The Expansion of CS4HS: An Outreach Program for
High School TeachersLenore Blum, Carnegie Mellon UniversityTom Cortina, Carnegie Mellon UniversityEd Lazowska, University of WashingtonJoe Wise, New Roads School for UCLA
National Trends
– Number of newly declared CS majors nationwideSource: 2005-6 Taulbee Survey
National CS Majors
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5000
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15000
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25000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
National Majors
National CS Majors
0
5000
10000
15000
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1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
National Majors
National Trends
• The % of female Bachelor’s degrees went from 17.0% in 2003-04 to 14.7% in 2004-05...
• In 2005, less than 7% of CS degrees were awarded to Hispanic and African American students.
National TrendsNational CS Majors
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
National Majors
Why is this a problem?“Computer Science is the mathematics of the 21st Century.”
Jim Gray
Solutions
Broaden the image of who can do CS
Broaden the image of the field of CS
SolutionsIntroduce Depth and Breadth of CS into the Curriculum
•Problem Solving Problem Solving •ProgrammingProgramming•AlgorithmsAlgorithms•Biology/Neuroscience + CSBiology/Neuroscience + CS•Graphics: Art, Animation + CSGraphics: Art, Animation + CS•Human Computer Interaction Human Computer Interaction •Language TechnologiesLanguage Technologies•Artificial Intelligence + CSArtificial Intelligence + CS•RoboticsRobotics
Computational...Biology, Chemistry, Design, Finance, Linguistics,Logic, Mechanics, Neuroscience, Physics, ...
It appears that our K-12 students need to know how to think computationally more than ever before!
CS4HS: Our Focus
• Computer science is much more than computer programming.
• We can do little to change AP Computer Science in the short term, so let's provide short modules about computer science for CS teachers to use in their classes.
• Teachers can then show their students (and future students) that CS includes programming and SO MUCH MORE.
• By teaching the teachers, we can reach many more students than by working with the students directly.
Think Global, Act Local, Impact Global
Support
Lenore BlumTom Cortina Carol Frieze
Deb Estrin Joe Wise
Ed LazowskaJulie Letchner
Tim BellMike Fellows
Ian WittenCraig Neville Manning
Alan Kay
Tom CortinaCarnegie Mellon University
SCHOOL OFCOMPUTERSCIENCE
Participants• Level
– High School 41 (Depts: CS, Math, Tech., Business)– Middle School 4– College/University 7
• Areas represented:– United States: PA, OH, WV, MD, DE, VA, NY, NJ, IN, IL,
KY, TN, AZ, CA, CO, WA, TX, FL, MA, NH, WI– International: Canada, Mexico, India
• Role of CS in high school education in their stateElective 65% Use as a substitute 10%Must be taken 2.5% No idea 22.5%
Perceptions• In your opinion, what is the biggest cause of enrollment
decline in CS in the past decade?Bust of dot coms What can you do with it? No standard curriculum Students think CS = internet, WordNCLB Uninformed teachers/administratorsCourses too hard Too many required courses Elective status Media reports/Offshoring Isolated teachers Competes with easier electives No CS in middle school Not "sexy" enough to keep their interest Antisocial/geek culture Not relevant to students Hard work, less pay Fracture of fields (CS, IS, Soft Eng, etc) Boring Too exclusionary CS treated as a vocation No state certification for teachers
Schedule/TopicsFRI SAT SUN MON
Morning9-12:30
CS Unplugged and Keynote (Alan Kay)
CybersecurityandBots N Scoutstournament
CognitiveTutors andBrainstorming
Lunch at Google Pittsburgh
Box Lunch(Free Time)
Afternoon2-5:30
Cake Cutting& Broadening Participation Panel
TeRK RobotsandCareers in CSPanel
Dinner (Free Time)
Pizza Party
Evening7:30-9
Dinner &Icebreaker
Human Computation
Intro. to Alice
Logistics
• Professional Development Credits– In Pennsylvania, teachers receive Act 48 credits for
each hour of instruction/participation– Other teachers received certificates with the number of
hours served to use in their home state for credits• Major costs
– Housing: $10K– Food: $6K– Materials: $5K– Outside Speakers: $2K– Documentation (Photography, videography): $4K– Administration, summer salary: $8K
Fun!http://www.cs.cmu.edu/cs4hs
Ed LazowskaUniversity of Washington
Philosophy
• Success in high school math and science (and English!) is a better predictor of success in CS than is success in high school programming
• Many members of under-represented groups never take programming in high school
Target teachers of math and science• Most colleges and universities – even excellent ones –
draw regionally, not nationally– 85% of UW’s freshmen are from WA– Nearly 1/4 come from just two dozen high schools!
