Get with the Program

Computer Science Education Opportunity and Accessibility

Mary Newby

• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781641375375
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Teaching Science & Technology

Employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow by 12 percent between 2018 and 2028. These occupations are projected to add about 546, 200 new jobs. Get with the Program: Computer Science Education Opportunity and Accessibility promotes equitable opportunity and accessibility for all students to learn computer science skills—in the classroom, after school, or at home. This book is for:

• The teacher wanting to implement computer science education into their classroom
• The student who's interested in learning more about computer science
• The school that's curious about adding computer science into their curriculum
• The parent looking to explore computer science opportunities for their child

Get with the Program details how educational opportunities influence the technology field. Anyone can bring more computer science opportunities into their community—including you. Every student deserves the opportunity to have a computer science education.

CHAPTER 1
Why Computer Science?

“Equality and equity are not synonymous.”

–Dr. Lindsey Ott

At a TED Talk in 2017, Dr. Lindsey Ott discussed the difference between education equality and equity: “Equality is giving everybody a size 10 pair of shoes. Some people are going to be really excited about the size 10 pair of shoes, unless you don’t wear a size 10. Equity is giving everyone a pair of shoes that fits.”5

This distinction can easily be applied to education. All students must attend school to gain the knowledge, skills, and desire to pursue a future that will benefit themselves, their family, and the community. Whether preparing to go to college, learn a trade, or pursue a passion, an early education helps students to grow into successful adults.

However, the quality of that education–and the extent to which it fits the needs and desires of its students–has a tremendous impact. Students with different backgrounds, preferences, and skills need different approaches to education, and this is where equal education and equitable education diverge.

Whenever I tell people I’m in the tech sector, they usually respond along the lines of, “Wow, you must be really smart,” or “Good for you, I’m terrible with computers!” Responses like these make me cringe a bit. This rhetoric completely isolates tech industries from anyone interested in it who doesn’t think they are smart enough.

I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not a genius by any means. I worked hard in college for my 3.0 graduating GPA, which isn’t bad but sure as hell isn’t that of an “extremely gifted” student. Some might think, “Why am I reading a book written by a mediocre student?” However, I strongly believe that grades are not indicative of a person’s success, and I’m not the only person with this perspective. In 2019, announced they will no longer require an ACT or SAT score for admissions because a standardized test score does not reveal a person’s full potential or ability.6 In spite of my less-than-stellar GPA, I have gained invaluable hands-on experience through my work, and my results now speak for themselves.

Here’s the bottom line: the technology sector does not require inherent talent, perfect test scores, or a crazy amount of ambition. Though societal attitudes deem that only “geniuses” can pursue careers in tech, anyone with enough determination and interest can do it.

A Brief History

The history of computer science is essential to understanding the origins of this “genius” label on the tech sector.

Computer science, as we know it, has been around for more than seventy years, and it began with the digital computer machine created by IBM used during World War II to crack military codes. At the time, people were using physical switches to make this iteration work and, quite frankly, it did take a genius to create and maintain. As time went on and technology advanced, switches were replaced by universal programming languages and computer science was born.

In 1962, Purdue University introduced the first computer science program to its students. The 1970s saw the creation of pivotal languages including C and Pascal, and these influential languages paved the way for modern programming. In the 1980s, a tech company named Apple gave rise to the personal computer, which would ultimately become a modern staple inside homes across America. And that leads us to where we are today! (That’s a short history and I’m skipping over a ton, but you get the gist.)

Since computer science is a comparatively new and rapidly-growing field, it stands to reason that there are still misconceptions about it. When the digital computer was created by IBM, it could only be used by extremely intelligent and highly-trained engineers. Even in the 70s, when popular programming languages were developed, students took several college courses in order to master them and bring them into applicable practice.

In today’s world, computer technology has infiltrated nearly every field, computer science can be studied everywhere, and these skills have become ubiquitous. When your doctor sends a prescription to your pharmacist, you check the weather app on your phone, or you check out at a self-service grocery store counter, you are interacting with the work of a computer scientist. What this means is that the world needs more computer scientists–not only to maintain current technologies, but also the rate of advancement.

Changing the Conversation

In order to meet growing demand for these skills, we must change the common misconceptions about the field of computer science. As long as the field of computer science is heightened, people will be discouraged from pursuing it. So, how do we do this?

First and foremost, we must change the conversation, starting with students, because students are the future of the work force. Upon meeting someone in the computer science field, instead of marveling at their intelligence, people should ask more about what business they work for, what they do, and what projects they work on. Changing this conversation, especially in front of students, is the first step in promoting the accessibility of computer science as a career path.

We should also get excited about computer science jobs! Technology is growing at warp speeds, and a lot of it is really cool, but computer science is still stereotyped as work done crouched on your laptop in your mother’s basement. It’s important to have conversations about the broad span of opportunities or the incredible platforms that create our favorite products, websites, and apps. These conversations should primarily be held in the classroom.

Some schools are effectively enhancing and promoting technology skills, but other schools are still unable to provide any computer production courses and don’t have the means of promoting careers in the tech sector. Unfortunately, schools with more funding usually have an easier time getting computer science courses into their curricula, whereas schools with less funding are more likely not to offer these courses. Unfortunately, this applies predominantly to schools in either urban, rural, low-income, or minority areas. If students in thes...

Table of contents

• PREFACE Tech Is Everywhere
• INTRODUCTION How to Use this Book
• CHAPTER 1 Why Computer Science?
• CHAPTER 2 Technology: The Perfect Fit for Every Student
• CHAPTER 3 Computer Science in the Classroom
• CHAPTER 4 The Roadblocks
• CHAPTER 5 Computer Science in High School
• CHAPTER 6 Teaching Teachers
• CHAPTER 7 Computer Science in Elementary School
• CHAPTER 8 Into the Classroom
• CHAPTER 9 Learning Computer Science as an Adult
• CHAPTER 10 Time to Act
• CONсLUSION What Now?
• Bibliography