#CSK8 Podcast - A podcast for computer science educators

In this interview with Amy Ko, we discuss the importance of mentorship in education, learning what not to do with teaching, the positive results of being vulnerable, understanding and exploring the limitations and consequences of CS, problematizing grades in education, practicing teaching through mental simulations, the importance of engaging in the CS community, and much more.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:51 Amy introducing herself

01:23 How Amy got into computer science education

03:20 How Amy centers curiosity, discovery, knowledge, learning, and teaching in work and in life

07:08 How Amy's philosophys of teaching and life evolved over time

10:07 The importance of reflection

12:43 Being vulnerable as an educator

17:40 What Amy wishes more people discussed in the field

20:54 Limitations of technology

25:04 How to encouraging more ethical computer science

30:24 Some problems with assigning grades in school

35:29 Recommendations for educators who have to give grades

40:15 How Amy would develop expertise in CS education

46:26 What's holding back the field and what can we do about it?

50:50 How Amy prevents burnout

54:26 What Amy wishes there was more research on

57:50 What we wish education looked like

01:03:09 CS education and the need for community

01:07:39 How to connect with Amy

01:08:30 Outro

In this episode I unpack Butler’s (1988) seminal publication titled “Performative acts and gender constitution: An essay in phenomenology and feminist theory,” which unpacks the notion that gender is a performative act that is socially and historically constructed.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:35 My single sentence summary

01:21 Gender as a performative act

04:32 Sex/Gender: Feminist and phenomenological views

13:19 Binary genders and the heterosexual contract

20:38 Feminist theory: Beyond an expressive model of gender

20:51 Lingering questions and thoughts

20:58 When are we unintentionally reaffirming gender expectations and binaries through performative acts related to CS education?

22:21 How do we balance between finding solidarity within a marginalized identity and challenging the social construction of that identity?

25:36 If “gender reality is performative which means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent that it is performed” (p. 527) what other identities besides gender might we consider as performative and in need of discussing as a field?

27:03 Outro

In this interview with Roger Mantie, we discuss the importance of leisure for self preservation, problematize the single focus of education for workforce readiness, discuss the importance of focusing on happiness and wellbeing, explore discourse in education and around leisure, and much more.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

01:06 An introduction by Roger

01:58 Something that continues to impact Roger's understanding of education

05:20 How Roger became interested in researching leisure

09:52 The difference between pursuing something for leisure or for a career

12:59 Should we focus on leisure in school?

18:30 How much should we focus on leisure?

23:33 What might the arts and CS learn from each other?

33:32 How does Roger focus on his own leisure

34:32 How to connect with Roger

35:15 Outro

In this episode I unpack Medel and Pournaghshband’s (2017) publication titled “Eliminating gender bias in computer science education materials,” which examines three examples of “how stereotypes about women can manifest themselves through class materials” (p. 411)

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:40 Abstract

01:42 My single sentence summary

01:58 Paper introduction

02:19 Names in curricular content

08:11 Imagery in curricular content

10:32 Language in curricular content

13:50 Summary of the paper

14:18 Lingering questions and thoughts

14:25 Is the shift toward animals and monuments a form of dehumanizing CS?

14:46 When creating or sharing materials with students, what kind of demographic balances do you strive for?

16:24 How might we as a field start engaging in conversations around gender without making assumptions about people?

17:38 Outro

In this interview with Vicky Sedgwick, we discuss Vicky’s journey into CS education, how Vicky’s pedagogy has changed in virtual environments, advice for designing learning experiences in CS, the importance of integrating CS in other subject areas, recommendations for improving equity and inclusion, building online communities in an age where people are questioning the value of social media, and much more.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:57 Vicky introducing herself

01:19 Vicky's journey into CS education

05:46 How Vicky's industry experience impacts her teaching

07:14 How COVID has impacted Vicky's philosophy of education

09:45 How Vicky's approach shifted when moving to remote teaching

13:25 How Vicky keeps K-2 students engaged with online learning

19:41 Simulating conversations through breakout rooms

21:49 Advice for new-to-CS educators designing computer science experiences

25:28 Advice for integrating CS

31:49 Advice for improving equity and inclusion

36:36 How Vicky became interested in online communities

37:57 A response if someone is skeptical about online communities

41:38 The future of CS education

44:24 How Vicky iterates on her own abilities

46:56 How Vicky prevents burnout

49:44 What Vicky wishes there was more research on

50:58 Where I see the field moving in the future

54:42 How I might improve this podcast

56:20 How to connect with Vicky

56:58 Outro

In this episode I unpack Denning’s (2017) publication titled “Remaining trouble spots with computational thinking: Addressing unresolved questions concerning computational thinking,” which answers three questions: what is computational thinking, how do we measure students’ computational abilities, and is computational thinking good for everyone?

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:23 My single sentence summary

00:47 Paper introduction

02:56 What is computational thinking?

