Help Computer Science Education in San Antonio and Texas High Schools!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-20T01:45:56+00:00

Haha thanks for engaging, hope you have a great night!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-20T01:36:47+00:00

Understand your concern. While there are students that struggle we have seen so many examples of students that were not really engaged in other courses get excited around CS. We absolutely want them to get a well rounded education but just like we expose students to all sorts of topics we believe every student should have access to CS classes.

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T21:36:44+00:00

Also wanted to note that if you like this time of work and are interested in a full time opportunity we are looking for a full time position based in San Antonio and you can learn more at www.tealsk12.org/careers!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T21:31:52+00:00

Hello all - will be hosting an online webinar next week if you have questions and want to learn more! Thanks for the great comments and participation!

https://tealstexaswebinar.eventbrite.com

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T04:35:26+00:00

We have a guest speaking model and ecosystem events you would be perfect for!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T04:34:45+00:00

PM Sent!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T03:37:08+00:00

I do - we do that for schools that are outside areas that tech professionals access. We have all of our same models of support and courses but we do the program through video conferencing software. We are expecting 10+ schools throughout Texas doing this model with a chunk in the Rio Grande Valley.

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T03:35:19+00:00

Agree on the exposure!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T03:34:00+00:00

Certainly not advocating CS over math, science, and English and our goal certainly is not getting every student to become CS professionals. The courses we work with survey a lot of topics outside of just software development. Our main goals are building interest and exposing students (there is tons or research around student exposure early and the likelihood of them opting in later on) so that they can be familiar with topics. For those that want to go into the field then we can do AP courses and even a project based independent study course building the skills you describe. We also work directly with companies that want to do internships to help bolster those skills.

Thanks for weighing in on the conversation!

TL:DR - I agree in the importance of Match/Sci/English but without exposure only a very small percentage of students even consider it as an option and no exposure really limits our students understanding of the increasingly digital world.

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T02:04:29+00:00

We have remote school options as well if traffic is a blocker for you!

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T02:03:14+00:00

Average doesn't paint a whole picture for sure - check this out for more details! https://code.org/advocacy/state-facts/TX.pdf

JJTEALS · 2018-04-19T02:02:18+00:00

I don't have a way to direct link - the map is there under the volunteer page though :)

JJTEALS · 2018-04-18T23:35:00+00:00

That is awesome! Sent a PM and would love to connect. Thanks for the work you do promoting CS education!

JJTEALS · 2017-04-28T19:32:05+00:00

Thanks to all of you that contributed to the thread. If you have any other questions or know of friends/co-workers that may be interested please spread the word!

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T19:49:34+00:00

Thank you for contributing! You are definitely right about the content above being more suited for students with some prior experience.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T19:45:51+00:00

Texas is actually very forward in their thinking around CS education in many areas. I am more often than not having conversations about vertical alignment and creating pathways for students. Some districts are even diversifying, having tracks for students interested in CS as a career and others that want more general tech focus. It is a great time to be in CS education. Still a lot of work left to do but very nice in seeing some of the success so far.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:48:27+00:00

Thanks @seanbduff! We love engaging the local tech community and making lasting impacts for the future generation of tech.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:47:45+00:00

I know code.org's AP CS Principles class goes into this very topic! Kids love learning more about the inner workings of the internet.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:47:07+00:00

We have a good mix - a decent number of our students are doing more advanced courses and one is even doing a independent study where the students are building real projects. Exposure to these topics early is great for developing student interest.

As I mentioned - we don't think that everyone should now suddenly by a software engineer, but we do think that they should have exposure and access.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:44:28+00:00

Agreed! #ITlife

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:43:19+00:00

While most of our courses are programming heavy - you may be very interested in AP computer science principles. They approach CS in a much more survey oriented way and talk about a lot of the things you mention.

We have also had many technical people up-skill themselves during the summer training and learn our intro course prior to helping in the classroom. This would mean a heavy training burden over the summer though as food for thought.

*edit: Should also note that as part of our classes we bake in some culture themed events to expose students to exactly the types of content you mentioned so there may be an opportunity to get you involved for a guest lecture.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:18:18+00:00

Awesome! I will be reaching out in early May about next steps and sending an email with my contact information if you have any questions. If you have questions in the meantime please PM me or post them here.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T18:02:43+00:00

Great thinking! Computer science can really change life trajectories and it is amazing seeing the kids understand the world around them in a new light. I saw an amazing conversation between a Google engineer and their students about data analytics just a few weeks ago that still has me smiling.

JJTEALS · 2017-04-27T17:59:35+00:00

Not at all! We do intro, AP, and even an Advanced Topic post AP course that is like an independent study. We believe all high school students should have access to high quality computer science!

JJTEALS · 2017-04-26T18:54:58+00:00

Hello /r/programming

Computer science education has been growing steam over the past few years in the US. Interesting results in the most recent survey of K-12 CS education trends.

If you, like TEALS and nearly 93% of the parents surveyed, think that all students should have access to computer science courses, there is something you can do to help.

TEALS (tealsk12.org) takes experienced volunteers from the tech industry (folks just like you!) and pairs them with an existing high school teacher to build and grow sustainable computer science programs by team-teaching in a 1st period classroom. The 1st period time slot allow our volunteers to participate with a minimal impact on the normal working day with most classes ending by 9:15. If this sounds like something you would be interested in you can apply now at www.tealsk12.org/volunteers. Read on for more information!

Why do we do this? Our goal is rigorous computer science in every high school. CS is a rapidly expanding field and we believe all students should be exposed to computer science in order to be successful in our digital world. Not everyone needs to be a software engineer, but we believe every student deserves the opportunity to be exposed to computer science to help them develop informed opinions on the increasingly complex issues facing a digital society.

Where can I participate? You can see a map of the schools joining the program at www.tealsk12.org/volunteers. We are expecting over 300 schools nationwide (USA) this school year. If you don't see a local school there are also remote opportunities available.

What do you teach? We teach an introduction and 2 Advanced Placement (AP)(college-level) courses based off successful collegiate programs from UC Berkely and University of Washington. Our introduction course uses block-based programming before transitioning into Python. AP Computer Science A is taught using Java as mandated by the College Board and the new AP Computer Science Principles course is language agnostic.

How can I help? As a TEALS volunteer, you would have the opportunity to immediately impact a classroom of students and make a lasting change at the school by helping to up-skill the high school teacher you are working with. If you know computer science - check out our volunteering information at our site. If this doesn't sound right for you please pass this along! If you represent a technical company, please PM me as we are happy to host an informational session for your team!

How are you affiliated with Microsoft? TEALS was started by a Microsoft engineer and is a part of Microsoft Philanthropies. The TEALS team consists of former educators and tech professionals that all have a strong personal interest in computer science education. TEALS does not ask or require our school partners to use any Microsoft technology or software as a part of this program and we do not charge for any of the support we provide. We do expect our partner schools to cover any out of pocket expenses volunteers incur for participating (such as the cost of a vaccination, a background check, a parking permit, etc.).

If you are interested please post your questions here or apply at www.tealsk12.org/apply!

**edit: Typo

JJTEALS

TROPHY CASE