TY - JOUR
T1 - Democratizing Computer Science Knowledge: Transforming the Face of Computer Science Through Public High School Education
AU - Ryoo, Jean
AU - Margolis, Jane
AU - Lee, Clifford
AU - Sandoval, Cueponcaxochitl
AU - Goode, Joanne
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - Despite the fact that computer science (CS) is the driver of technological innovations across all disciplines and aspects of our lives, including participatory media, high school CS too commonly fails to incorporate the perspectives and concerns of low-income students of color. This article describes a partnership program – Exploring Computer Science (ECS) – that directly counters this problem in our nation's second largest school district. With a mission of democratizing CS learning, we argue that despite the constraints of working within public schools, it is imperative to do so. We discuss the ECS program based on inquiry, culturally relevant curriculum, and equity-oriented pedagogy. We describe two ECS-affiliated projects that highlight the importance of authorship, purpose, and agency for student learning and engagement: DietSens using mobile technology to study community health, and a project in which students create video games about social issues. Our work offers a counter-narrative to those who have written off the possibilities of working within public schools and a debunking of the too widespread myth within our educational system that females and students of color are inherently uninterested in rigorous CS learning.
AB - Despite the fact that computer science (CS) is the driver of technological innovations across all disciplines and aspects of our lives, including participatory media, high school CS too commonly fails to incorporate the perspectives and concerns of low-income students of color. This article describes a partnership program – Exploring Computer Science (ECS) – that directly counters this problem in our nation's second largest school district. With a mission of democratizing CS learning, we argue that despite the constraints of working within public schools, it is imperative to do so. We discuss the ECS program based on inquiry, culturally relevant curriculum, and equity-oriented pedagogy. We describe two ECS-affiliated projects that highlight the importance of authorship, purpose, and agency for student learning and engagement: DietSens using mobile technology to study community health, and a project in which students create video games about social issues. Our work offers a counter-narrative to those who have written off the possibilities of working within public schools and a debunking of the too widespread myth within our educational system that females and students of color are inherently uninterested in rigorous CS learning.
KW - equity
KW - cultural relevance
KW - computer science
KW - public high school education
KW - teacher professional development
UR - https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/school-education-faculty-works/177
UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2013.756514
U2 - 10.1080/17439884.2013.756514
DO - 10.1080/17439884.2013.756514
M3 - Article
VL - 38
JO - Learning, Media, and Technology
JF - Learning, Media, and Technology
ER -