Target a regional audience
Participants
Non-calculus math36%
Calculus math11%
Physical science
31%
Biological science
8%
Computer Science
14%
• 72 teacher-registrants– All from the
Puget Sound region• 22 stayed in dorms,
50 commuted– Recruited via email
• UW math and science department lists of teachers and groups
• AP teacher lists• Principals and
department heads at top feeder schools
• 10 speakers– Mostly local, but some traveled
Schedule highlights
• Presentations– “Computational Thinking” – Jeannette Wing– “The Computer Revolution Hasn’t Happened Yet” – Alan
Kay– “Biology & Computer Science” – Tom Daniel– “Computer Science at UW” – Ed Lazowska
• Lab sessions– “Squeak in Action” (Squeak programming) – Stuart Reges– Robotics (Lego Mindstorm) – Benson Limketkai– Programming (two tracks, for those with programming
experience, and those without) – Stuart Reges, Marty Stepp
• Interactive sessions– “Cryptography Made Easy” – Stuart Reges– “CS Unplugged” (2 sessions) – Tom Cortina– Demos: motion capture, educational technology, computing for
the developing world– “Computing Careers” panel– Two “Break-out by Subject Taught” sessions, plus a report-back
session (how to apply what you’ve learned in the course you teach)
– Book discussion (3 break-out groups, forThe Search, Unlocking the Clubhouse, and Cryptonomicon)
• Closing banquet
Schedule highlights
Logistics
• 3 full days• Required $25 registration (as a sign of commitment)• Provided “Squeakers” DVD, Amazon.com gift certificate for
book (cost $3K)• Granted 20 clock-hours or 1 unit of UW credit ($3K)• Provided dormitory accommodation for 22, parking for 50,
travel and hotel for non-local speakers ($8K)• Provided breakfast, lunch, snacks on 3 days ($6K)• Closing banquet was way too expensive ($13K)• Grad student organizer (Julie Letchner) – lifesaver! ($8K)
Plans for 2008• Same idea, with minor tweaks• Will produce “logistics manual”• http://cs4hs.cs.washington.edu
Joe WiseNew Roads School
for
University of California, Los Angeles
Logistics
• Target: Local participants (city-wide)
• Provided continental breakfast, lunch, and a banquet
• Provided a $100/day stipend totaling $300/person
• Provided support group meetings in January and March of ‘08
Participants
Curriculum Coordinator 1K-8 Computer Teacher 1Elementary Teacher 1CS HS Faculty 16Tech Coordinator 10Math Department Head 1
Total = 30 participants
Schedule
Wednesday July 11th8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and introductions9:10 – 10:30 Alan Kay: "Non-Advice" about Powerful Ideas, Learners, and Computing10:45 – 11:00 Break11:00 – 11:45 CS Unplugged video and activities11:45 – 12:15 Google presentation – Josh Hyman12:15 – 1:00 Lunch 2:00 – 2:30 CENS intro w/ Deborah Estrin2:30 – 3:00 CENS Lab Tour3:00 – 4:00 CS Unplugged video and activities4:30 – 7:00 Wine and Light Buffet
ScheduleThursday July 12th8:30 – 9:15 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:30 Eddie Kohler—How does an OS work9:30 – 10:00 Todd Millstein —Programming Languages:
The Human Interface to Computer Science10:00 – 10:30 Discussion10:30 Break10:45 – 11:45 CS Unplugged (cont)11:45 – 12:15 Google Speaker – Dan Kegel - Learning to Program 12:15 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 1:45 Jeff Burke - Urban sensing, theater, and the
space-time aquarium.2:00 – 3:00 UCLA Visualization Portal Tour3:15 – 3:45 Gender/Social Issues – Deborah Estrin, Jane Margolis3:45 – 4:15 Discussion4:15 – 5:00 Small group discussions of future schedule (8 groups of 5)
ScheduleFriday July 138:30 – 9:15 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:45 Jens Palsberg - Software trends and challenges9:45-10:15 CS @ UCLA Discussion 10:15 break10:30-12:00 CS Unplugged continued12:00 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 2:30 Virtual LA Tour2:30 – 3:30 Discussion – Report backs and
“Where Do We Go from Here?” 3:30 – 4:00 Closing and future schedule
CS4HS at UCLA
Future Plans
• Summer Workshop – July 24, 25, and 26th at UCLA
• Continue working with Tim Bell and Computer Science Unplugged
• Partner with Jane Margolis and others working with LAUSD and schools within LA and Orange Counties
• Continue to plan three workshops/year to support CS faculty and IT coordinators
CS4HS is expanding!
• Our newest CS4HS team member!University of Texas at Austin
First Bytes Collaborative Workshop for Computer Science Teachers
2008 Workshops
• Carnegie Mellon UniversityJuly 24-27, 2008
• University of California, Los AngelesJuly 24-26, 2008
• University of Texas at Austin ("First Bytes")July 9-11, 2008
• University of WashingtonJuly 11-13, 2008
Goals
• Expand to 40 workshop sites in the next two years.
• Reach out nationally and internationally. – At least one workshop on each continent outside of N.A.
• We need your help to make it a success!– Run a workshop or join forces with a larger CS department
nearby.
– Determine the special needs of your area and use your in-house expertise to craft a workshop that will support the teachers in your area.
Discussion
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/cs4hs
CS4HS Meeting: Planning for the FutureSaturday, March 15
2:45 - 3:45PMB119