BPC-DP: Partnering Middle School Teachers with Undergraduate Computer Science Teams to Bring Computing to Underrepresented Youth

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Delaware (UD) proposes to partner middle school teachers with undergraduate computer science students to bring computing to underrepresented youth. The UD students will work with teachers from the Chester Community Charter School (CCCS), helping them to more effectively use XO laptops in their classrooms. To be able to use technology effectively across the curriculum, schools need sustainable strategies to help teachers become knowledgeable enough and confident enough to run computing-based activities. This project, Computing-Teams-4-Youth, builds on previous work with CCCS. It uses undergraduates in service learning opportunities to suppport teachers' integration of computing and computational thinking into middle school math, science, language arts, and social studies. Computing-Teams-4-Youth will (1) develop computational thinking activities and increased collaborative and differentiated learning activities for computing-based learning in middle school, (2) provide a service learning course for UD CS majors, with collaborative development teams matched with CCCS teachers and led by peer leaders to develop XO learning activities and apply good software engineering practice with feedback from a real client, and (3) build continuous software and professional development customized to teachers? student learning goals, with biannual teacher-focused workshops for training and collaborating. The undergraduates, working in carefully mentored software development teams, will gain from collaborative learning, software engineering practice with a real client, peer leader experiences, and an opportunity to experience first-hand the potential impact of their computing expertise in helping others. The teachers will get much needed support, and the middle school students will benefit from increased exposure to computers and computational thinking, increasing their interest in computing.