Computer Science News Roundup - May 30, 2012

Each week my computer science students do discussion board posts that respond to current events. Here are some stories that caught my eye this week.

Computer Science related news this week's theme is the future of technology:

• The Spaceship Has Landed - the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has docked at the international space station. How does this change space travel? What are the chances you could ever go to space? would you want to? Do you think this will impact any other areas where research and development happen?
• Optimism - This article talks about the reasons to be optimistic about our future. The author lists several reasons to be optimistic. How does technology play a role? How does the constant stream of information that is created by technology contribute to pessimism? Do you agree with the author? Are you optimistic about your future? Why?
• What do you expect? - Shelly Turkle's book is called "Alone together: Why We Expect More From Technology And Less From Each Other". In this article she summarizes some of her ideas. Her Ted Talk on the topic can be found here. What role does technology play in how you communicate? How has computer science impacted how you communicate? How could computer science be used to fix some of the problems the author write about?
• Internet Defense League - This group wants to "defend the Internet from bad laws and monopolies". Do you think there is a need for this? What harm could come from groups like this? Benefits? Should there be a concern about vigilantes on the Internet? And finally - do you agree that the cat is the symbol of the Internet?

I Have a Dream - bookstore edition

It is sad that in the local book store with the best selection of these:

There is not a single computer science book in these:

My goal? To have enough local high schools offering computer science that is is financially viable for them to carry computer science review books too.

It's the end of the year as we know it - and I feel fine

Fourteen days left...not that anyone here is counting.
The end of the year is always bittersweet. Summer - positive. Goodbyes - negative.
I teach many of my computer science kids for all four years they are in high school. They are going on to great things, but I still miss them.

So this isn't exactly computer science, but it is definitely teaching. And I could use a dose of inspirational.
In the past month I have tried to explain the whole Dave - Eggers/education thing to at least five people. Here's a summary:

• Ted Talk - while I am not a writing teacher, per se, this is exactly what I am trying to create in the lab. I watch this several times a year, always good for inspiration.
•  Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers - I have not (yet) read this. Seriously folks, it is the end of the school year. If I make it to the end of the day without getting caught in a food fight I am doing really good. It is on my summer catch up list, promise.
• The documentary - Here's an NPR story about the documentary AMERICAN TEACHER. As a computer science teacher one of my grumbles is, well, other teachers' grumbles. When they complain about lack of planning time I try to remain calm - most other subjects have age-appropriate books with worksheets and practice problems. Over my 15 years of teaching computer science I have probably written five or six textbooks. Notes, worksheets, projects, the whole thing. These things are in short supply for computer science teachers.
  
  One of the main points of his work here is the amount of money spent on textbooks, $8 billion. Now I do not mind developing materials for my classes, curriculum work is actually part of what I enjoy most about teaching. It is just sad that out of that huge total the computer science teaching community is so under supplied.

So here it is - a little reminder of why we do what we do. Something to get you over the hump until summer. Just curious, where do you find inspiration?

So, why do we need CS Principles?

I have been asked a lot this past year about why CS Principles is being developed.

Even though computer science is all about change, and the changes in our field seem to zoom by at lightning speed, there are some core ideas and well, principles, that are central to understanding how they work.

For those of us in the AP Computer Science community we do a great job of delivering computer science education. We all can point to students we have launched into the world. These students have overcome obstacles and are working and creating jobs in all sorts of places.

Sadly, this is not enough.

The existing computer science curriculum in K-12 schools does a good job for the few students it reaches, but what about everyone else? Think about where you are....how many schools around you have computer science? How many students in those schools have access to the classes?

Really, how many kids in your community even know what computer science is?

For me it is a question of literacy. To be a productive person you must be literate in the tools society is using to drive change. For that past few centuries this meant reading and writing. While these skills are still necessary for students, understanding computers and technology has become the new marker of literacy.

