your class or in
your District in particular if you're
thinking from a district standpoint I'd
really recommend thinking about these
strengths and challenges related to The
District leadership teacher capacity and
development technology infrastructure
materials curriculum selection and
content refinement community and
partners now each one of these areas is
actually unpacked in a workshop that is
known as the script Workshop kind of
helps you think through the strengths
and challenges in each one of those
areas I highly highly recommend that
districts actually go through the script
Workshop it is available for free at
least it was last time that I checked it
helps you set the vision which is the
first step that I recommend but it also
analyzes your strengths and your
challenges and helps you to set three
month six month and even long-term goals
in each of the areas that you would like
to improve when you are implementing
computer science in your District it is
the best way that I can recommend that
you get started as a district regardless
of how big or small your district is and
what kind of like form of implementation
you want to go through the script
Workshop is a fantastic way to develop a
plan for implementing computer science
in your district and I do link to it
under the resources section in section 2
called develop a plan now some of the
other questions that you might want to
ask yourself is Will implementation be
for those who want to sign up or
mandated for all students regardless of
which approach you end up taking how you
make it more Equitable and more
accessible now if it's for all students
will it be a standalone or an integrated
class like in my district it was
mandated for all students but it took
over the technology class so the
technology class that like used to teach
Microsoft Word office suite things like
that it instead switched over to okay
every single kid who is taking this
class which is mandated K-8 is going to
instead Focus 100 on learning how to
program that's actually the way that I
highly recommend doing it even though a
lot of districts talk about integration
I've got many different podcast episodes
that unpack some of the problems with
integration but to each their own what
might work well for the schools in the
districts that I worked with might not
work well for you but if you are going
to integrate it then you need to
consider what subjects you're going to
integrate it with and how often you're
actually going to set aside time for it
you also need to figure out what
approach to integration you're going to
use and if you're unsure what I'm
talking about here listen to episode 123
which is titled the subservient co-equal
effective and social integration Styles
and the implications for computer
science but again there are several more
episodes that unpack integration so if
you want to Deep dive into that from
somebody who's thought about this for
several years check out those episodes
on integration now going back to the
episode that I mentioned previously
which was episode 66 titled the role of
deliberate practice in the acquisition
of expert performance it's important for
you to think of how are you going to
develop expertise over an extended
period of time is it going to be only
for a month is it going to be for a year
is it going to be for 13 years
kindergarten through 12th grade whatever
approach you end up taking you're going
to want to consider how you're going to
actually develop expertise in this
literacy or domain over an extended
period of time you'll also want to
consider what resources and funding do
you have to get started and what do you
you need as well as considering
questions like how you know if your
implementation efforts are actually
successful how do you define success
what does it look like and how we
document and communicate to various
stakeholders the steps that you've taken
the direction that you're heading and
the challenges that you're currently
working through to achieve the vision
that you have created and then the
biggest one that you can ask as a
district is how you know if it's
sustainable what's your backup plan of
Cs teachers in your school league what
about if the lead of the program in your
District leaves or there are just
general changes in administration like
you have a new superintendent and
they're not a huge fan of computer
science but the current one is under
Section 2 develop a plan there are
several podcast episodes specifically
for district administrators on how to
get started with implementing computer
science there are several episodes that
are specifically related to standards
discussions and discussions on
integration and then there are resources
that help guide administrators through
this implementation process like csta
has a document on guidance for K-12
administrators that I highly recommend
taking a look at but if you also want to
see like a scope and sequence like what
does this look like in a District
kindergarten 12th grade like what kind
of curricula and Concepts will they work
through San Francisco has a K-12 scope
and sequence that I've recommended for
districts to take a look at it gives you
an idea of like what does this look like
over a 13-year period again I linked
that one but the number one thing that I
recommend going through is the script
framework for any District that wants to
get started with implementing or
developing a plan for implementing all
right so after you've set a vision and
you have worked on developing a plan for
your classroom your school your District
Etc the third step that I recommend is
reverse engineering Computer Science
Education one of the things that I've
noticed over the years is that a lot of
professional development providers
especially computer science professional
development providers will walk you
through a lesson plan as if you were a
student then they might actually unpack
what would you need to know to teach
this particular lesson at the end of
that and if the content was actually
created by somebody with a background in
education rather than just a team that
has only a background in computer
science is the PD facilitator might
unpack well what are the different
pedagogies philosophies research Etc
that has kind have informed the approach
that was modeled in that professional
development session this approach is
very valuable for a lot of attendees
because they are in a safe space where
there is a knowledgeable expert who can
kind of help teachers who might get
stuck however if the curricular content
is designed with enough detail you can
plans on your own either as a student or
simply by reading through the lesson
