Author: Cassandra Broneak

Cassandra Broneak is the Mobile CSP project's Data Specialist -- i.e. she helps teachers to distribute and collect student data, helps to develop survey methods, and works with teachers to ensure they are on track with meeting program requirements. She is the online projects' full-time staff person and is closely involved with all aspects of the project, including research and outreach initiatives. For the Mobile CSP project, she works to coordinate with the researchers, teachers, and mentors to ensure that all communication, personal, and professional logistics are addressed. Beckworth received her Bachelors' Degree in Applied Social Science, Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her research interests include social and educational equality, forms of employment, environmental justice, group participation, and advocacy.
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College of St. Scholastica faculty and staff host Counselors for Computing Training

Attendees and facilitators for C4C CS@CSS event
Attendees and facilitators for C4C CS@CSS event

Duluth, MN. July 28 – August 1, 2018– Counselors from across the United States participated in the CS@CSS event at the College of St. Scholastica, a professional development opportunity provided by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Counselors for Computing (C4C) program. Faculty (Jennifer Rosato and Tom Gibbon) and staff (Cassandra Broneak) at the College of St. Scholastica helped to organize this learning opportunity and supported those who were in attendance. This C4C training provided school counselors with information and resources they can use to support all students as they explore computer science (CS) education and careers.

Focus was placed on training the high school counselors to learn the importance of increasing CS access and opportunities for underrepresented students. Technology increasingly permeates every aspect of society and provides the foundation for most modern innovation, yet too few students are pursuing computing education or careers. If they are to get the exposure and encouragement they need, it is essential that counselors get up to speed on the knowledge and resources necessary to guide effectively. (www.ncwit.org/thefactsgirls.)

About NCWIT

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit community of more than 1,100 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase girls’ and women’s meaningful participation in computing. NCWIT equips change leaders with resources for taking action in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women from K–12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers. Find out more at www.ncwit.org/.

About the College of St. Scholastica

The College of St. Scholastica is an independent private college with locations across Minnesota, including the original campus in Duluth. Enrollment in the undergraduate and graduate programs has grown from 2,200 to 4,000 in the last decade, due, in part, to their commitment to making high-quality education available online and through convenient evening and weekend formats. The College of St. Scholastica hosts important CS education grants such as Mobile Computer Science Principles (CSP), a College Board AP CSP endorsed curriculum and professional development provider, and the TeachCS@CSS program. Approved in spring of 2018, the College of St. Scholastica will also be home to a new Center for Computing which will focus on expanding CS opportunities for students from all backgrounds and experience levels.

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College of St. Scholastica and Trinity College to Participate in 2018 NSF’s STEM for All Video Showcase to Highlight Innovation in STEM Education

College of St. Scholastica and Trinity College to Participate in 2018 NSF’s STEM for All Video Showcase to Highlight Innovation in STEM Education

Mobile Computer Science Principles (CSP) from College of St. Scholastica and Trinity College will be featured May 14th-21st at http://stemforall2018.videohall.com. Video Mobile CSP’s video and vote today: http://stemforall2018.videohall.com/presentations/1121

 

Hartford, CT, 2018 — Pauline Lake, Teaching Consultant at Mobile CSP will be featured in the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase funded by the National Science Foundation.  The event will be held online May 14th -21st at http://stemforall2018.videohall.com.

The presentation, entitled “Mobile CSP: Using Mobile Apps to Engage Students in CS,” looks at how engaged students are when learning about Computer Science (CS) through a lens that they are familiar with: Mobile phones! Mobile CSP began, officially, in 2013 with an NSF grant at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Since then the project is now serving more than 600 teachers and 10,000 students nationwide!. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Now in its fourth year, the annual showcase will feature over 200 innovative projects aimed at improving STEM learning and teaching, which have been funded by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. During the weeklong, event researchers, practitioners, policy makers and members of the public are invited to view the short videos, discuss them with the presenters online, and vote for their favorites.

The theme for this year’s event is “Transforming the Educational Landscape.” Video presentations cover a wide range of topics including science, mathematics, computer science, engineering, cyberlearning, citizen science, maker spaces, mentoring, informal learning, professional development, research and evaluation, NGSS and the Common Core. The videos highlight initiatives for students of all ages – kindergarten through graduate school, as well as those for adult learners.

Last year’s STEM for All Video Showcase is still being accessed, and to date has had over 51,000 unique visitors from over 189 countries.

The STEM for All Video Showcase is created and hosted by TERC a non-profit, research and development organization, located in Cambridge MA.  TERC partners with six NSF funded resource centers MSPnet, CADRE, CAISE, CIRCL, STELAR, CS for All Teachers. The Showcase is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (#1642187)

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Check-out these teachers’ work in Mobile CSP

Mobile CSP knows that without the commitment, support, and hard work of teachers, students from all backgrounds and experience levels would not have access to computer science. Currently, 981 users are registered for the Mobile CSP teacher materials site and 13,172 people are registered on our student materials site (includes both teachers and students).  As our program and the mission of CS for All grows, we would like to honor the work of computer science teachers. To acknowledge their dedication in the classroom, the experiences and stories of a few select teachers who are currently implementing the Mobile CSP curriculum are shared below.

