Advanced Programing on a Shoestring

Mr. Keith Golebie and Mr. Matt SkoczylasEllwood City Area School District

Ellwood City Area School District

● Small Community in Western Pennsylvania● 40 miles north of Pittsburgh● North Side Primary School (K-2)● Perry Lower Intermediate School (3-4)● Hartman Intermediate School (5-6)● Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School (7-12)

Mr. Keith Golebie

Computer Science Teacher 9 -12(BCIT K-12)

Ellwood City Area School DistrictMany years in IT prior to public educationkgolebie@gmail.com

Mr. Matt Skoczylas

Elementary Computer Teacher2nd- 6th GradeEllwood City Area School Districtskoczylas.weebly.com

Programing on a Shoestring

Objectives

● Anyone can teach/learn programming● (Not just coding!)● Programming can be implemented by

anyone, in any subject● Learning - “Thinking” - Computational

Thinking, which is problem solving● This can be done easily, and for free

Why Computer Science in PA

19,866 open computing jobs (growing at 3.9x the state average)

4,155 computer science graduates

191 schools teach computer science

● CS doesn't count as math or science credit

● No clear CS teacher certification pathways

● No CS curriculum standards

Why Computer Science in PA

“'Within the Next 20 Years, Half of All Jobs Will Be Taken Over by Machines” - Frank Sonder on LinkedIn (Tuesday)

Why Computer Science in PA

“Computer Science projects are opportunities, not assignments.” - Nikki, 10th grader (Student of the week - this week)

● Learning opportunities

● Relevance

● Job gap, gender gap, underrepresented groups gap

Why Computer Science in PA

Break the Bias

“How Elementary School Teachers’ Biases Can Discourage Girls From Math and Science”- NY Times yesterday

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/upshot/how-elementary-school-teachers-biases-can-discourage-girls-from-math-and-science.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1&abt=0002&abg=0

Why Computer Science in PA

The earlier, the better

● Before Bias is formed

● Free Tools - break the economic bias

● Anyone, any age

● Research shows, the earlier we learn programming, the

better - helps with other subjects. Rekode

Why Computer Science in PA

The earlier, the better

● Math - logic, problems solving

● Language - It’s a language!

● Reading for understanding

● We could go on….

Free Programs from Carnegie Mellon

Alice 2 or Alice 3Alice 2 can be taught for an introduction to programming course.

Alice 3 can be taught in advanced classes, or if the class is moving into a language by end of course.

What is a program?

● Not “computer program”● Why “Not a computer program?”

Why Alice?

● Alice evolved from a Virtual Reality device● 50% dropout rates in CS 1 on the university

level● Looking for ways to fix that● CCAC and PTI● Researched based – developed over time

Research Based

Here I am doing research for the Alice project

It’s a program, not a computer program

● What else can we program (phones, tablets, refrigerators, microwaves, TV’s, cars, airplanes, etc...

Programming

● A Set of Instructions ● Recipe● Sequence

Programming

● Is it easier to build something when you know what it is you want to build, or when you don’t?

● This is what most kids miss - They want to just make it without a plan.

Alice 2: Programming

Create a plan first!● Comics Lab Humor● Comic Lab Writing● Comic Lab Ideas● Panel Templates

Alice 2: Programming

Alice 3: Lets build something!

Resources for using Alice

● CMU● Duke● Oracle● Listserve● Youtube videos● Summer courses at CMU

All programs are a solution to a problem

Reading for understandingProblem solving (math)Algorithm – (Science and math)

Standards

Programming is connected throughout all standards● PA Standards:● BCIT Standards:● Common Core (reading and writing)

Questions