plans and after going through enough of
the content you will learn not only
computer science Concepts and practices
but how to teach computer science so if
you want to actually learn computer
science I'd highly recommend taking this
approach without actually forking over a
bunch of money the number one thing that
I recommend when anyone is getting
started with computer science is to
start with something you're interested
in rather than starting with something
that somebody else thinks that you
should learn this could be something
very broad it could be like CS knowledge
in general or it could be very narrow
tutorial on how to create something in a
very specific language platform or a
particular project after you've dipped
your toes into content that you want to
learn I then recommend exploring content
that you think you're your students
would like to learn So eventually you
can learn how to teach it now if you're
unsure of where to start you can check
out the roadmap for professional
learning which is linked in the
resources section under the reverse
engineering CS education step in the
show notes which was developed by a team
of people who are associated with csta
but another thing that you could do if
you're unsure of what direction hit to
head into is to again just ask your
local chapter or even the virtual
community for csta now once you've
figured out what you want to learn
you're then going to need to think
through well how do you want to learn
that so you can take free courses online
you could watch YouTube videos you could
follow lesson plans as if you were a
student you could observe other people
teach like I had several different
District administrators and teachers
come into my classrooms when are still
in the classroom to see what does a
typical day look like you could audit a
class set like your local University or
Community College you could honestly
read a manual or follow built-in
tutorials for many different programming
languages and platforms you can look at
code and read the comments or Tinker
with it like by bonifying it you could
join discussion forums read blogs sign
up for free University classes like in
the show notes under the resources
section I include links to several
different like programs from like
Harvard MIT Stanford Etc where they are
literally giving away free computer
science classes online so you can go
through it at your own pace with zero
cost to you but whenever you're going
through any of the content area whatever
form of media or medium you choose to
participate in I highly recommend
looking at things from many different
perspectives again because there's more
than 116 hours of podcast episodes for
this podcast and there's over 75
interviews that I'll provide unique
different perspectives on computer
science and computer science education I
highly recommend going through the older
podcast episodes to kind of get some
different perspectives on things that
you might learn and you can listen to
the interviews you can listen to the
solo episodes where I unpack scholarship
Etc now the main downside for teaching
yourself how to go through this is you
don't have that expert in the room who
can help you when you get stuck so what
I recommend if you get stuck is you
could get a mentor from somebody else in
your PLC from your local csta chapter
from csta's community board or even just
by going on social media groups or even
like a hashtag on Twitter and asking for
some advice for some help to be able to
like work through whatever problem
you've got by collaboratively working
through a problem or like some kind of a
bug that you've got in your program this
is a very useful process for educators
to work through because they're going to
be need to be able to model this with
your students this is something that
several guests and myself have
recommended on the show is that you
model debugging processes and like how
you're working through problems in your
programs in front of your students so
that way you can help them to understand
how they can do that themselves so even
though it can be frustrating getting
stuck like trying to figure out how to
do something if you do this with another
teacher in your school or in your
District you can both kind of like work
together to kind of figure out how to
problem solve your way through this
you're going to eventually do this with
students whether you want to or not
they're going to run into some kind of a
bug where you're going to be like I
don't know how to do that and then
you're gonna have to model how you would
actually try and solve that now if you
have questions about pedagogy or some
advice on how like how to implement or
your sure how to approach a like a
lesson or something like that you can
actually ask me a question in the
YouTube comments for any of the podcast
episodes that are on my YouTube channel
and I will likely answer that in a
future episode I've already done this a
lot in my drumming streams where people
ask questions about technique and I will
model it in the Stream like here's how
you do this thing on the drums Etc and
I'm happy to do this for the podcast as
well so feel free to leave some comments
on YouTube now while you're going
through whatever content you end up
deciding to go through I highly
recommend reflecting regularly
throughout that process note that if you
were to actually read through computer
science lesson plans from both the
students and teachers perspective to get
a sense of how to teach computer science
this can be overwhelming for some
Educators to focus on both the new
content knowledge and the pedagogical
knowledge so what I'll say for those of
you who would prefer to just learn as a
student you can go through most course
content to understand the actual concept
practices skills Etc related to computer
science and then reverse engineer the
pedagogies after the fact like after
you've completed a project a unit a
course Etc so for example you can use a
frame work called the TPAC framework and
you can use this to think through after
the fact like what was the technological
knowledge that I learned in this
particular lesson or would need to know
to teach this lesson what was the
content knowledge I learned or would
need to know to teach it and then what's
the pedagogical knowledge I need to know
to be able to teach this lesson so this
again could be after you finished a
project or a unit or whatever and
there's a link in the show notes to TPAC
if you want to read some more of the
scholarship that's related to this and
get some resources on it but basically
think of it as a Venn diagram between
the technological the pedagogical and
