Melissa A. King

(She/her)

School Library Media Specialist at Flower Hill Elementary School

Montgomery County Public Schools

How did you get into Computer Science?

Being a school librarian is one of the greatest jobs in a school because I can explore lots of different topics and provide lots of opportunities for unique experiences with my elementary students.

I returned to graduate school in 2010, and graduated from the University of Maryland iSchool in 2012 with my Master in Library Science, including certifications in both School Library Media and Information for Diverse Populations. I began teaching in 2012 at the elementary level, and my first two years were divided between two Title1 schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. In 2014 I moved to one school - Flower Hill ES, and have been there ever since.  

Because of my natural curiosity to learn new things, I quickly incorporated STEM and STEAM into my library lesson plans, and early on, created a STEAM makerspace with both high and low technologies and activities. I started by getting involved with Code.org, and its annual Hour of Code, but added computational thinking with the BeeBot, MakeyMakey, Code and Go Mouse, and most recently FinchBots, which are run by MicroBits. In addition to these, I also use ‘unplugged’ activities to teach computer science, and other STEAM topics.  Our school system has embraced teaching computational thinking, so it has been great to see how our curriculum staff is embedding this into elementary level science units.

What are some successes and challenges you’ve experienced?

Thankfully, I have had many successes getting into computer science education. As a fully-devoted lifelong learner, I jumped at opportunities to learn more. I began by taking courses given by Code.org. My school district has a strong technology department, and I take as many courses as I can through our inhouse professional development. In addition, I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in the MCCE/MSDE Hood College week-long summer training for the past few years. As a result of my participation in these workshops, and my amazing colleague, Kimberley Row, this year I was able to be part of the MCCE/MSDE CS Ambassador program (cohort #6) with Elissa Hozore and Clair Wise. Lastly, I have also been recruited as a trainer for our district-wide Elementary Computational Thinking and Robotics workshops, again, thanks to Kimberley Row and our Science Department Instructional Specialist, Amy Larsen. In addition to all of these successes, I have especially enjoyed watching my students learn more about computer science and computational thinking by exploring and engaging with our Code and Go Robots and our Finch Robots.

What do you find compelling about CS?

Computer science and computational thinking are part of everything we do.  It is important to expose our students, beginning in prekindergarten, to computer science and computational thinking, because these skills will be an integral part of their education and future careers.  It is fun, it teaches perseverance and problem solving, and our students with diverse learning styles and abilities, including our multilingual learners, can all be successful.  I am very thankful that as a school librarian, I am able to integrate computer science into my program and provide many diverse ways of learning.

Below is the elevator pitch that I created as part of the CS Ambassador Program:

“As children, we are provided opportunities to explore many new topics and are encouraged to think outside the box in art and in nature. We explore our creativity by using a variety of art mediums in new ways. We collaborate and problem solve on the playground. We critically think in math and show persistence in gaming. We synthesize what we read to discuss, write, and create research projects. Computer science pulls all of these together in a logical format, and students can hone the skills learned - and what better place to learn these foundational skills than in elementary school? Critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, and creativity are 21st century skills needed for success in the future, be it middle and high school - or college and career.”

What are you looking forward to in the upcoming school year?

I am looking forward to introducing the FinchBots to our younger Flower Hill students in grades K and 1 this year.  I am also very involved in environmental education, so I would like to find additional ways to mesh the two together.  Currently, our curriculum includes Finch Robots with the 2nd grade science unit exploring seeds, plants, and pollination.  One of the culminating activities is to code the Finch Robot (representing a bee) to a flower and back to the hive to simulate the gathering of pollen. Since we have a real pollinator garden in our courtyard - a sustainability project we have been working on for the past year - our students can go outside to observe the way bees (and the butterflies) interact with the flowers and attempt to recreate what they saw via their coding of the Finch Robots. In addition, it gives them an opportunity to learn the names of the flowers the insects are landing on, since I have them labeled (both the flowers outside, and the photos of our flowers that I have printed for their Finch Robots to land on)!

Do you have any advice or resources to share?

Yes!  Don’t be afraid to incorporate computer science and computational thinking into your lessons - you are already doing the latter without realizing it! Dive in, and start exploring and learning along with your kids. You have many enthusiastic CS educators in your school, district, and state network that love to share their experience, lessons, and ‘tips for success’ with you. Reach out to them via Facebook groups and other social media platforms, listservs, and groups such as MCCE. There is also a wonderful database of lessons that incorporates literature and computer science! Check it out here:  Integrating School Library Media and Computer Science