Are you or someone you know currently implementing the Mobile CSP curriculum? Are your students making great strides in the Mobile CSP course?

Would you like to share your professional development experience, teaching insights, or the apps your students have created? Complete a Teacher Feature today!

Teaching this course has lit a fire in me again.

Cindy Moshman-Southworth, who completed the online professional development in the summer of 2017,  is currently teaching the Mobile CSP curriculum at Patchogue-Medford High School in New York. She describes the course as fun and interactive, “(Mobile CSP) lit a fire in me again. I’ve been teaching CS for 19 years now. It made me happy to be here again.” Her students have enjoyed creating real mobile apps and sharing their experiences outside of the classroom. Cindy stated she would recommend the professional development to any teacher: “The PD was hard but it really made a big difference in my confidence and helped me to effectively teach the course. The practices and tactics learned in the professional development are really helpful even in the other classes I teach. I use the practices Mobile CSP uses to develop and improve. I’ve learned so much.” She stated that her Master Teacher, Lukas Gill, has been supportive and helpful throughout her experience.

Read Cindy’s full testimonial here.

Teamwork approach encourages students to succeed.

After completing the summer 2017 online professional development, Brad Haugen has brought the Mobile CSP curriculum to students at Fairmont Junior and Senior High School in Minnesota. His students have enjoyed the project-based learning nature of the course and have enjoyed the creative freedom the course offers: “They enjoy the challenge of not just finding the answer but being able to go through the programming steps and learning how to create apps in a different, fun way.” Brad stated that the word of mouth among is students is amazing and students are excited to share their experiences with others. We asked Brad to share his insights and advice with teachers who may be considering implementing Mobile CSP. He stated, “You do not have to be a master at computer programming. Everyone can and will learn how to teach this course effectively. The summer professional development allowed me to make mistakes. It’s important to learn how to make mistakes in front of students. You learn how to work through problems with students and it builds a teamwork approach in the classroom. You may not have all of the answers and it’s ok to let your student know that. It has empowered me as an educator and my students as learners.” Brad has been selected to work with the Mobile CSP curriculum development team for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Read Brad’s full testimonial here.

Inspiring students to pursue careers and futures in working with computer science.

Abigail Cooksey currently teaches at Shiprock High School in New Mexico. Abigail completed the summer 2017 online professional development and was chosen as a recipient for the NCWIT Educator Award. Her students received 4 Regional Runner Ups, 2 Regional Winners, and 1 National Runner up for NCWIT. She learned about Mobile CSP from the Teach For America Exploring Computer Science fellowship. She stated that she appreciates that “Mobile CSP can be customized to students.” Abigail teaches in a rural school district and has acknowledged the challenges that her students face in and out of the classroom. “It’s important to me that all of my students are included and have opportunities to learn. This course includes all students even those who may not have internet at home.” Abigail spoke to how the unplugged lessons and the opportunities for pair programming are teaching students valuable programming lessons while also accommodating their situations. She also acknowledged how having students work on their cell phones has created higher levels of engagement and accessibility in her classroom. “If you’re a teacher working a a rural area you need to have a back up plan to teach computer science. With Mobile CSP, what you need is already there. It’s easy to create programs where you sit students in front of a computer but Mobile CSP gives you the option to customize the course to your school and classroom.” Abigail is making wonderful strides in including all students regardless of background or previous experience. “When it comes to working with women I think of my own experience and how I left a math degree because I didn’t feel included. My goal, and the goal of all computer science, should focus on showing women that we can and have been doing this for a long time. We need to prepare them to be aware of what they’ll face and empower them to have the skills the create their own space even if one doesn’t exist yet.” Continue reading “Check-out these teachers’ work in Mobile CSP”

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Mobile CSP shows computer science can be fun, easy

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by 2020, there will be more than 1.4 million computer-related job openings in the United States. At the current graduation rate though, only about 30 percent of those jobs will be filled with U.S. computing bachelor graduates.

To increase interest and graduate numbers, Mobile Computer Science Principles (CSP) is helping high school teachers and students see how fun, easy and engaging computer science education can be for most anyone.

“I like teaching Mobile CSP because it opens my students’ eyes to how technology influences almost everything around them,” said Scott Kaminski, a teacher at Trumball (Conn.) High School who has introduced more than 130 students to the course. “This curriculum covers a wide range of topics, which makes it easy for teachers to reference current events and the interests of their students. This creates something real for students, which makes the topics and concepts more accessible for them.”

