Gail Chapman, UCLA
description
Transcript of Gail Chapman, UCLA
1
Gail Chapman, UCLAApril 19, 2012
2 Research and Philosophy of ECS
3
Research Leading to ECS What is computer
science, anyway? Course offerings vary
between schools Computing courses
have no academic home Culture of low
expectations around computing knowledge
Little curricular connections with students’ experiences
Counselors need information
Teachers need support Students have interest!
Issues that are often missing from the conversation— Schools with high numbers of students of
color tend to have low-level courses, such as keyboarding. (At the time only 11 out of 57 high schools in LAUSD offered AP CS.).
Counselors don’t steer girls and students of color to cs.
The privilege of having access at home is seen as an indicator of ability while those without such access get kept out.
5
Broadening Participation in Computing for Underrepresented Students
Democratizing CS Education Rather than focus our attention on the
traditional pipeline issues, we have chosen to approach this as an equity issue.
As a community we argue that the ability to think computationally is an essential 21st century skill—so we need to prepare all students to have this fundamental knowledge to be able to fully participate in society.
If more students are given these opportunities a side effect should be a natural enrichment of the pipeline.
How do we make this happen? Availability of courses for all students in all schools—
Build courses at all schools, so that any student who desires to access this knowledge can do so, whether or not the students are college bound.
Curriculum and assessment— Tailored towards students in meaningful ways Developed to highlight the multiple ways of knowing
and learning that students bring to classrooms. Teachers—
Must be supported in developing an inclusive inquiry based pedagogy that is effective for engaging girls and students of color.
8 ECS as a Model for CS Reform
9
Model of CS Education Reform
Curriculum
Teachers &
PedagogyPolicy
10
ECS Equitable Learning Model
Inquiry Teaching & LearningEquity & Classroom Culture
CS Concepts
11 ECS Curriculum and PD
12
The ECS Curriculum
Creative nature of computing
Technology as a tool for solving problems
Relevance of computer science and its impact on society
13
ECS Instructional Units
1.Human Computer Interaction
2.Problem Solving3.Web Design4.Introduction to
Programming 5.Computing and Data
Analysis6.Robotics
14
ECS Computational Practices
Analyze effects of development in computing Design and implement creative solutions and
artifacts Apply abstractions and models Analyze one’s own computational work and
the work of others Connect computing with other disciplines Communicate thought processes and results
in multiple formats Work effectively in teams
15
ECS Computer Science Concepts
Unit 1: Human Computer Interaction• Hardware components• Tasks suitable for computers• Reliability of Internet searches• Communication as data
exchange• Societal impacts of computing
(throughout)
Unit 2: Problem Solving• Creation of algorithms
that meet specified objectives
• Behaviors of algorithms• Tradeoffs of different
algorithms for same problem
• Binary numbers and computers
• Expression of solutions using design tools
• Characteristics of problems that cannot be solved by an algorithm
Unit 3: Web Design• Web pages that address
specific objectives• Selection of appropriate
techniques to create web pages
• Separation of style from content in web page design
Unit 4: Introduction to Programming• Appropriate algorithms to
solve a problem• Abstraction to design solutions
to problems• Design, code, test, and
execute a program that corresponds to a set of specifications
• Selection of appropriate programming structures (data types, loops, sequencing)
• Debugging of programs• Explanations of how programs
function
Unit 5: Computing & Data Analysis• Various forms of data• Appropriate data
collection methods• Analysis and
interpretation of data• Representation of data
and identification of patterns
• Using data to make a case or describe a phenomenon
Unit 6: Robotics• Characteristic that define
a robot • How different hardware
designs affect the function of a machine
• Correspondence between actions of the robot and parts of the program
• Ways that robots can be used in a variety of settings
16
The ECS Professional Development Highlight the ECS conceptual structure and dynamic
relationship between curriculum, computer science concepts, pedagogy, and diverse student learners in the classroom
Model and make explicit characteristics of an engaging inquiry-based pedagogy
Consider multiple methods and purposes for formative and summative evaluations of student learning
Deepen discussions around equity issues in CS classrooms
Develop reflective practitioner skills and strategies Build professional ECS teacher community to provide
support, guidance, mentoring
17
ECS Summer Institute PD – June 2011
18 Scope and Impact of ECS
19
ECS Student Enrollment 2008-2009 (pilot) = 306
students 2009-2010 = 922 students 2010-2011 = 1,377 students 2011-2012 = 2,136 students
ECS 2011-2012 ENROLLMENT—25 schools
Race/Ethnicity Female Male TotalLatino 734 915 1,649Asian 46 81 127African American
92 108 200
White 25 57 82Pacific Islander 1 0 1Native American 4 5 9Filipino 21 47 68TOTAL 923 1,213 2,136
21
The ECS Policy ApproachLOCAL District support; memos to
principals Principal support; place class
in master schedule Teacher support; attend PD
and advocate for classSTATE Partner with San Jose,
Oakland ECS schools UCOP– Awarded “G credit”
and CTE credit to ECS Catalyst for California
Computer Science Advocacy Network (CCEAN)
ECS Expansion Chicago
Office of CTE for the CPS has decided to make ECS the foundation course for all 5 IT strands.
Plan is to have all CTE teachers prepared to teach ECS and all strands fully implementing (3 year plan)
ECS will also count as a math credit.
23
Ingredients for Success—Preliminary Findings
Interested/enthusiastic teachers Embrace philosophy and participate in PD
Investment in strong collaborative local partnerships Effective communication mechanisms to facilitate cooperative decision-
making A network of teachers, administrators, and school officials to address
the issues of institutionalism and sustainability. Recruiting is made easier when the infrastructure is in place.
Local support for professional development and building a strong teacher learning community Ongoing PD is necessary for building and sustaining a teacher learning
community When teachers reflect on the practice of teaching rather than just
focusing on content they are more likely to make changes that will support the learning of diverse student populations