Simply put, anyone that does not have a foundation in computer science will not be as prepared for the changes to come.

This does not mean that every student needs to master computer science. There will always be a need for a core group of programmers that have reached a master level of understanding. These are the people that, to quote Virginia Tech, invent the future. We need more of these people. We also need these people to reflect the needs of the larger community they serve through their innovation.

And for everyone else? The computer is the tool of the future. We communicate, learn, work create...all with computing devices. To use them well means understanding some fundamental things about how they work and what they can, and cannot, do.

Think about Mr. Rodgers - "these are the people in your neighborhood". How many of them could do their job without a computer? How much of their daily life outside of work- communicating, playing, making, could happen without a computer?

Often in media computers are presented as magic. The character pushes a button and poof - the problem is solved. Those of us in CS know this is just slight of hand. Behind the scenes someone created a tool on a computer to solve the problem.

So this is why we need the CS Principles course. Every student in America needs a rigorous preparation for their future. That preparation must include computer science. Without access to computer science we run the risk innovation looking like magic, only available to those that know the trick.

Last week the CS Principles Phase II piloters met in Chicago. This is a great group of folks working hard to design the curriculum for this new computer science course. I have been so lucky this year to be a part of this community. It has been tiring, frustrating, humbling...and all totally worth it.  Hopefully after this year we have all pushed the rock a bit farther up the hill.

Everything you need to know about CS Principles. This page has all the documents that frame the course. One easy place for all the information.

Take a look, ask some questions. It is time for us as a community to really start the conversation on making the change happen.

Meatballs beat computer programming

So my youngest came home with an project about a foreign country. Due the second to last day of school. My first reaction - only a deranged person would assign something like this. I should have tried a bit harder at the PTA fundraiser this year. Or sent a better teacher gift before winter break.

Then I read over the list of ideas...this is an official list of possible projects from the Dr Carol Tomlinson at the UVA Curry School of Education. There at the bottom:

It says: Write a computer program. Be still my heart. I suggested  something done in Alice, or Scratch, but for now she is leaning towards meatballs. She says it's what the kids want. There was a lot of eye rolling involved in this conversation.

When I asked why she wasn't interested in a program, she said she'd done all that and wanted to try something new. Fair enough...apparently I am my own enemy on this one.

No peeking

This video was recommended for explaining public-key encryption. It uses ttheidea of mixing paint colors to explain how public key cryptology.

It is part of a series of vidieos from the YouTube channel: Art of the Problem. Here's the full website.

Computer Science News Roundup - May 16, 2012

Each week my CS Principles students do discussion board posts that respond to current events. Here are some stories that caught my eye this week:

Computer Science related news, a mostly BBC theme this week:

• Criminal Robots - so now that you can visit far-away placed using avatars and robots, what are the ethical implications? We tend to place a lot of trust in the Internet, but criminals are on-line too. How should this shape your digital life?
• Hactivist Simulation - Brittan's government recently ran a simulation of a cyber - attack from a group of hactivists. How should governments be responding to these attacks? What jobs might relate to protecting from cyber attacks? Should the response be different for cyber-terrorists?
• Yahoo Chief Executive steps down Computer Science degrees are so valuable CEO's are faking them. Why is it important to be truthful in presenting information about yourself? Many have argued that the Internet has made us all more anonymous. Is this true?
• And for the truely paranoid: WiFi blocking wallpaper.

Know a K-12 computer science educator?

Do you know a computer science educator? If so, please share with them this low cost, high quality, professional development opportunity. The Computer Science & Information Technology (CS&IT) Conference is the only international conference specifically developed for K-12 computer science educators. This year the conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on July 9th and 10th, 2012, in Irvine, CA. To see the agenda, register for the conference, or reserve your reduced housing rate at the Hyatt, visit CS & IT 2012 .

Computer Science In the News

Interesting Articles:

• Computer made of soldier crabs -
• Netflix Algorithms - Open Source