As the nation’s schools prepare for a large-scale effort to expand computer science education, they are faced with a significant challenge: who will teach these highly technical classes? Code.org, a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, has established itself as a major player in the K-12 computer science education market by combining popular curricula with effective policy advocacy and public awareness campaigns. However, their approach to teacher professional development is somewhat surprising.
According to Alice Steinglass, the president of Code.org, their focus is not on teaching teachers how to code. During an interview at TeacherCon, the organization’s annual series of professional development workshops for new computer science teachers, Steinglass explained that the focus is on helping teachers learn to teach in a different way than they may be accustomed to. She emphasized the importance of enthusiastic math, science, English, and art teachers who are eager to learn and can bring computer science to their schools. However, these teachers must be upfront with their classrooms and convey the message that they too are learning alongside their students.
This philosophy was exemplified at TeacherCon, where Alex Kaulfuss, a classroom teacher and research associate at North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute, led a workshop for teachers with little to no background in computer science. Kaulfuss, who works as one of Code.org’s lead facilitators, aimed to familiarize the teachers with the organization’s curriculum and help them feel comfortable with the idea of learning computer science alongside their students once the school year begins.
During the workshop, the teachers assumed the roles of students and participated in a complete lesson from Code.org’s "Computer Science Principles" curriculum. Working in pairs, they were tasked with developing their own set of rules that govern the format of data sent over a network, and then successfully sending a message to their partners without speaking. While some of the teachers initially felt bewildered, Kaulfuss reassured them that feeling lost and confused was normal.
After completing the lesson, Kaulfuss facilitated a discussion among the teachers, focusing on their experience as "students" encountering new computer science material and how they anticipated their own students would react to a similar experience in the upcoming school year. The room was filled with ideas and suggestions on how to arrange students into small groups, monitor their frustration levels, and encourage them to keep working when faced with challenges.
Code.org offers yearlong professional development to help teachers effectively teach computer science. Through their unique approach, Code.org aims to empower teachers and create a collaborative learning environment where both teachers and students can embrace challenges and grow together.
Luna Ramirez, an educator specializing in career and technical education, recently attended the second TeacherCon event. Luna teaches at Information Technology High School in New York and runs a web-design academy. She expressed the tremendous value of having access to the complete Computer Science Principles curriculum and continuous professional support in implementing it in her classroom. According to Luna, this impact is immeasurable, even for educators who already possess computer science background. She likened the experience to having a small team of experts accompanying her throughout the school year, all the way to the AP exam.