content knowledge to figure out like how
they overlap and diverge from each other
to figure out what things you need to be
able to understand in order to teach a
particular lesson for the classes that
you're working with another thing that
you consider when you're going through
these resources is to reflect on the
kinds of questions that you were coming
up with or that you have and whether or
not you would know how to answer those
questions if a student were to ask them
if not perhaps you could explore them as
New Paths for your own learning or your
own journey in computer science
education and under the podcast section
in Section 3 reverse engineering at CS
education there are several episodes
that talk about different questioning
techniques and questions that you can
ask your students that you're working
with so you can listen to that to kind
of figure out some ideas of potential
directions that you could head when
working with students and with some of
those questions you don't even need to
know the answers to them you can just
kind of pose them to students and then
help them guide them towards a direction
that you might not know the actual
solution toward so listen to some of
those episodes for more information on
that so after you've gone through step
one of setting a vision you've then
developed a plan for step two and then
for step three you are a reverse
engineering Computer Science Education
by acting as a student once you have
gone through those three steps and spent
some time whether it's like a week or
months like kind of learning how to do
computer science you can then go to step
four which is teaching computer science
you should have enough context now that
you actually understand what you're
talking about you're not just going to
go into a blind link but I'd recommend
starting small by teaching an
introductory lesson on coding or
computer science many Educators start
with unplugged activities because they
are quite frankly most familiar to the
teachers and less scary because you
don't have to teach a specific
programming language however if you
started by actually going through the
curriculum as a student you can just
jump straight into like programming
right away on day one because you
already have some context for it this is
what I actually recommend doing and then
taking the unplug lessons and using that
to support the other understandings
rather than to introduce the
understandings and I talk about this in
podcast episodes on situated language
and learning like the one with Brian
Brown but if we consider computer
science to be like a language or
literacy then we need to spend time
Reading Writing listening to and
speaking that language if you don't do
all of those things and you'll have an
incomplete or a decontextualized
understanding of that domain which is
why I'd recommend that you not just
focus on unplug lessons yes you can use
them to supplement and enhance the
learning but really focus on
contextualized learning or situated
learning now there are a ton of
different ways that you can actually
teach computer science but my own
personal preference is for interest
driven project-based learning you'll
find a ton of episodes that are related
to that as well as episodes on how how
to make your teaching more accessible
more Equitable more inclusive now I'm
glossing over this particular section
very quickly because there's over 190
episodes many of which talk about Equity
accessibility inclusion Etc so I'd
highly recommend actually just listening
to some of the previous podcast episodes
to get a sense of how you might actually
teach Computer Science Education in
addition in the show notes under the
resources for section 4 teach CS I
include Frameworks like the culturally
responsive sustaining Computer Science
Education framework inclusive teaching
pedagogies resources for virtual
teaching and then standards for computer
science Educators all of those links
include a ton of information that can
help you with learning how to teach
Computer Science Education after you
have had some experience teaching
computer science I highly recommend the
next step which is step 5 reflect refine
and share when you're reflecting think
about what worked well and what could be
improved for next time this could be for
an individual lesson a project a unit a
semester a year Etc think about the
things that went really well that you
like to continue to do and then think
about the things that you might want to
change or improve or enhance in the show
notes there are multiple resources from
csta on guidance for reflective teachers
there's a self-reflection checklist Etc
and then I know the capeport center is
also working on some self-reflection
resources as well that can help you to
reflect after you've taught a lesson
project unit Etc now in the show notes I
also include a bunch of different
podcasts to help you dive deeper into
some of the concepts that you may have
dabbled in when you were teaching
computer science there's always more to
learn so I'd highly recommend diving
into the episodes that are listed there
as you continue your cycle of learning
implementing reflecting creating and
repeating that process I highly
recommend considering sharing some of
the processes that you're working on by
documenting the successes and failures
you can do this through social media you
can do this at conferences like csta's
conference you can do it in a blog in a
publication for researchers or
practitioners you could do it in an
online PLC a school newsletter staff
meetings Etc there are many ways that
you can share what you're working on
this step in the process can help
support other educators and maybe even
prove their own understanding of both Cs
and CS education might even encourage
them or motivate them to want to
actually get started like the person who
took over the classes that I used to
teach in the K-8 District that I was in
was an Ela teacher and he got interested
in computer science because I would
share here are the things that I'm
working on with your students and he's
been teaching computer science ever
since so if you share your own
experiences with computer science
Computer Science Education it might
motivate some more people to actually
join the field now as you continue this
cycle you're going to refine your own
understandings of both Cs and how to
teach CS I would then highly recommend
exploring new languages platforms
curricular offerings Etc to get more of
a multi-perspectable approach and to
make it so that students can head in
different directions along different
paths so if you listen to the episodes
on rhizomatic learning we kind of unpack