Mobile CSP is a College Board endorsed AP Computer Science Principles course that works to engage high school students, enhance writing and communication skills and foster collaboration and creativity. In 2017-18 alone, there are more than 600 teachers and 10,000 students using Mobile CSP curriculum.

With an extra push to get teachers and kids excited about the program, Mobile CSP is participating in CSEd Week, Dec. 4-10. According to the csedweek.org website, only 35 states allow students to count computer science courses toward high school graduation. There are currently 486,686 open computing jobs nationwide but only 42,968 computer science students graduated into the workforce last year.

“…perfect course for kids who like using the computer but are nervous about computer science.”

Mobile CSP is working to change those numbers, starting with encouraging teachers to bring an accessible version of computer science into the classroom.

“It’s a perfect course for kids who like using the computer but are nervous about computer science,” said Sarah Spaunhorst, a teacher at Visitation Academy, St. Louis, Mo. “It does such a good job of explaining the main concepts of computer science without pressure.”

In celebration of CSEd Week, Mobile CSP is offering a new Hour of Code activity called Play That Tune. For the activity, students will build code to play the tunes given in puzzles, and after all levels are completed, students can create their own tune. Finally, the code can be packaged as an Android app. Participants can also try MIT App Inventor. By requesting a kit from Mobile CSP, teaches will receive stickers, posters, handouts and promotional information.

Coding and Mobile CSP isn’t just about having fun though. With Mobile CSP, students build apps with real world solutions to local community problems. For example, one group of students built an app to report gang activity in their community. And, for some students, it could change their career path or outlook.

“Fun, easy to pick up, and rewarding.”

“The feedback that I receive about the class is that it is fun, easy to pick up, and rewarding. I have had a handful of students say that they may pursue computer programming as a career now because of this class,” said Griswold (Conn.) High School teacher Andrew Meislitzer, who has taught about 20 students Mobile CSP.

Mobile CSP offers continuing education for teachers either online or at regional sites around the country, including The College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minn.). Once teachers have completed the course, they are ready to share the added knowledge with their students.

To find out more about Mobile CSP or how to sign up for the course and materials, visit mobile-csp.org.

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How to Recruit Students to CSP

As 2017 draws to a close, teachers are beginning to advertise and recruit for their 2018-2019 courses. Mobile CSP is excited to release 7 new student recruitment flyers to help get the word out about CSP.

   

Teacher are welcome to download, customize (add course title and contact information), and share the flyers (found here: Student Recruitment).

Looking for more information about how to recruit students to your Mobile CSP course? View the tips below to get started.

Invite Students to Join Your Course

“You would be a great fit for this course.”

One of the most effective strategies teachers can use when recruiting students to their CSP course is to directly ask students to sign-up. By directly approaching students, teachers can empower those who may not have previously considered a CS course. Teachers have the power to show students that they too can be a computer scientist. 

Approach students and ask them to sign-up for your Mobile CSP course:

  • “I think you would excel in this course and would like for you to consider joining.”
  • “The CSP course really focuses on helping students develop creativity and collaboration. You would be a great fit in this course.”

 

Promote Bring a Friend

“…students will have an opportunity to hear authentic stories and experiences from their peers.”

Ask students to bring a friend with them to class or ask them to encourage a friend to join the course. This strategy will build class numbers, encourage students from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels to sign-up,  and create a welcoming environment where students feel comfortable exploring and asking questions. When students promote the course, others will have an opportunity to hear authentic stories and experiences about Mobile CSP.

  • Host a “Bring a Friend” event with your current class.
  • Encourage students to share their apps and CSP experience outside the classroom with their friends and family.

 

Host Information Sessions

 “The skills I’m learning from this course could be used for my job… I’m planning on being a psychologist.” 

Mobile CSP Student

Information sessions are a great way to get students, teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents/guardians on board with CS education. Host an information session that highlights the potential of Mobile CSP and the skills students will develop from taking the course. Consider inviting past students to share their experiences and the apps they have created.

Let’s get started! Mobile CSP has loads of valuable information on our website to help you get started in planning an information session. Contact Mobile CSP (info@mobile-csp.org) for additional resources and information.

 

Ask Others to Promote the Course

“If you’re not into math or logic but you’re into art and the creative side, this class could help you (improve those areas).”

Mobile CSP Student

Target courses and classes that all students are required to take (i.e. English, Math, Science courses) and ask teachers to share information about the course. Alternatively, ask to speak for a minute at the end of the class. Using this method gives you exposure to all students.

 

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!

It is important that teachers advertise the opportunities and benefits associated with taking Mobile CSP. Share flyers, posters, videos, and presentations with students, administrators, and parents.

Download, customize, and share the Mobile CSP flyers with your students today! The flyers can be found here: Student Recruitment.

 

 

Cassandra Broneak

Mobile CSP | Data Specialist

cbeckworth@css.edu | research@mobile-csp.org