How did you get into CS?

I've always been interested in technology and have been quite versed in it since high school. In high school, I took Visual Basic and C++ courses to create simple chat programs and projects. Even as a general education classroom teacher, I've always integrated technology into my lessons for increased engagement, differentiation, fun. On March 13, 2020, we were dismissed early because of the pandemic lockdowns. Fortunately for me, I had been using our LMS Canvas for quite some time when we had to abruptly switch to that being our means of communication and instruction. Because of my experience and knowledge, I went from being the 5th grade team leader, to our school's technology teacher and technical lead. Since then, I have facilitated meetings and trainings on a school, county, and national level, developed curriculum for our Pre-K/Kindergarten Computational Thinker curriculum, and am currently serving as our county's Elementary Instructional Technology Master Teacher.

What are some successes and challenges that you've had along the way?

Coming from the general education classroom and accepting the CS teacher role during the pandemic, I needed to learn VERY quickly about the many apps and platforms that would be necessary to suit my students' needs, especially in such an unprecedented situation and learning atmosphere. Also, as with any other career field, learning the vast amount of acronyms could make your head spin! However, I've always seen CS and the tech-sphere as an ever-evolving, fast-paced universe. You'll never know everything, but as long as you stay curious, open-minded, and practice/play, you'll always be further ahead that the person who never tried anything new.

What do you find compelling about computer science?

Like Cady Heron said in Mean Girls, “The limit does not exist.” Computer Science has no limits. With the advancements of AI, Machine Learning, and teaching of computational thinking foundations to our youngest learners (Pre-K), the generations of STEM-curious that will be coming forward and pushing the digital envelope further is very exciting. CS is found, literally, everywhere, in every profession, hobby, and interest. It’s interwoven into our everyday lives, and the speed at which it has bloomed since I first began learning is remarkable, though it does give me a bit of pause. Even with the amazing discoveries and capabilities CS has allowed us to learn and utilize, it sometimes feels that the discoveries and innovations are surpassing our capability to control or place boundaries on them. When teaching CS, it’s also important to engrain in our students that though CS has lead us to the many conveniences we rely on today, human empathy, discernment, and interactions are paramount to remember. Most of the time, my students are excited about our robots and games that we use to teach CS principles, however, I try to teach and remind them that the foundations of CS come from unplugged or non-CS interactions and situations. For example, when preparing to program a robot to navigate through a maze, I have my students, themselves, first complete an unplugged maze where their group members must give them directions, as well as conditional statements and variables in order to successfully complete their short maze journey. To me, this is experiential back mapping, thinking about the goal in order to plan and prepare to have their robots experience what they just themselves completed. This also reinforces collaboration and communication skills, which supports the CS skills they are utilizing.

What's are you looking forward to/hoping for in the upcoming school year?

This school year, HCPSS has added basic, foundational AI curriculum to our gr. 2-5 instructional technology classes. I’m hoping those students can begin to understand the broad definition of AI and it’s capabilities, as well as it’s current limitations. I am also hoping for more CS playtime with our Littles (Pre-K and Kindergarten). Many of our elementary students understand digital devices as toys, rather than tools. I always look forward to seeing how they utilize their devices differently after they learn that their functionalities go far beyond just games and streaming services. I’m also hoping to aide in educating our school community more on cybersecurity basics, as well as helping to protect their children from the ever-present dangers that exist in online spaces. 

Any advice?

I guess one piece of advice I would give to those learning CS is to dive into something that really interests you and to be patient. There is a ton to learn, but it’s very doable with practice, especially when learning scripting languages. For teaching CS, some good pieces of advice are to never become complacent, create lessons and activities that are high-interest and relevant to your learning group, never be afraid to create your own resources, and always stay curious about the newest technologies that are emerging. Oh, and for both, don’t forget to play! Most people learn through play, and as an elementary educator, learning through play helps us connect to the world through active engagement, social interactions, and joyful meaning. So, whether learning or teaching, remember to make it a joyful and playful experience!