how if you have a classroom of 30
students they could be working on 30
different projects heading in 30
different directions simultaneously so
in my own classroom we had the option of
kids working with scratch which was one
of the forms that was block based they
could use text-based with Ruby which
allowed them to code music in Sonic Pi
they could use JavaScript in Khan
Academy which allowed them to code some
art and animation or they could use
Swift with xcode which would allow them
to create like iPad apps and whatnot
with these four different platforms
students could head in any direction
they could focus on coding music coding
games coding stories all sorts of things
that were of interest to them I did not
start with four languages and platforms
on day one I started with one and
eventually even like the next semester
added a second one and then a third and
then a fourth and I would have kept
adding more if I was still in the
classroom if you want to learn more
about how I designed my classes check
out the episode on Affinity spaces again
with over 116 hours of free content and
over 190 episodes I can confidently say
that there are some topics that are
going to be of interest to you if you go
to the bottom of the show notes for this
particular episode I include a tag cloud
of podcast episodes the larger the word
the more podcast episodes there are on
it so if you click on one of the words
like Equity there are 58 episodes that
relate to equity and there are 33
episodes that relate to integration and
there are many more topics listed on
there so check it out you can find those
show notes by clicking the link in the
app that you're listening to the song or
by going to jaredoleery.com if you found
this or other resources useful again the
only thing that I ask is that you share
it either with an individual or you can
even share it on social media widely it
just helps spread the word about the
free content that I create and again if
you have questions feel free to leave
the questions in the YouTube comments
I'm happy to respond to them in an
upcoming episode or by simply replying
to the comment itself thank you so much
for listening to this episode stay tuned
for another episode next week until then
I hope you're all staying safe and are
having a wonderful week
Resources/Links Relevant to This Episode
1. Setting a vision
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CS for What? Diverse Visions of Computer Science Education in Practice
In this episode I unpack Santo, Vogel, and Ching’s (2019) publication titled “CS for What? Diverse Visions of Computer Science Education in Practice,” which is a white paper that provides a useful framework for considering the underlying values and impact of CS programs or resources.
Good (and Bad) Reasons to Teach All Students Computer Science
In this episode I unpack Lewis’ (2017) publication titled “Good (and bad) reasons to teach all students computer science,” which problematizes common rationales/myths for teaching computer science in K-12 schools.
Lessons Learned From CSTA Chapters Across the United States with Jason Bohrer
In this interview with Jason Bohrer, we discuss lessons learned coming into computer science education from another subject area, lessons learned working with CSTA chapters across the country (and during a pandemic), how CSTA has impacted the field and continues to evolve over time, how Jason continued to learn about CS without getting burned out, considering equity and inclusion when recruiting for CS education, CSTA’s new CS Teacher Standards, and much more.
The CS Visions Framework and Equity-centered Computing Education with Rafi Santo and Sara Vogel
In this interview with Rafi Santo and Sara Vogel, we discuss informal learning in CS, the CS Visions Framework, equity through social justice pedagogy, considerations for Integration, and much more.
The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance
In this episode I unpack Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer’s (1993) publication titled “The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance,” which debunks the notion of innate abilities within a domain and describes the role of deliberate practice in achieving expert performance.
Whose Imaginings? Whose Future?
In this episode I unpack Stauffer’s (2017) keynote titled “Whose imaginings? Whose future?,” which encourages educators to reflect on who is the shaping the future of their field.
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“CS Visions highlights the importance of core values when it comes to computer science education. Understanding different reasons for teaching computer science isn’t just important so that we can get other people to care about CS, they should also shape what computer science education efforts look like – who gets opportunities to learn, what kinds of things get taught and in what ways. Our values should be expressed in our practice.”ext goes here
Learn more about the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)
2. Develop a plan
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Advice for School Administrators Interested in CSforALL with Clark Merkley
In this interview with Clark Merkley, we discuss what Clark has learned over the years working with administrators across the nation who are interested in implementing CS education in their district.
Contemporary Venues of Curriculum Inquiry
In this episode I unpack an excerpt from Schubert’s (2008) publication titled “Curriculum inquiry,” which describes different venues or types of curriculum that educators and education researchers should consider.
Culturally Responsive School Leadership: A Synthesis of Literature
In this episode I unpack Khalifa, Gooden, and Davis’ (2016) publication titled “Culturally responsive school leadership: A synthesis of the literature,” which summarizes and synthesizes literature on culturally responsive school leadership as it relates to principals in urban schools.
Defining and Designing Computer Science Education in a K12 Public School District
In this episode I unpack Proctor, Bigman, and Blikstein’s (2019) publication titled “Defining and designing computer science education in a K12 public school district,” which serves as a case study of a district’s processes and tensions developing a plan for implementing computer science across K-12.
Educational Aims, Objectives, and Other Aspirations
In this episode I unpack Eisner’s (2002) publication titled “Educational aims, objectives, and other aspirations,” which problematizes behavioral education objectives and discuss two alternative approaches.
