The Expansion of CS4HS: An Outreach Program for

High School Teachers

Lenore Blum, Carnegie Mellon University

Tom Cortina, Carnegie Mellon University

Ed Lazowska, University of Washington

Joe Wise, New Roads School for UCLA

National Trends

– Number of newly declared CS majors nationwideSource: 2005-6 Taulbee Survey

National CS Majors

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5000

10000

15000

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25000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

National Majors

National CS Majors

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5000

10000

15000

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1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

National Majors

National Trends

• The % of female Bachelor’s degrees went from 17.0% in 2003-04 to 14.7% in 2004-05...

• In 2005, less than 7% of CS degrees were awarded to Hispanic and African American students.

National TrendsNational CS Majors

0

5000

10000

15000

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25000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

National Majors

Why is this a problem?“Computer Science is the mathematics of the 21st Century.”

Jim Gray

Solutions

Broaden the image of who can do CS

Broaden the image of the field of CS

Solutions

Introduce Depth and Breadth of CS into the Curriculum

•Problem Solving Problem Solving •ProgrammingProgramming•AlgorithmsAlgorithms•Biology/Neuroscience + CSBiology/Neuroscience + CS•Graphics: Art, Animation + CSGraphics: Art, Animation + CS•Human Computer Interaction Human Computer Interaction •Language TechnologiesLanguage Technologies•Artificial Intelligence + CSArtificial Intelligence + CS•RoboticsRobotics

Computational...Biology, Chemistry, Design, Finance, Linguistics,Logic, Mechanics, Neuroscience, Physics, ...

It appears that our K-12 students need to know how to think computationally more than ever before!

CS4HS: Our Focus

• Computer science is much more than computer programming.

• We can do little to change AP Computer Science in the short term, so let's provide short modules about computer science for CS teachers to use in their classes.

• Teachers can then show their students (and future students) that CS includes programming and SO MUCH MORE.

• By teaching the teachers, we can reach many more students than by working with the students directly.

Think Global, Act Local, Impact Global

Support

Lenore BlumTom Cortina Carol Frieze

Deb Estrin Joe Wise

Ed LazowskaJulie Letchner

Tim BellMike Fellows

Ian WittenCraig Neville Manning

Alan Kay

Tom CortinaCarnegie Mellon University

SCHOOL OFCOMPUTERSCIENCE

Participants• Level

– High School 41 (Depts: CS, Math, Tech., Business)– Middle School 4– College/University 7

• Areas represented:– United States: PA, OH, WV, MD, DE, VA, NY, NJ, IN, IL,

KY, TN, AZ, CA, CO, WA, TX, FL, MA, NH, WI– International: Canada, Mexico, India

• Role of CS in high school education in their stateElective 65% Use as a substitute 10%

Must be taken 2.5% No idea 22.5%

Perceptions• In your opinion, what is the biggest cause of enrollment

decline in CS in the past decade?Bust of dot coms What can you do with it?

No standard curriculum Students think CS = internet, Word

NCLB Uninformed teachers/administrators

Courses too hard Too many required courses

Elective status Media reports/Offshoring

Isolated teachers Competes with easier electives

No CS in middle school Not "sexy" enough to keep their interest

Antisocial/geek culture Not relevant to students

Hard work, less pay Fracture of fields (CS, IS, Soft Eng, etc)

Boring Too exclusionary

CS treated as a vocation No state certification for teachers

Schedule/TopicsFRI SAT SUN MON

Morning9-12:30

CS Unplugged and Keynote (Alan Kay)

CybersecurityandBots N Scoutstournament

CognitiveTutors andBrainstorming

Lunch at Google Pittsburgh

Box Lunch(Free Time)

Afternoon2-5:30

Cake Cutting& Broadening Participation Panel

TeRK RobotsandCareers in CSPanel

Dinner (Free Time)

Pizza Party

Evening7:30-9

Dinner &Icebreaker

Human Computation

Intro. to Alice

Logistics

• Professional Development Credits– In Pennsylvania, teachers receive Act 48 credits for

each hour of instruction/participation– Other teachers received certificates with the number of

hours served to use in their home state for credits

• Major costs– Housing: $10K– Food: $6K– Materials: $5K– Outside Speakers: $2K– Documentation (Photography, videography): $4K– Administration, summer salary: $8K

Fun!http://www.cs.cmu.edu/cs4hs

Ed LazowskaUniversity of Washington

Philosophy

• Success in high school math and science (and English!) is a better predictor of success in CS than is success in high school programming

• Many members of under-represented groups never take programming in high school

Target teachers of math and science

• Most colleges and universities – even excellent ones – draw regionally, not nationally– 85% of UW’s freshmen are from WA– Nearly 1/4 come from just two dozen high schools!

