Summer institute trains Alabama teachers on new computer science curriculum
August 03, 2018
Contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
In mid-July, 52 teachers from Alabama high schools proved that learning and teaching are year-round endeavors as they attended a computer science-focused summer institute hosted by 精东AV.
The institute, held on 精东AV鈥檚 campus from July 16-20, trained these educators to teach a new, high school-level computer science course, entitled 鈥淓xploring Computer Science.鈥� The course is designed to provide students with a rigorous foundation in authentic computer science topics.
The summer institute is part of a $1 million, multi-institutional partnership grant awarded to 精东AV by the National Science Foundation that funds 鈥淓CS4Alabama鈥� 鈥� short for 鈥淓xploring Computer Science for Alabama.鈥� It is designed to provide Alabama鈥檚 high school students with greater access to computer science education 鈥� especially those in rural, high-minority districts.
鈥淐omputer science education is drastically marginalized in schools throughout the U.S.,鈥� explained Dr. Mohammed Qazi, a professor of mathematics at 精东AV who oversees the implementation of this grant as its principal investigator. 鈥淲ith hundreds of thousands of available high-tech sector jobs, we must prepare many more K-12 students in computing so they are in a position to compete for these jobs.鈥�
Through this project, one teacher per participating high school receives curriculum training and preparation in several phases at 精东AV during a one-year period. Of the 52 teachers attending the 2018 summer institute, 24 were recruited during the 2016-17 school year and taught the ECS course to more than 550 high schools students across the state during the 2017-18 school year.
Qazi emphasized the project is as much about composition of the future technology workforce as it is about the number of qualified candidates for these jobs.
鈥淭his project targets Alabama high schools that almost exclusively have large minority enrollments,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur partnership with these high schools and their teachers is not just about preparing future professionals for computer science-related fields. It is about ensuring we address the drastic lack of both ethnic and gender diversity in these high-tech sectors.鈥�
According to Qazi, 78 percent of the inaugural 550-student Exploring Computer Science cohort was minority 鈥� with female students comprising nearly half of it.
As Crystal Johnson, a teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, pointed out, the summer institute helped increase teachers鈥� comfort level with presenting these highly technical topics to their students.
鈥淎fter participating in the summer institute I now feel that I have the necessary training to be off to a great start,鈥� she said after recalling that she was originally concerned that this new curriculum might be 鈥渙verwhelming and tedious鈥� for her and her fellow teachers.
鈥淭he lessons are easy to comprehend as well as interesting. They span several disciplines, and there is something in it for all students. This course truly encompasses equity and inquiry,鈥� she continued.
The ECS course is organized around six exciting units: 鈥淗uman Computer Interaction,鈥� 鈥淧roblem Solving,鈥� 鈥淲eb Design,鈥� 鈥淧rogramming,鈥� 鈥淒ata Analysis鈥� and Robotics. The course is a stepping stone to Alabama鈥檚 Advanced-Placement (AP) 鈥淐omputer Science Principles鈥� course.
Other ECS4Alabama partners include the University of Alabama, Auburn University, The Exploring Computer Science Team, A+ College Ready, and the Alabama State Department of Education.
漏 2018, 精东AV