My guest today is Dr. Melissa A. Rasberry (@MelRasberry).  Melissa is senior technical assistance consultant at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where she serves as the principal investigator for the CS10K Community, an online community of practice for computer science teachers sponsored by the National Science Foundation. She has created and facilitated over 35 virtual communities throughout her career, providing effective online professional learning experiences for educators. Dr. Rasberry began as a third grade teacher and a principal intern at two diverse elementary schools in Durham NC. Her professional interests span the teaching continuum—from recruitment and preparation to professional development and retention.

In this episode, we discussed:

• how to train computer science teachers with non-CS degrees.
• how to inspire students who do not initially see the relevance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
• how parents can prevent the “summer melt” and encourage their children to build on their STEM skills throughout the summer.

Resources:

CS10K Community

Code.org

Scratch

Evernote

You’re a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero (2013)