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On January 31st, the White House announced its new Computer Science for All initiative, aimed at encouraging schools to offer Computer Science from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade as part of the core curriculum. |
The initiative provides funding that will help educate more teachers in Computer Science, conduct research into effective teaching practices, and encourage states to accept Computer Science as a graduation requirement. It also puts the power of the White House behind a movement that’s been building for many years.
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Organizations such as CSTA, Code.org, Girls Who Code and TechGirlz, to name just a few, have been arguing for more CS Education for years. And while progress has been made, there’s more work to be done, and having the White House behind that work will be a big help.
Did you know…
• only 1 in 10 high schools even offer Computer Science?
• the AP Computer Science test has one of the lowest number of test-takers?
• only about half of all states allow Computer Science to count toward the Math or Science requirement for graduation (and no, Pennsylvania is not one of those states)
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Many of us carry around a device in our pockets that’s hundreds of times more powerful than the computers that got us to the moon in 1969, and yet, knowing how to program that device is not considered a core skill by most schools.
Just following Obama’s announcement about this new initiative, Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, appeared on The Daily Show. In her interview, she said that she thought the lack of CS Education in schools was “the most important issue of our time.” Her program has taught 40,000 girls to code so far, which is a good step toward trying to bridge the gender gap that exists in the technology industry. She lamented the “brogrammer” culture that’s developed around the tech industry, which sometimes turns girls off to pursuing Computer Science. And she talked about how girls tend to approach building things with an eye toward helping others.
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In the DREAM Lab® (Design, Robotics, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) program at The Baldwin School, which is under the Computer Science department, we integrate Design Thinking into the curriculum, which focuses on designing with empathy in mind. As an example, our students are working on two apps: one to promote a healthy physical lifestyle and another to help high school students deal with stress. To complete their apps, they need to be able to empathize with those who struggle with these issues and to see things from their perspective. As Saujani said, girls do tend to be able to empathize more easily than boys, though it is still challenging for any teenager, as many of you out there know.
There are programs on weekends and in the summer that I’d like to recommend:
• One that Saujani mentioned on The Daily Show was the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion program for high school girls.
• Although the program just ended for this year, Google offers students the opportunity to work on real projects and to be mentored along the way through the Google Code-in program.
• TechGirlz offers workshops on the weekends for Middle School girls.
• Alexa Café (part of IDTech) offers summer programs for girls aged 10-12 and 13-15.
• And of course, the i2 Camp offered at The Baldwin School this summer for girls and boys entering 6th through 8th grades.
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Join us for an open house on Wednesday, April 20 at 9 a.m.
We are excited to welcome you to an Open House to learn about all The Baldwin School has to offer. Faculty and staff, students, current parents and alumnae, will be on hand to answer your questions and share their experiences. Register Here!
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| Established in 1888, The Baldwin School is an independent day school for girls. Baldwin combines the region's premier college preparatory curriculum with distinguished arts, athletics and community service programs.
Located in Bryn Mawr, Baldwin attracts talented girls for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 who seek a dynamic, globally focused curriculum within a supportive and encouraging community.
BaldwinSchool.org
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