[More]
Computer
Science for All
Ria Galanos
Thomas Jefferson HS for
Science and Technology
NCSSS Conference 2014
ria.galanos@gmail.com
Computer Science is Popular






Stanford – most popular major as of 2012
Harvard – CS50 is most popular course as of 2014
Princeton - computer science most popular
engineering major for Class of 2017
TJHSST – 2nd largest of the 14 senior research labs
after Biology (BioTechnology, Neuroscience,
Oceanography)
Almost 40,000 students took the AP Computer
Science A exam in 2014 (26% increase from 2013)
Average starting salary for undergrads in
computer science is $65K
But Not Popular Enough
 10x
as many students took the AP
Calculus exams in 2014
 Only 1 in 10 high schools offer computer
science
 Only 5% of high schools offer APCS A
 Only 25 states count computer science
courses as graduation requirements
Why Do We Care?
 Let’s
visit Code.org/promote
TJHSST CS Graduation Req
 CS
has been a requirement since school
opened in 1985
 One year CS required for graduation


Most students start with Foundations (420)
About 30 place out and begin with the
APCS A with Data Structures Course
TJHSST CS Curriculum
 9th



grade (all – 30)
Foundations of Computer Science in Java
Accelerated Option in Python
Of the Foundations students, less than 1/3
indicate they had any prior coding
experience
 10th

grade (300 students)
APCS A with Data Structures (the old AB
course)
TJHSST CS Curriculum

11th grade (335 students)

6 semester course options


Artificial Intelligence I, Artificial Intelligence II,
Parallel Computing 1, Parallel Computing II,
Mobile App Development, Web App
Development
12th grade (75 students)


Computer Systems Lab Senior Research
Mobile/Web Application Development Senior
Research
Only 75 students stay in CS?


Computing research projects happen in other
senior research labs
67% of programming jobs are outside the
software industry


Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2013 was for a
software model
Preparing future computer scientists, software
developers, science and tech professionals
with a computing background, and nonprofessional programmers
We’re Sold, but Wait!
 Where
do we find the teachers?
 Okay, we found teachers, what about
professional development?
 If CS comes in, something has to go.
Yikes!
Ideas to Get Started


Step 0 – visit Code.org
Early Elementary



Late Elementary / Early Middle




Hopscotch
Daisy the Dinosaur
Scratch
Light Bot
Pleo the Dinosaur
Late Middle

App Inventor , Game Salad, Minecraft
Modifications
Ideas to Get Started
 High





School
Python, Java, Javascript, Oh my!
Exploring Computer Science
APCS Principles – new course in 2016-17
APCS A
Robotics, Mobile/Web App Development,
Media Computation, Processing
Strategies for Recruiting URMs
 Hold
an open house to showcase
computing

Personalized invites
 AP
Potential, tap into talent pool
 Create
an environment welcoming to
students (think tech companies)
 Host a workshop for parents
Strategies for Retaining URMs


Address the perception that boys know more
about girls on the first day
Bring in guest speakers




Utilize mentors
Show that computing is collaborative


Variety of age groups, demographics, branches
of computing
Make use of Google Hangout/Skype
Pair programming, assignment handoff
Show that computing is creative

Give open-ended problems
Strategies for Retaining URMs
 Show

Give opportunities for students to solve
problems that mean something to them
 Show


that computing is personal
that computing is real-world
Integrate assignments with other disciplines
Harvey Mudd - almost 50% of its computer
science majors are women
 Modular
CS1 course
Strategies for Retaining URMs
 Be
sensitive to how you treat the females
and other URMs in class
 Strategies that work for URMs will benefit
everyone (think universal design)
 Don’t single out the girls by giving them
different assignments
 Don’t force girls to work together or apart
 Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code, NCWIT
Aspirations in Computing
Summary
 Early
exposure
 Buy in from school
community
 Computer science
classes that are
accessible to
everyone
 And no, not
everything has to
be pink!