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TAG Workshop Planning Page

Notes from 2/12/2011 Meeting in Philadelphia

Tennessee Tech - Ambareen, Martha Seth - from high school in Florida Bob - from Poconos high school Rebecca Dovi - high school teacher in Richmond - president of csta central VA Rachna - assistant to Joanne Lecia Barker - recruiting Joanne Cohoon Luther - research with Jim Cohoon Teresa - high school Virginia Mel Jurist - UD Jim Cohoon

Ways to entice kids: one logic problem per day or week in teams in class.

tag workshops:

  • 30 participants
  • not focused on content
  • stepends to support teacher participants
  • provide high quality materials from ncwit and csta
  • focus is pedagogy - how to teach to reach a broad audience into class
  • professional development for high school teachers
  • housing on campus
  • $1000 stipend
  • issue certificate to teachers - attended prof develop and number of hours

Need to get financing for later workshops:

  • stipends for teachers
  • housing on campus for nonlocal teachers
  • special dinner together

It is not the goal to teach a new programming language or technical skills.

Speakers - speak to an audience that is interested but may not have undergrad degree in computer science

keynote speaker - what main message to give out? the future of computing and why important to society the speakers do it for free.

set of talking points for the speaker.

could be state it person. not a pr for the university.

ice breaker - use something from Bob. get them engaged. feel comfortable sharing thoughts with each other.

special topic in cs - faculty with good ability to communicate with the teachers. what might you do with the info in terms of assignments or examples in class.

cs unplugged - toward end of day. get up and do one of these as example.

evaluation - applying the ideas from workshop. being successful - enrollments up.

advice: * make as interactive as possible * include a dinner together that highlights something special about location – need to fund. * promote csta - create a chapter. join one.

packet for teachers: * ncwit resources for k-12 - free

  • csta posters and materials - free
  • dotdiva
  • how to advocate for computing
  • stats pamphlet on women's rep in computing

resources in print available:

  • from ncwit materials
  • promising practices
  • ncwit will ship boxes of materials
  • talking points on why girls should go into cs - for parents to talk to kids

pre-screen videos from csta especially organization is not focused on diversity so may not be sensitive to issues

make connections that it is for them too

hs teachers: not much on how to teach cs well at hs. most prof develop on learning content.

advertise nationally, but select with emphasize regionally.

taft - one set of workshops.

cs ap course - asking business people to teach.

lack of understanding of cs

no endorsement of cs in state certification

Lecia Barker - social scientist, ncwit.

July 25-27 workshop dates.

What does a cs major do? what is their life like?

why girls don't get interested in cs? Cultural belief: disconnect between feminine and technical stereotype threat: hinder performance need interest + expected positive outcome –> achievement activity choices

girls study cs when:

  • early positive experiences
  • adult encouragement
  • positive female role models
  • info about what computing professionals actually do

influencers of girls: family, friends, teachers, counselors

Forming messages that appeal to girls:

  • helping others
  • appeal to present beliefs, goals, values
  • consider competing goals
  • consider opposing viewpoints - boys talk down to the girls
  • guys like the guys club - competition for who's smart
  • have to make cool
  • avoid saying “if you are really good at math,… avoid implying you have to be a genius…

Examples:

  • robots - saving lives, housecleaning, not just for competition, not just for fun

social relevance is important

test messages and images

* recruit friendship groups - athletes * don't depend on self selection * need good math scores to problem solve. be able to reason. * personally extend invitations * ask other teachers * send out letter to students who did well in first third of a course like 106.

Mythbusting - geeks, cubicles, and guys. * maybe do not want to plant the idea by acknowledging it * do you tell them or not about underrepresented in cs? liken cs to other fields where were underrepresented by now have significant percentages - doctors, lawyers,vets,… * bring a friend

track your outcomes

cs 1: * haiku - structured communication. * we are going to do structured communication in this class.

Example: jelly bean in a jar computation

multiple entry points: * cs 106 with prior experience * cs 106 with no prior experience could not get prior experience people to go to their section.

3 75 minutes with labs integrated with classtime.

art exhibition using the graphics library winner gets tshirt with their design

why cs in high school?

cs106 honors - can it be separated by experience?

106 - first day - show joanne's slides on why do cs

106 - each student create a card of what they use cs for in their life

flow chart to talk with hs guidance counselors

posters on these stats - dotdiva.org cs work in every industry

Bob - Japanese reindeer

move only 3 pieces that makes it face the other way. not only one solution.

logic groups/problems - give them skills to succeed.

enjoying the experience in the class - not just programming. groups of 3 working on a logic problem.

106/other cs classes - use logic problem as ice breaker on first day. break up groups by moving around.

106 - haiku poem.

recruiting - invite classes to come into your classes for 5 minutes and show final projects. go to other classes for 5 minutes and show off/recruit.

talk to guidance counselors.

106 - show off final projects from past semesters.

have girls in cs speak at the workshop - what enticed them into the field

Seth - Lake Brantley high school

Seth - I will take care of your kid. mastery learning. Projects. help others in the course. We are going to “Change the world together.” Makes you special. facebook fan page.

take 9th graders.

to keep them - first 2 weeks when can add and drop. other teachers are mean. start with fun stuff.

not read the syllabus or start with hello world.

looking for good students, not students who are going to major in cs