Target a regional audience

Participants

Non-calculus math36%

Calculus math11%

Physical science

31%

Biological science

8%

Computer Science

14%

• 72 teacher-registrants– All from the

Puget Sound region• 22 stayed in dorms,

50 commuted

– Recruited via email• UW math and science

department lists of teachers and groups

• AP teacher lists• Principals and

department heads at top feeder schools

• 10 speakers– Mostly local, but some traveled

Schedule highlights

• Presentations– “Computational Thinking” – Jeannette Wing– “The Computer Revolution Hasn’t Happened Yet” – Alan

Kay– “Biology & Computer Science” – Tom Daniel– “Computer Science at UW” – Ed Lazowska

• Lab sessions– “Squeak in Action” (Squeak programming) – Stuart Reges– Robotics (Lego Mindstorm) – Benson Limketkai– Programming (two tracks, for those with programming

experience, and those without) – Stuart Reges, Marty Stepp

• Interactive sessions– “Cryptography Made Easy” – Stuart Reges– “CS Unplugged” (2 sessions) – Tom Cortina– Demos: motion capture, educational technology, computing

for the developing world– “Computing Careers” panel– Two “Break-out by Subject Taught” sessions, plus a report-

back session (how to apply what you’ve learned in the course you teach)

– Book discussion (3 break-out groups, forThe Search, Unlocking the Clubhouse, and Cryptonomicon)

• Closing banquet

Schedule highlights

Logistics

• 3 full days

• Required $25 registration (as a sign of commitment)

• Provided “Squeakers” DVD, Amazon.com gift certificate for book (cost $3K)

• Granted 20 clock-hours or 1 unit of UW credit ($3K)

• Provided dormitory accommodation for 22, parking for 50, travel and hotel for non-local speakers ($8K)

• Provided breakfast, lunch, snacks on 3 days ($6K)

• Closing banquet was way too expensive ($13K)

• Grad student organizer (Julie Letchner) – lifesaver! ($8K)

Plans for 2008

• Same idea, with minor tweaks• Will produce “logistics manual”• http://cs4hs.cs.washington.edu

Joe WiseNew Roads School

for

University of California, Los Angeles

Logistics

• Target: Local participants (city-wide)

• Provided continental breakfast, lunch, and a banquet

• Provided a $100/day stipend totaling $300/person

• Provided support group meetings in January and March of ‘08

Participants

Curriculum Coordinator 1K-8 Computer Teacher 1Elementary Teacher 1CS HS Faculty 16Tech Coordinator 10Math Department Head 1

Total = 30 participants

Schedule

Wednesday July 11th8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and introductions9:10 – 10:30 Alan Kay: "Non-Advice" about Powerful Ideas, Learners, and Computing10:45 – 11:00 Break11:00 – 11:45 CS Unplugged video and activities11:45 – 12:15 Google presentation – Josh Hyman12:15 – 1:00 Lunch 2:00 – 2:30 CENS intro w/ Deborah Estrin2:30 – 3:00 CENS Lab Tour3:00 – 4:00 CS Unplugged video and activities4:30 – 7:00 Wine and Light Buffet

ScheduleThursday July 12th8:30 – 9:15 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:30 Eddie Kohler—How does an OS work9:30 – 10:00 Todd Millstein —Programming Languages:

The Human Interface to Computer Science10:00 – 10:30 Discussion10:30 Break10:45 – 11:45 CS Unplugged (cont)11:45 – 12:15 Google Speaker – Dan Kegel - Learning to Program 12:15 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 1:45 Jeff Burke - Urban sensing, theater, and the

space-time aquarium.2:00 – 3:00 UCLA Visualization Portal Tour3:15 – 3:45 Gender/Social Issues – Deborah Estrin, Jane Margolis3:45 – 4:15 Discussion4:15 – 5:00 Small group discussions of future schedule (8 groups of 5)

ScheduleFriday July 138:30 – 9:15 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:45 Jens Palsberg - Software trends and challenges9:45-10:15 CS @ UCLA Discussion 10:15 break10:30-12:00 CS Unplugged continued12:00 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 2:30 Virtual LA Tour2:30 – 3:30 Discussion – Report backs and

“Where Do We Go from Here?” 3:30 – 4:00 Closing and future schedule

CS4HS at UCLA

Future Plans

• Summer Workshop – July 24, 25, and 26th at UCLA

• Continue working with Tim Bell and Computer Science Unplugged

• Partner with Jane Margolis and others working with LAUSD and schools within LA and Orange Counties

• Continue to plan three workshops/year to support CS faculty and IT coordinators

CS4HS is expanding!

• Our newest CS4HS team member!University of Texas at Austin

First Bytes Collaborative Workshop for Computer Science Teachers

2008 Workshops

• Carnegie Mellon UniversityJuly 24-27, 2008

• University of California, Los AngelesJuly 24-26, 2008

• University of Texas at Austin ("First Bytes")July 9-11, 2008

• University of WashingtonJuly 11-13, 2008

Goals

• Expand to 40 workshop sites in the next two years.

• Reach out nationally and internationally.

– At least one workshop on each continent outside of N.A.

• We need your help to make it a success!

– Run a workshop or join forces with a larger CS department nearby.

– Determine the special needs of your area and use your in-house expertise to craft a workshop that will support the teachers in your area.

Discussion

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/cs4hs

CS4HS Meeting: Planning for the FutureSaturday, March 15

2:45 - 3:45PMB119