Teachers get to celebrate two New Years per year : The secular one in winter and the academic one in summer.
As I finalize my grades, I can’t help but reflect on the year past. What went well? What were my successes? What did I have difficulty with? What did I learn? However, in the midst of students turning in final projects, I also have ebullient kids bouncing into my room to proclaim, “I got into your class next year Mrs. Pirmann!”, so I also can’t help but look forward to next year .
What went well:
I taught Computer Science Principles this year to a great group of students from a wide variety of academic and social backgrounds. My class covered every demographic available: Students from each of the four grades, of every race and ethnicity in our school, of both genders, and from both ends of the special education spectrum. This was a real workout for the curriculum and for me. All but one of the students found the course valuable (Isn’t there always one?), and of the students who are eligible to take AP Computer Science next year, all but two requested it.
Using App Inventor to teach basic concepts was a huge hit with my group. They really enjoyed being “syntax free” and especially liked that they could share their work. Even when what they had to show was basic class work like “Hello Purr,” most students couldn’t wait to hand the phone to some unsuspecting classroom visitor to get them to use their App. This behavior really took off when they worked in pairs to create an app of their own.
What I learned:
The first month of the school year was a difficult one for me and my students as I was homebound after surgery for breast cancer. However, I learned that I could teach via Skype and Moodle. This revelation has led me to rework my Advanced Web Application Development course to be “flipped”. Due to budget constraints, I was informed that the only way I could teach both Intro to Web App Dev and Adv Web App Dev next year was if I taught them both in the same room at the same time. My initial reaction was not positive, but after some reflection, I realized that I could utilize the same technologies that made it possible for me to teach in September.
I’ve talked to the students who have signed up for this course about how I plan to make it work, and they are universally supportive. Some have even expressed a preference for the “homework” to be content delivery. They will be working on code in the classroom with me, while I teach the intro students more traditionally.
Successes and Difficulties:
Several years ago, my school district made Computer Science in the Modern World a graduation requirement. We had adopted the CSTA K-12 Standards, and this was the final step. One of my ulterior motives was to increase enrollment in computer science electives. I believed that more students would pursue computer science courses if they knew what CS was like. Prior to implementation of the graduation requirement, approximately 5% of each grade would sign up for a computer science elective. However, after all ninth-graders took the required course , 27% of them signed up for a computer science elective the following year. This was success on a level I was not prepared for. Neither was the school district. We would have to hire another full-time computer science teacher (we currently have 1.5 CS teachers) to meet the demand. Unfortunately, budget constraints have us under a hiring freeze, so not all of those students will get into one of my classes.
The other difficulty I encountered is one of public perception. Our school offers 17 AP courses, so there are bound to be conflicts. Multiple AP courses are running at the same time next year, and unfortunately for my students, AP Calculus BC and AP US History are both running at the same time as AP Computer Science. My juniors have to choose between APUSH (an exciting rite of passage at our school) or AP CS, and my seniors have to choose between AP Calculus BC or AP CS. Many parents and guidance counselors are advising against AP Computer Science unless the student has expressed a clear and firm conviction that he/she will be majoring in Computer Science.
The New Year:
I am teaching seven different courses to approximately 150 students next year. There is a lot about next year that I’m excited about, and I have some work to do this summer to make sure these students have a great CS experience. I also have some continuing work to do to make sure the adults in my community understand the role of CS in education and in our society. I need to put together a rich and valuable CS Ed Week, and I need to refine my recruitment strategies to include parents. My to-do list seems to grow every time I think about it, so I am very grateful that I have my energy back!
See you at CS&IT!
Tammy Pirmann
Member Elect of the CSTA Board of Directors