Computer Science Education Week Prep 2019 (Next Week)!

Computer science drives job growth and innovation throughout our economy and society. Computing occupations are the number 1 source of all new wages in the U.S. and make up over half of all projected new jobs in STEM fields, making Computer Science one of the most in-demand college degrees. And computing is used all around us and in virtually every field. It’s foundational knowledge that all students need. But computer science is marginalized throughout education. Only 35% of U.S. high schools teach any computer science courses and only 8% of STEM graduates study it. We need to improve access for all students, including groups who have traditionally been underrepresented.

CODE.ORG ACCELERATED COURSE

Today you will begin work on the CS Fundamentals Accelerated Course (20-hour course) online as an Independent Learning Activity to improve your understanding of basic computer science concepts.

Step 1: Go to Code.org

Step 2: Sign-Up with Google Account

Step 3: Go to code.org/join

Step 4:  Enter Code "BGNGRT"

Step 5:  Begin working on the lessons at your own pace.  



If you have questions, ask.  You may work together to complete sections, but try each lesson/section on your own first before asking for help.

Computer science in Pennsylvania: 

Pennsylvania currently has 20,555 open computing jobs (3.7 times the average demand rate in Pennsylvania).

The average salary for a computing occupation in PA is $87,822, which is significantly higher than the average salary in the state ($48,760).

The existing open jobs alone represent a $1,805,174,632 opportunity in terms of annual salaries.

Pennsylvania had only 2,969 computer science graduates in 2015; only 20% were female.

Only 3,058 exams were taken in AP Computer Science by high school students in Pennsylvania in 2017 (1,952 took AP CS A and 1,106 took AP CSP).

Only 22% were female (18% for AP CS A and 28% for AP CSP); only 146 exams were taken by Hispanic or Latino students (91 took AP CS A and 55 took AP CSP); only 84 exams were taken by Black students (48 took AP CS A and 36 took AP CSP); only 2 exams were taken by American Indian or Alaska Native students (1 took AP CS A and 1 took AP CSP); no exams were taken by Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.

Only 206 schools in PA (26% of PA schools with AP programs) offered an AP Computer Science course in 2016-2017 (23% offered AP CS A and 11% offered AP CSP), which is 37 more than the previous year.

There are fewer AP exams taken in computer science than in any other STEM subject area.

Universities in Pennsylvania did not graduate a single new teacher prepared to teach computer science in 2016.

What can you do to improve K-12 CS education? 

1. Call on your school to expand computer science offerings at every grade level.

2. Ask your local school district to allow computer science courses to satisfy a core math or science requirement.

3. Visit www.code.org/educate/3rdparty to find out about courses and curriculum from a variety of third parties, including Code.org.

4. Visit www.code.org/promote/PA to learn more about supporting computer science in your state.

5. Sign the petition at www.change.org/computerscience to join 100,000 Americans asking Congress to support computer science.

According to a representative survey from Google/Gallup, school administrators in PA support expanding computer science education opportunities: 71% of principals surveyed think CS is just as or more important than required core classes. And one of their biggest barriers to offering computer science is the lack of funds for hiring and training teachers.

TODAY'S FUN ACTIVITY:  Code Your Own DANCE PARTY!

https://code.org/dance

Follow the directions, at the link provided, to begin coding your very own Dance Party!

Step 1:  Sign Into Your Code.Org Account (Using your CCS.US Account)

Step 2:  Go To code.org/join and enter the code below:

ZLGKQC

Code.Org Dance Party Rubric

Performance Objective	Beginning (10)	Developing (15)	Accomplished (20)	Exemplary (25)
Programming	Poor We programed 1 change from the base.	Fair We programmed 2 changes from the base.	Good We programmed some changes from the base.	Excellent We introduced a lot of changes from the base, in dancers, background, music, and movements.
Timing	Poor Dancers do not move with music.	Fair Dancers do one movement with the music.	Good All the dancers move with the music.	Excellent The choreography changes with the music all the time.
Creativity	Poor We copied the base in appearance.	Fair We made some changes to the appearance.	Good Everything is different from the base.	Excellent We created a whole new dance in appearance.
Teamwork	Poor No cooperation. Every student finished the project alone.	Fair We cooperated in class but we finished the project individually.	Good We tried to work together.	Excellent We cooperated and shared our ideas and effort to have a great time creating and programming.

When you finish the tutorial, use the instructions given in class to print your Certificate of Completion.  MAKE SURE YOU COPY THE LINK TO YOUR PROJECT AND EMAIL IT TO MR. SCRIBNER (hscribner@cvcs.us) FOR CREDIT!  You should also use the buttons provided to send your personalized Dance Party to your parents (email or text).  For additional learning, please try to complete the KEEP ON DANCING tutorial on your own!  Have Fun, and Good Luck!  - Mr. S

MORE ACTIVITIES (Searchable) FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT:

https://hourofcode.com/us/learn



If you cannot access Code.Org, TRY THIS:

https://world.kano.me/coding-challenges/training

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (2011)

CD - Computers & Communication Devices

CI - Community, Global, and Ethical Impacts

CPP - Computing Practice & Programming

ISTE Standards for Students

1 - Creativity and Innovation

4 - Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

6 - Technology Operations and Concepts

Common Core English Language Arts Standards

L - Language

RI - Reading Informational

SL - Speaking & Listening

Common Core Math Standards

MP - Math Practices

OA - Operations And Algebraic Thinking

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, learners of all ages get an introductory experience with coding and computer science in a safe, supportive environment. This lesson has been designed for learners of all ages but does require reading. This activity requires sound as the tool was built to respond to music.

Purpose

This lesson introduces the core CS concepts of coding and event programming (using blocks).

Agenda

• Getting Started (5 minutes)


• Setting the Stage


• Activity (30-45 minutes)


• Music Filtering


• General Support


• Level by Level

Vocabulary

• code - (v) to write code, or to write instructions for a computer.


• Event - An action that causes something to happen.


• Program - An algorithm that has been coded into something that can be run by a machine.

Music Filtering

This tutorial features songs from popular artists. To get a preview of the song list in this tutorial, check out this Spotify Playlist. We are using radio-safe versions of all songs and for students under 13, we limit the music to this filtered list Spotify Playlist (all ages). If you would like to use the filtered list with older students, you can share this link with your classroom.

General Information / Support

• Collaborate with Neighbors: Encourage students to check in with a neighbor when they're getting stuck. Since this tutorial includes videos and students may be wearing headphones it can get easy to "go into a bubble". Help break those barriers by actively pairing students if they seem like they need help. Depending on the age and ability of your students, you might consider formally breaking your class into pairs to complete the tutorial using pair programming.


• Read the Instructions: The instructions usually provide helpful tips on how to complete the level. Before completing a level for a student ensure they've actually looked closely at the target image and read all the text there.


• Stuck? Look for hints: Each level includes a hint with further details about how to pass the level. If students are trying to pass puzzles as quickly as possible, they might find they just need to wait a certain amount of time for all of the code to play out before moving on. Many levels contain a second hint with suggestions of ways to get even more creative by extending the task.


• Move On and Come Back: Sometimes students will benefit more from coming back to a tricky level. All levels are independent of one another, though they do rely to some degree on previously introduced concepts.


• Take your time and experiment. Even though the first couple levels tell students exactly what they need to do to pass, they should also feel free to try out their own ideas.