In this episode I unpack an excerpt from Schubert’s (1986) book titled “Curriculum: Perspective, paradigm, and possibility,” which describes different examples, intents, and criticisms of “images” or “characterizations” of curriculum.
Impact of the CPS Computer Science Graduation Policy on Student Access and Outcomes
In this episode I unpack McGee, Dettori, and Rasmussen’s (2022) publication titled “Impact of the CPS computer science graduation policy on student access and outcomes,” which explores the impact of a computer science graduation requirement in Chicago Public Schools.
Preparing School Leaders to Advance Equity in Computer Science Education
In this episode I unpack Flapan et al.’s (2021) publication titled “Preparing school leaders to advance equity in computer science education,” which provides some suggestions and resources for preparing administrators for advancing equity work in K-12 CS education.
Suggestions and Considerations for District-wide Implementation with Abby Funabiki
In this interview with Abby Funabiki, we discuss the differences between for-profit and nonprofit CS education organizations, the importance and ability for nonprofits to collaborate with others, CS as the new digital divide, how to get started with CS implementation with limited or no extra funding, suggestions and considerations for district-wide implementation, and much more.
Suggestions for Starting or Expanding Your Program with Dianne O'Grady-Cunniff
In this interview with Dianne O'Grady-Cunniff, we discuss some suggestions for starting or expanding your program, as well as other topics for novice and veteran CS educators.
The Centrality of Curriculum and the Function of Standards: The Curriculum is a Mind-altering Device
In this episode I unpack Eisner’s (2002) publication titled “The centrality of curriculum and the function of standards: The curriculum is a mind-altering device,” which problematizes curricula and standards by discussing how both can deprofessionalize the field of education.
In this episode I unpack Bresler’s (1995) publication titled “The subservient, co-equal, affective, and social integration styles and their implications for the arts,” which “examines the different manifestations of arts integration in the operational, day-to-day curriculum in ordinary schools, focusing on the how, the what, and the toward what” (p. 33).
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Guidance for K-12 Administrators
“The Standards for CS Teachers focus on teacher professional growth, content knowledge and skills, equity and inclusion, instructional design, and classroom practice. K-12 administrators can learn how to support teachers' professional development, create plans for equitable recruitment, mitigate systemic barriers to equitable participation in CS, and what to look for when evaluating their computer science teachers. They can use a CS coaching toolkit to help teachers plan, implement, and reflect and an observation tool for collecting evidence and supporting teacher reflection on effective instructional practices.”
San Francisco’s K-12 CS scope and sequence (as well as many more resources)
“The SCRIPT — the Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool — is a framework to guide teams of district administrators, school leaders, and educators through a series of collaborative visioning, self-assessment and goal-setting exercises to create or expand upon a computer science education implementation plan for their students.”
3. Reverse engineer CS education
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Lifelong Kindergarten with Mitch Resnick
In this interview with Mitch Resnick, we discuss misconceptions people have around the four P’s (Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play) in Mitch’s book, encouraging depth of understanding while playing, what has surprised Mitch during his career, encouraging online communication and collaboration without creating artificial engagement, what Mitch wishes we’d see more of and discuss in CS education, our pet peeves with unplugged activities and computational thinking, accounting for survivorship bias with Scratch, expanding our focus on equity and inclusion to include both the “who” and the “how,” the importance of experimenting and learning through play, and much more.
Talking About [Computer Science]: Better Questions? Better Discussions!
In this episode I unpack Allsup and Baxter’s (2004) publication titled “Talking about music: Better questions? Better discussions!” which is a short article that discusses open, guided, and closed questions, as well as a framework for encouraging critical thinking through questions. Although this article is published in a music education journal, I discuss potential implications for computer science educators.
Thinking through a Lesson: Successfully Implementing High-level Tasks
In this episode I unpack Smith, Bill, and Hughes’ (2008) publication titled “Thinking through a lesson: Successfully implementing high-level tasks,” which provides a heuristic that can be used to prepare for a lesson.
Using Questions That Guide Mathematical Thinking to Think Computationally
In this episode I discuss some example questions we can ask to encourage kids to think deeper about computer science and computational thinking by unpacking two papers on using guiding questions in mathematics education. The first paper paper by Way (2014) is titled “Using questioning to stimulate mathematical thinking” and the second paper by Pennant (2018) is titled “Developing a classroom culture that supports a problem-solving approach to mathematics.”
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Free CS curricula and courses
Roadmap for Professional Learning
“Teachers should select their current CS experience level to determine their starting point. We recommend using this tool with the Self-Reflection Checklist to help narrow professional learning foci. We expect that new teachers and experienced teachers new to teaching CS would need to focus heavily on Standard 1 to start while more experienced CS teachers and new teachers with CS industry experience may focus on areas where they have the most need for growth. Teachers should understand that this is not a straight-line path and that it will not be accomplished in a single school year. Using a combination of internal and external professional learning, reading of texts, watching videos, hands-on programming, and collaboration with peers are some of the ways teachers will grow their content knowledge and practices.”
