#CSK8 Podcast - A podcast for computer science educators

In this episode I unpack McGee, Dettori, and Rasmussen’s (2022) publication titled “Impact of the CPS computer science graduation policy on student access and outcomes,” which explores the impact of a computer science graduation requirement in Chicago Public Schools.

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How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

02:56 Paper intro

03:27 Methods

04:36 Results - How did CPS’s Capacity to offer computer science change after the graduation requirement was enacted?

07:36 How did Access to computer science courses change after the graduation requirement was enacted?

09:18 How did Participation in computer science change after the graduation requirement was enacted?

11:36 Participation of students with disabilities

12:43 How consistent were the student Experience in and outcomes from their computer science courses before and after the enactment of the graduation requirement?

13:49 Comparison of ECS course grades before and after the enactment of the graduation requirement

17:20 Comparison of additional course taking before and after the enactment of the graduation requirement

19:29 Conclusion and recommendations

21:51 Lingering thoughts and questions

22:08 What was the impact on students during high school and after graduation?

25:03 How did this course requirement negatively impact students?

26:09 How might other districts support similar requirements in their schools?

27:15 How might the district have achieved the same results without the graduation requirement?

28:43 Outro

In this episode I'm a guest on CSTA Wyoming's podcast for computer science educators and I answer some questions about the intersections of music and computer science.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:59 Interview intro

01:35 Introducing myself

02:20 Where music and CS align

11:50 How to get students interested in CS when they're interested in music

17:09 Thoughts on mandatory vs elective courses

20:58 What are some music and CS programs I recommend?

23:26 Careers at the intersection of music and computer science

30:01 Where to connect with me

31:06 Outro

In this episode I unpack Stauffer’s (2017) keynote titled “Whose imaginings? Whose future?,” which encourages educators to reflect on who is the shaping the future of their field.

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How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

01:55 A quote of Emerson

03:22 Unpacking the keynote

27:25 Lingering questions and thoughts

27:38 When is a standard more useful than a guideline?

28:30 Whose voices are being heard and whose are being silenced?

29:34 When and why are the needs of corporations outweighing the needs of communities, groups, or individuals?

30:03 Whose Imaginings? Whose Future?

30:44 Outro

In this short episode I give a preview for what I’ll be doing in 2023 and provide some simple ways that you can help support the free content I create.

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How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

In this episode I unpack Koshy et al.’s (2022) publication titled “Moving towards a vision of equitable computer science: Results of a landscape of PreK-12 CS teachers in the United States,” which provides recommendations for the field based on a landscape study of CS educators in the United States.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:32 Intro of the executive summary

01:13 My single sentence summary

01:21 Executive summary

01:34 Demographics of respondents

03:41 In-person, online, or hybrid teaching context?

04:02 Demographic information

05:25 Courses taught by respondents

06:29 Respondent experience and degrees

07:28 Community at large

08:53 Support

10:19 Challenges

10:54 Confidence with promoting equitable CS

11:56 Agency in shifting student motivation

13:28 Standards

14:08 Confidence with teaching identity-inclusive pedagogies

17:14 Professional development

19:30 Challenges identified by CS educators

20:36 Recommendations

24:37 How does this report inform your own practices in CS education?

25:06 Outro

In this interview with Roxana Hadad, we discuss the blurring of formal and informal learning within makerspaces and culture, how Roxana’s understanding of education evolved over time, feeling lost when having too much choice with one’s learning, the intersections of makerspaces and equity, problematizing discourse and definitions around computational thinking and computer science, preventing burnout while working on many different projects, feeling a lack of agency in education, the future of communication for academics, and so 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

01:04 Roxana introducing herself

09:56 How makerspaces informs Roxana's views on education

13:30 How Roxana's understanding of education has evolved over time

15:42 Feeling lost in formal learning

17:57 What surprised Roxana from her research

20:10 The connections between makerspaces and equity work

26:22 Colonization in makerspaces and computational thinking

29:27 The problems with the vagueness of computational thinking

36:09 The UCLA computer science equity project

38:13 The differences in understanding curricula

40:57 The need for defining terms

44:07 How Roxana and I prevent burnout

53:20 How Roxana iterates on her abilities

57:05 If Roxana had a magic wand...

59:31 The drastic shifts in discourse around education

01:06:02 Something Roxana is working on

01:07:59 How I do everything I do

01:09:53 The future of communication as a scholar

01:12:16 The importance of dialouge

01:15:30 The overlap of computational thinking and equity

01:16:47 How to connect with Roxana

01:17:10 Outro

In this episode I read and unpack my (2019) publication titled “Assessment Considerations: A Simple Heuristic,” which is intended to serve as a heuristic for creating or selecting an assessment.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:25 Paper intro

01:38 Why?

03:53 What?

06:27 When?

09:02 Where?

10:50 Who?

12:32 Which?

14:40 Combining assessment types

16:50 What questions or frameworks do you use when considering creating or selecting an assessment?

16:56 What’s missing from this discussion?

17:08 Outro

In this episode I unpack Scott’s (2012) publication titled “Rethinking the roles of assessment in music education,” which summarizes three roles of assessment (assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning) that I discuss in relation to computer science education.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:31 Abstract

01:00 My single sentence summary

01:31 What are the three assessment types?

03:42 Comparing the three assessment types

08:02 Example questions for each assessment type

08:51 Assessment of learning (summative assessment)

11:02 Assessment for learning (formative assessment)

17:42 Assessment as learning (ipsative assessment)

20:23 Gathering information

21:50 Lingering questions and thoughts

21:54 What types of assessment do you tend to prefer for yourself?

23:05 What’s missing from your assessments?

24:16 Outro

In this episode I unpack Payne and Ruthmann’s (2019) publication titled “Music making in Scratch: High floors, low ceilings, and narrow walls,” which problematizes the limitations of making music with Scratch.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:39 Abstract

01:59 My single sentence summary

03:09 Background

04:29 Scratch

05:16 Motivation

07:04 Music functionality in Scratch 2.0

10:24 Learning music coding/coding music in Scratch

18:58 Inconsistent timing in Scratch music playback

19:46 New opportunities for music blocks in Scratch

20:20 Lingering questions and thoughts

20:35 In what ways might CS integration constrain engagement with one or more disciplines?

21:41 Outro

In this episode I unpack Catalyze Tech Working Group’s (2021) publication titled “The ACT Report: Action to Catalyze Tech, A Paradigm Shift for DEI,” which provides suggestions for business that would like to improve DEI in ways that are relevant to CS organizations and educators.

Click here for this episode’s show notes.

How to Get Started with Computer Science Education

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00:00 Intro

00:24 Preface

01:41 My single sentence summary

02:15 Outline of the report and introduction

09:15 Section I: M.O.S.T. Important Recommendations

10:33 Systems thinking

10:56 Section II: A detailed summary of recommendations

11:14 Model an incentivize inclusive leadership

17:20 Operationalize DEI throughout the business

34:59 Share DEI data, metrics, and goals

42:14 Transform pathways into tech for underrepresented talent

53:40 Lingering questions and thoughts

53:46 I’m skeptical when I see reports use phrases like “school-to-tech pathway” by ensuring “that every student has the fundamental math and science background to study CS.” (p. 16)

55:03 When we say a diverse workforce, what does that mean to you?

56:11 There is a tendency when some people advocate for diversity to be vague in what’s being asked for, so how can we as individuals or as a field clarify goals to strive toward?

58:01 When is the purpose of education for getting a job and when is it not?

58:27 Outro