Time to Be Bold for Change in Computer Science Education (CSEd)
Earlier this month, the world celebrated another International Women's Day 2017 (IWD), calling all of us to #BeBoldForChange. To forge a better more inclusive, gender equal world, IWD recognizes and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all around the world.
Collectively, the CSEd community also has a lot to be proud of in further broadening participation, especially with girls; providing this opportunity to learn CS for all students has been the biggest goal for most of us. Thanks to bold efforts made by numerous organizations, the number of new K-12 teachers who are receiving professional development in CS is increasing every day. This translates into more students, including those from underrepresented groups, now learning CS skills for the first time.
More girls and women, as well as individuals living in rural or inner-city neighborhoods, students with special needs, and students from African-American, Latino, and Native American communities, are included in this positive trend. Yet a lot still remains to be done before every student has equal access to CSEd.
As the momentum around CSEd builds up, we need to increase our focus and efforts and start looking deeper and harder into all the issues that are preventing us from scaling this effort nationally. It is not going to be easy. And most of us already know that. A change of this magnitude is never that easy. So, it is time for all of us to be bold, be collaborative, and stay optimistic. For now, let us all take a moment to celebrate this broadening participation in CSEd!
We invite you to share your own bold stories of success.
Vandana Sikka, @VTSikka, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation USA
- Jan Cuny offers a perspective on CS Ed sustainability in the US. - Female CS students and mentors connect via#NEXTScholars. - Latino students blossom from the gift of opportunity.
1. Eric Allatta, Academy for Software Engineering, NY, NY
2. Jacqueline Corricelli, Conard High School, West Hartford, CT
3. Karen Donathan, George Washington High School, Charleston, WV
4, Farrah Falco, STEM Magnet Academy, Chicago, IL
5. Steven Floyd, Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School, London, Ontario, Canada
6. Ray Kinne, San Diego High School, San Diego, CA
7. William Lau, Greenwich Free School, London, England
8. Robert Luciano, Pocono Mountain East High School, Easton, PA
9. Daniel Moix, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and Arts, Little Rock, AR
10.Jared O’Leary, Desert Thunder School, Tolleson, AZ
@brentbushnell: How metric system might help #MakerED? #CSEd Topics: April 10, May 1, June 12 #MakerED Topics: April 24, May 24, June 19
Visit the Foundation's Storify page for archived #InfyEdChats.
Infosys Foundation USA remains passionate in its commitment to bridge the digital divide in the US and its mission to inspire children, young adults, and educators to become creators, not just consumers, of technology.