Use this framework to reflect on the intersections of the technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge needed to teach what you are learning as a CS student
4. Teach CS
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Accessibility and Inclusion in CS Education with Maya Israel
In this interview with Maya Israel, we discuss Maya’s shift from special education into CS education, the importance of universal design for learning (UDL) in CS classes, understanding the spectrum of accessibility for students with a diverse set of needs, the current status of accessibility and inclusion within the field of CS education, problematize deficit framings of students with disabilities, and so much more.
Applications of Affinity Space Characteristics in [Computer Science] Education
In this episode I unpack my (2020) publication titled “Applications of affinity space characteristics in music education,” which has twelve characteristics of informal learning spaces that I will discuss in relation to computer science education.
Connecting with and Listening to Students with Dominick Sanders
In this interview with Dominick Sanders, we discuss the importance of connecting with and listening to students, the impact of being a positive role model for kids, considering equity for individuals and across the entire state of South Carolina, what Dominick learned through their experience with Xposure STEM, Dominick’s plan for improving CS in South Carolina, Dominick’s experience with CSTA’s Equity Fellowship, how Dominick continues to learn and grow as a CS educator, thinking through intersectionality in relation to representation, and so much more.
In this episode I talk about how you can use Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process to encourage feedback and dialogue among students around the projects they create.
Culturally Responsive-sustaining Computer Science Education: A Framework
In this episode I unpack the Kapor Center’s (2021) publication titled “Culturally responsive-sustaining computer science education: A framework,” which describes multiple courses of action for six core components of culturally responsive-sustaining CS education.
Decolonizing Education through SEL and PBL with Matinga Ragatz
In this interview with Matinga Ragatz, we discuss Matinga’s journey into education, creating environments where kids can learn through struggle, the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL), how schools promote individualism and exceptionalism, the intersections of project-based learning and SEL, decolonizing education, the importance of shared values in education, and so much more.
Exploring (Dis)Ability and Connecting with the Arts with Jesse Rathgeber
In this interview with Jesse Rathgeber, we discuss what educators should know about (dis)ability culture and research, person-first language vs identity-first language, suggestions for combating ableism through anti-ableist practices, how the arts and CS can come together and learn from each other (great for sharing with arts educators who might be interested in CS), and much more.
Fostering Student Engagement with Bob Irving
In this interview with Bob Irving, we discuss our emphasis on creative coding/computing for leisure, fostering engagement with coding/CS, improving pedagogy over time, and much more.
How Do You Encourage Critical Thinking and Dialogue?
In this episode I discuss an approach I’ve used for encouraging critical thinking and dialogue through individualized feedback and group discussion.
How to Setup Your Computer Lab
In this episode I provide some suggestions for setting up your computer lab and talk about their impacts on teaching and learning computer science.
James Fester on What Works with PBL
In this interview with James Fester, we discuss using informal learning approaches within formal learning spaces, what makes a learning experience engaging, how James’ experience in the National Parks Service’s Teacher Ranger Teacher program informed how he taught in the classroom, unpacking nuances of project-based learning, debunking common misconceptions of PBL, and so much more.
Lessons Learned from (In)Formal CS Education with Grant Smith
In this interview with Grant Smith, we discuss the importance of continuing to learn from other educators, what informal and formal learning spaces can learn from each other, how COVID has impacted Grant’s teaching philosophy, our preferences for in-person or virtual professional development and classroom instruction, lessons learned from entrepreneurial adventures in CS education, learning by jumping in and trying new things, heuristic-based learning, and so much more.
Planning K-8 Computer Science through the UDL Framework
In this episode I unpack Israel, Lash, Bergeron, and Ray’s publication titled “Planning K-8 computer science through the UDL framework,” which discusses the potential for using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in CS classes.
Project-based Learning in Computer Science with Justin Cannady
In this interview with Justin Cannady, we discuss project-based learning in CS, encouraging debugging and working through failure as students and teachers, considerations for integrating CS, lessons learned working on NMSI’s CS AlignEd, and much more.
Should I Say “Disabled People” or “People with Disabilities”?
In this episode I unpack Sharif, McCall, and Bolante’s (2022) publication titled “Should I say “disabled people” or “people with disabilities”? Language preferences of disabled people between identity- and person-first language,” which summarizes findings from a survey on participant preferences for language around disability and an analysis on language in conference abstracts.
Trans Voices Speak: Suggestions from Trans Educators about Working with Trans Students
In this episode I unpack Cayari et al.’s (2021) publication titled “Trans voices speak: Suggestions from trans educators about working with trans students,” which provides five suggestions from Trans educations on working with Trans students.
