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Did you caucus on Monday night? Then you were part of computer science in real life.
Shaking your head “no” - there wasn’t any computer science? You already know the caucus is a social experience where people gather in person and physically move to a place in the room to show support for a candidate. How is that computer science? The computer science shines in the next step. An app was developed to allow precinct organizers to securely login and report results.
CSTA Standards:
- On the surface: Networks/Internet, data, cybersecurity and safety.
- Under the hood: Debugging, test and refine, sequences, loops, and variables to name a few
As you may know the app didn’t go as planned... The data collected was sound - it was a "coding issue in the reporting."
One concept in Iowa’s Computer Science Standards is the Impacts of Computing, and this impact was tremendous.
Your students don't have to become programmers for computer science to be part of their lives. Interested in politics? CS is there. How about cybersecurity? CS is here too. Like data? Yep, CS. Want to design an app? You guessed it, CS.
1A-AP-10 Develop programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
Grade band: K - 2
Concept: Algorithms & Programming
Sub-concept: Control
Computers follow commands in precise sequence. Sequence is the order of instructions in a program. For example, if dialogue is not sequenced correctly when programming a simple animated story, the story will not make sense. Loops allow a sequence of commands to be repeated multiple times.
For example, students could follow simple movements in response to oral instructions. Students could then create a simple sequence of movement commands in response to a given problem (e.g., In how many ways can you travel from point A to point B?) and represent it as a computer program, using loops to repeat commands.
Unplugged
Defined - Activities designed to teach computer science concepts without using a computer.
Example - Students draw a picture and take turns giving their partner very specific steps to recreate their drawing. They can’t look at their partner or the drawing and no one is allowed to ask questions. This teaches students how to give clear and specific instructions. A computer will follow exact instructions step by step and can’t ask questions so the result is not always what you expect.
Scratch. Online and free. The current session started yesterday, but you can still get in.
Scratch is a free, online, graphical programming language/learning environment that allows students to learn about computer programming and computational thinking without worrying about complicated syntax. This course is appropriate for teachers of all disciplines who teach 3-12th grade. Participants will learn how to use Scratch for interactive art, animated storytelling, and game development. Previous programming experience is not a requirement for this course.
2020-2021 STEM Scale-Up Program
Educator application period: January 21 – March 2
Programs include Bootstrap: Data Science, Computer Science Fundamentals, Computer Science Discoveries, Computer Science Principles, and Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Cybersecurity.
Computer Science Web page - Check out the information and resources available.
Twitter - Do you tweet? Follow me at @wrenhoffman and be sure to use the hashtag #CSforIA for all your computer science related tweets.
Sharing - Do you have a story or an experience to share? I’d love to include examples of what is happening in schools and districts around the state in the next newsletter.
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