05:24 How do we measure students' computational abilities?

07:16 Is computational thinking good for everyone?

11:34 Conclusion

12:41 Lingering questions and thoughts

12:47 When is computational thinking a lens to look through and when is it a process to engage in?

13:57 A mini rant on computational thinking

17:07 Outro

In this interview with Joanna Goode, we discuss corporate influence through neoliberal practices in CS education, reflecting on engaging all students in CS programs, considerations around equity and inclusion in CS education, layers of curriculum design and implementation, discussing and problematizing integration, influences of policy and administrative support (or the lack of) on CS education, Joanna’s experience with developing Exploring Computer Science, and much more.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

01:12 Joanna introducing herself

02:33 Joanna's journey into (and through) CS education

11:14 The influence of neoliberalism on education

16:50 What led to Joanna's interest in researching equity in CS education

20:59 What has changed since Joanna wrote a paper on strategies for improving equity?

25:07 Equitable strategies in virtual learning

28:19 Ideas around equity that sound great, but didn't work out

36:05 Advice for grass roots computer science implementation

39:43 Advice for integrating computer science into other subject areas

43:30 Some problems to consider when integrating curricula

51:43 The impact of support (or the lack of) on computer science education

57:29 What Joanna learned by creating the Exploring Computer Science curriculum

01:01:03 How do you design for equity in curricula?

01:03:50 If Joanna could wave a magic wand to create the ideal curriculum

01:05:57 How Joanna iterates on her abilities as an educator

01:08:45 How Joanna prevents burnout

01:14:05 What Joanna wishes more people understood about her research

01:15:48 What Joanna wishes there was more research on

01:20:16 A question for the field

01:23:42 How to connect with Joanna

In this episode I unpack Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer’s (1993) publication titled “The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance,” which debunks the notion of innate abilities within a domain and describes the role of deliberate practice in achieving expert performance.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:55 Abstract

01:40 My single sentence summary

02:12 Why I developed an interest in this topic as an educator

04:58 Paper introduction

06:59 Experience in a domain and maximal performance

08:13 But what about innate abilities?

11:07 Deliberate practice and computer science education

15:46 Three requirements of deliberate practice

17:16 Three phases of expertise acquisition

18:15 Constraints that prevent expertise

21:49 The role of deliberate practice in expert performance

25:41 General discussion

26:50 Innate talent in savants

28:36 Summary

30:34 Lingering questions and thoughts

30:41 Are we designing classes, experiences, or curricula to develop expertise or general knowledge?

30:55 What kind of a balance should we strive for between play and deliberate practice?

33:18 If deliberate practice can only be sustained for a limited amount of time each day, when should students engage in deliberate practice?

34:46 Which phase of deliberate practice are the students you work with and how does/n't your class align with those phases?

35:16 If it takes about ten years to become an expert in a domain, what does that say about the ethics of having new teachers working with students?

36:34 Outro

In this interview with Melissa Rasberry, we discuss making educational lemonade out of lemons, using technology to collaborate in virtual learning communities, how people are learning differently through online communities, CS for All Teachers, suggestions for using different social media platforms to connect with other educators, and much more.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:51 Melissa introducing herself

01:07 How Melissa got into CS education

05:22 Advice that has really resonated with Melissa

07:06 Something that Melissa no longers believes about education

13:15 How technology allows teachers to connect with each other

16:28 What led to Melissa exploring virtual learning communities

21:57 Scholarship that inspired Melissa

24:37 What has surprised Melissa while conducting research

30:09 An idea for a community that didn't go well

33:12 What is CS for All Teachers?

34:30 How does Melissa recommend teachers connect with others?

38:11 Considerations to think through when selecting a platform

42:54 How COVID has impacted Melissa's thoughts on virtual learning communities

45:23 How Melissa tries to prevent burnout

48:01 How Melissa iterates on her abilities as an educator/researcher

51:34 Recommendations for improving equity and inclusion

56:53 What Melissa wishes there was more research on

01:01:06 My biggest takeaways having conversations across the field

01:03:17 How to connect with Melissa

01:04:21 Outro

In this episode I unpack Trancred et al.’s (2020) publication titled “Understanding women modders using the serious leisure perspective,” which discusses a survey that investigated motivations for participating in modding practices among women.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro00:44 Abstract

01:53 My single sentence summary

02:01 What is modding?03:12 Paper intro04:31 Background

05:43 Serious leisure framework

08:45 Methods12:17 Results13:35 SLIM analysis16:37 Qualitative findings16:50 Discussion

18:48 Lingering questions and thoughts

18:57 What context and data are missing from the open-ended responses to the survey?

19:47 How did these answers compare with the responses from male or nonbinary participants who also filled out the survey?

20:13 Do participants strongly identify as a female modder are there are identities that better align with their interest in modding?

22:02 How might we consider leisure within classroom contexts?

22:32 Outro