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Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Computer Science Education: A Framework
“Recognizing the need for a research-driven framework to design and implement equitable and culturally responsive-sustaining pedagogy within computer science classrooms, we have developed The Culturally Responsive-Sustaining CS Framework for K-12 computer science education. The Culturally Responsive-Sustaining CS Framework builds upon decades of theory and research on culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy across disciplines and was developed in partnership with researchers, practitioners, teachers, students, and other education advocates”
“Inclusive teaching involves three interrelated pedagogies:
culturally responsive / relevant pedagogy (CRP): a pedagogical framework that appreciates, integrates, and prioritizes the lived experiences of diverse identity groups (racial, ethnic, ability, and sexual orientation) within the context of teaching and learning
translanguaging: a theory from bilingual education that describes what people (but especially bi/multilinguals) do when they use all of their language and communication resources to make meaning, learn, and express themselves
universal design for learning (UDL): an instructional planning approach designed to give all students an equal opportunity to learn by removing barriers that prevent students from fully engaging in their classroom communities”
Resources for Virtual Teaching
“Teaching CS is already difficult, and teaching during a pandemic is even more challenging, especially because many teachers have had to adjust to a virtual or hybrid classroom. CSTA has curated resources to support you in this transition. These resources are organized into four sections, and we are also pleased to share the recordings and resources from the 35 sessions of the Virtual Teaching Summit held on September 12, 2020 (a CSTA+ member benefit).”
“These Standards are designed to provide clear guidance around effective and equitable CS instruction in support of rigorous CS education for all K-12 students. The purpose is to:
explain what CS teachers should know and be able to do in the classroom,
provide aspirational goals to guide teachers’ professional learning and to continuously develop their teaching practice from novice to master CS teacher, and
establish benchmarks for professional development (PD) providers as they craft CS PD experiences.”
5. Reflect, refine, and share
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Assessment Considerations: A Simple Heuristic
In this episode I read and unpack my (2019) publication titled “Assessment Considerations: A Simple Heuristic,” which is intended to serve as a heuristic for creating or selecting an assessment.
A Revaluation of Computational Thinking in K–12 Education: Moving Toward Computational Literacies
In this episode I unpack Kafai and Proctor’s (2021) publication titled “A revaluation of computational thinking in K–12 education: Moving toward computational literacies,” which summarizes three key framings of computational thinking and proposes computational literacies in place of computational thinking.
Depression, Suicide, and Computer Science Education
In honor of national suicide prevention week, in this week’s episode I read a paper I wrote on the topic of depression, suicide, and computer science education. This paper is formatted into the following sections: 1) A vignette on my own experiences coping with depression and suicide; 2) Statistics on depression and suicide as it relates to various populations computer science educators work with; 3) A vignette of a computer science educator helping a student through depression and suicidal thoughts; 4) Risk factors and warning signs; 5) Suggestions for providing support; 6) A vignette from a computer science educator's perspective on a student who committed suicide; and 7) Closing thoughts.
Fostering Intersectional Identities through Rhizomatic Learning
In this episode, Jon Stapleton and I read our (2022) publication titled “Fostering intersectional identities through rhizomatic learning,” which uses mapping as a metaphor for individualized learning.
Individualized Learning Without Grades with Sofía De Jesús
In this interview with Sofía De Jesús, we discuss Sofía’s book (Applied Computational Thinking with Python: Design algorithmic solutions for complex and challenging real-world problems), the importance of bringing your full self into the classroom, designing for equity and inclusion, working with individuals one-on-one rather than teaching to group averages, problematizing grades in education, collaborating with educators, and much more.
Intersections of Cultural Capital with Kimberly Scott
In this interview with Kimberly Scott, we discuss some of the problems with discourse around grit, students as techno-social change agents, teaching with culturally responsive approaches in communities that are hostile toward culturally responsive pedagogies, unpacking discourse and Discourse, considering both present and future identities when teaching, potential disconnects between theory and practice with intersectional work, comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comforted, and so much more.
On "Methodolatry" and [Computer Science] Teaching as Critical and Reflective Praxis
In this episode I unpack Regelski’s (2002) publication titled “On ‘methodolatry’ and music teaching as critical and reflective praxis,” which problematizes the lack of philosophy, theory, and professional praxis in music education. Although this article is published in a music education journal, I discuss potential implications for computer science educators.
In this episode I unpack Kallia and Cutts’ (2021) publication titled “Re-examining inequalities in computer science participation from a Bourdieusian sociological perspective,” which uses Bourdieu’s discussions of capital, habitus, and field to analyze 147 publications on CS interventions.
