2,585 research outputs found
Standardizing Facilitator Development for Exploring Computer Science Professional Development
A key strategy for broadening CS participation
in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has been the enactment
of a high school CS graduation requirement. The Exploring
Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development
(PD) program serve as a core foundation for supporting
enactment of this policy. The CAFE´CS researcher-practitioner
partnership provides support for ECS implementation in CPS.
An important part of the sustainability of the ECS PD model in
CPS is the development of local workshop facilitators. Potential
facilitators have generally been selected based on the CAFE´CS
team’s personal familiarity with active ECS teachers. Once
selected, teachers engage in a two-year apprenticeship program
to become facilitators. However, in the three years since the
enactment of the policy, the number of ECS teachers and
students has grown significantly. This rapid expansion of the CS
teaching force has strained the ability to confidently identify new
facilitators from a large pool of teachers and ensure consistency
of workshop implementation. As a result, CAFE´CS is exploring
how to supplement the ECS Facilitator Development Model
through a proactive recruitment model and explicit support for
the mentoring process
The Impact of the Exploring Computer Science Instructional Model in Chicago Public Schools
As part of the Taste of Computing project, the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) instructional model has been expanded to many high schools in the Chicago Public Schools system. We report on initial outcomes showing that students value the ECS course experience, resulting in increased awareness of and interest in the field of computer science. We compare these results by race and gender. The data provide a good basis for exploring the impact of meaningful computer science instruction on students from groups underrepresented in computing; of several hundred students surveyed, nearly half were female, and over half were Hispanic or African-American
My Materials Supporting the Exploring Computer Science Curriculum
Ready-made handouts and other resources supporting the Exploring Computer Science (introductory high school) curriculum are provided for Units 1 through 3. These materials were based on version 4 of the ECS curriculum but should remain relevant in later versions as well
CS as a Graduation Requirement: Catalyst for Systemic Change
Since President Obama\u27s announcement of the Computer Science for All Initiative in 2016, there has been a surge in the number of districts that are planning for or newly implementing computer science (CS) offerings at their schools. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the first large school district to have adopted Computer Science as a high school graduation requirement, taking this significant step along the path towards systemic change. The foundation was laid eight years ago when an informal alliance was formed between a CPS high school CS teacher, a CPS administrator, and three university computer scientists
Assessing the Effectiveness of Computer Science RPPs: The Case of CAFECS
Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) are a relatively
recent development as a potential strategy to address the
complex challenges in computer science education. Consequently,
there is little guidance available for assessing the effectiveness of
RPPs. This paper describes the formative evaluation approach
used to assess the progress of the first year of the formalized RPP,
Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFE´CS).
This paper contributes to the RPP literature by providing a case
study of how an RPP effectiveness framework can be adapted
and used to inform partnership improvement efforts in computer
science education
Research-Practice Partnership Strategies to Conduct and Use Research to Inform Practice
Given the complex challenges inherent in improving the quality of education, research-practice partnerships (RPPs) aim to bring together research and practice educators to conduct and use research to improve outcomes for students. This collaborative approach is challenging, and often requires members to adopt new ways of working (Coburn, Penuel, & Geil, 2013). RPPs have the potential to provide an infrastructure and mechanisms to integrate and unify research, policy, and practice, in contrast to traditional research processes in which research, policy, and practice can be in tension (Desimone, Wolford, Hill, 2016). The RPP literature is still young, and rich descriptions related to what these activities actually look like in practice are just beginning to emerge. This paper describes tools and routines that the CAFÉCS RPP uses to systematically and collaboratively conduct and use research to inform practice
Fall 2016
Dean David Miller and CDM Through the Years; The New ABCs of Digital Literacy; The Younger Generation: Computer Scientists of the Future; The Final Hurdle: Thesis Talk; Telling Stories in Cuba with Abbas Kiarostami with James Choi; Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition; TEDxDePaulUniversity Conference; Tim Nedow, Olympian; Omnibus Crowdfunded Game; News Briefs; The Social Technocrat: Andrew Ruginis; When Computing and Biology Collide; Tori Meschino: Campus Leader and All-Around Superstar; Degrees Offered at CD
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