Rethinking the Roles of Assessment in [Computer Science] Education
In this episode I unpack Scott’s (2012) publication titled “Rethinking the roles of assessment in music education,” which summarizes three roles of assessment (assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning) that I discuss in relation to computer science education.
Rhizomatic Learning with Catherine Bornhorst, Jon Stapleton, and Katie Henry
In this panel discussion with Catherine Bornhorst, Jon Stapleton, and Katie Henry, we discuss what rhizomatic learning is and looks like in formalized educational spaces, affordances and constraints of rhizomatic learning, how to support individual students within a group setting, standards and rhizomatic learning, why few people know and use rhizomatic learning approaches, how to advocate for and learn more about rhizomatic learning, and much more.
Situated Language and Learning with Bryan Brown
In this interview Bryan Brown, we discuss the importance of language in education. In particular, we discuss the role of language in teaching and learning, discursive identity, situated language and learning, the importance of representation in education, the role of language on stress, how smartphones and virtual communication platforms (e.g., Zoom) could change learning, and many other topics relevant to CS education and learning.
The Shire as Metaphor for Systemic Racism with Joyce McCall
In this interview with Joyce McCall, we unpack and problematize some of the issues around race and racism in relation to education. In particular, we discuss the importance of allies not only showing up to support marginalized or oppressed groups, but staying when conversations get uncomfortable; the Shire from the Lord of the Rings as a metaphor for hegemony and systemic racism; as well as a variety of theories such as critical race theory, double consciousness, cultural capital; and much more.
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The purpose of the document is to provide a "crosswalk" between classroom learning and facilitating with the TAP evaluation rubric. The "crosswalk" provides an explanation or translation of what to expect within a coding classroom as it relates to TAP discourse. A document like this could be constructed by teachers and administrators to help translate what a typical CS classroom looks like for administrators who are unfamiliar with CS classes.
Guidance for reflective teachers
“Effective CS teachers continuously develop their knowledge, practice, and professional identity to keep pace with the rapidly evolving discipline. They are reflective practitioners who self-examine their pedagogy, teaching strategies, strengths, and areas that need improvement or revision. This self-reflection helps teachers develop changes in attitudes and awareness, which lead to their professional growth and ability to support their students. Below are four actions that CS teachers can take to support their ongoing professional learning.”
“The checklist (rubric) has been developed as a tool to assist CS teachers in reflecting on their own progress toward meeting the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers. Teachers may complete the checklist on their own, in partnership with a school or district instructional coach or administrator, as part of a teacher preparation program, or as part of a professional development opportunity. The self-reflection checklist can be used in conjunction with the Roadmap for Professional Learning to plan targeted professional learning opportunities.”
Over the years I’ve volunteered as the treasurer for the AZ chapter, served on the PD committee, PD provider committee, awards committee, been a conference reviewer, proctored conference sessions, etc. Why? Because I want to help serve the community and I believe in CSTA as an organization. You too can volunteer with CSTA using the link above.
What my coding classes looked like
A playlist with videos from my K-8 classes.
Tag Cloud of Podcast Topics
Click a tag below for episodes on that topic
- (dis)ability
- Ableism
- Access
- Accessibility
- Activism
- Administrators
- AI
- Anti-racism
- April Fools
- Assessment
- Bias
- Black Lives Matter
- Burnout
- Collaboration
- Community
- Computational Literacies
- Computational thinking
- Creative computing/coding
- Critical analysis
- Critical race theory
- CSforALL
- CSTA
- Cultural capital
- Cultural competence
- Culturally responsive
- Culturally-relevant pedagogy/curricula
- Curriculum
- Data Analysis
- Debugging
- Deliberate practice
- Depression
- Discourse
- Discursive identity
- Diversity
- Electronic textiles
- Engagement
- Engineering
- Equity
- Ethics
- Expertise
- Facilitation
- Feminist theory
- Funding
- Gender
- Hegemony
- Impact
- Implementation
- Inclusion
- Informal learning
- Inquiry
- Integration
- Interest
- Interest-driven learning
- Intersectionality
- Language
- Leadership
- Learning at scale
- Leisure
- Maker culture and practices
- Media arts
- Mental health
- Methodolatry
- micro:bit
- Modding || remixing
- Music
- Neoliberalism
- Open design
- Participatory culture
- Pedagogy
- Pedagogy of the oppressed
- Performativity
- Physical computing
- Physical health
- play
- Pre and early readers
- Professional Development
- Project-based learning
- Questions
- Race
- Rationale
- Remote learning
- Representation
- Rhizomatic learning
- Role model
- Scratch
- Self care
- Situated language and learning
- Skill acquisition
- Social and emotional learning (SEL)
- Social justice
- Social media
- Standards
- STEM
- Suicidal ideation
- Theory || philosophy
- Transfer
- Transgender/nonbinary
- Universal design for learning
- Unplugged
- Video games