Computer Science and Information Technology Symposia
Chris Stephenson
University of Waterloo
Computer science and information technology teachers operate in a discipline in which change is the only constant and the demand to keep up with new information is always present. Not only do teachers need to learn about new hardware and software but they must also cope with changing ideas about what and how they should teach.
This constant change presents a profound challenge, not just to teachers, but to schools, school districts, and to education as a whole. The need for professional development and skills upgrading often exceeds the ability, resources—and sometimes the willingness—of the education system. As a result, many teachers find themselves struggling in isolation.
For some years, ISTE's SIGCS has been attempting to address some of these needs through publishing and by helping put together the computer science strand at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). However, we always felt that just did not do enough. And then one day, we received a challenge and a lot of help.
In 1999, Professor Fadi Deek from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) gave a presentation at NECC on a number of initiatives NJIT had undertaken to help local computer science teachers improve their technology and teaching skills. During the audience discussion, Lillian Israel, from the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), asked why more teachers did not have access to this kind of opportunity. Always quick to spot an opportunity, SIGCS Chair Philip East in turn asked Lillian why organizations such as ACM weren't doing more to help. Out of this discussion, a committee and the Computer Science and Information Technology Symposium 2000 were born.
In the usual course of things, nothing would have come from this exchange, but these were no ordinary people, and they were unwilling to just let it drop. Philip and Lillian immediately began a discussion of how ACM could support SIGCS's commitment to doing more for high school teachers. Soon this discussion involved John Vaille, who had just become Chief Executive Officer of ISTE (the parent organization of SIGCS and one of the major supporters of NECC). John provided full support for the idea of a professional development symposium that would be part of NECC in 2000.
Actually creating the symposium, however, required a larger number of people, and so a committee was struck. The committee members were: Fadi Deek, Philip East, Jenny House (Classroom Connect), Lillian Israel, Jim Kerlin (NECA), Harriet Taylor (NECA), John Vaille, and me. The ACM generously provided funding for the committee's first meeting in New York, and because I just happened to be the first one through the door that morning, I was appointed to chair the meeting. (Editor's note: Chris is being much too modest! The success of the first symposium is due in no small part to her efforts.) Fadi and I then became co-chairs for the symposium. ACM provided additional support personnel in the form of Robin Green, and ISTE provided the incomparable Diana Sturm to act as project manager.
The committee's first task was to put together a program that would meet the information needs of a diverse group of high school computer science and information technology teachers. The topics it selected for the program included:
- providing a framework for information fluency
- core concepts and tools for computer science and information technology
- equity
- career opportunities
- teaching Advanced Placement computer science
- information technology professional certification
- information technology and computer science successes and strategies
- emerging technologies
The committee's next task was to find speakers who could address these issues in interesting and informative ways. The speakers identified included high school teachers, college and university professors, researchers, motivational speakers, and industry representatives.
Then there was the time-consuming job of preparing all the materials, getting everyone and everything organized, and finding a place to hold the event. Most of this responsibility fell to Diana.
From the very beginning, the committee was committed to providing the symposium at no charge to teachers. In order to do this, sponsors needed to be found to cover the costs. Leaders within ACM stepped up and provided the major funding burden, with the Siemens Foundation supporting the reception and IBM covering the costs of a keynote speaker.
Another important challenge involved making teachers aware of the opportunity to attend the symposium. Special invitations were drafted and sent to all members of SIGCS. Commercial lists of high school computer teachers from six states surrounding the NECC 2000 conference site (Atlanta, Georgia) were also purchased. By the day of the symposium (Sunday, June 25, 2000) more than 130 registrations had been received, and everything was ready to go at the Westin Peachtree Plaza.
Overall, it was a spectacular day. The teachers were eager to learn and provided a warm and welcoming audience. The speakers were interesting and informed. Finally, the rooms were well laid out, and there was so much food everyone was stuffed. Feedback received from the evaluation forms indicated that everyone was delighted to have attended and that every speaker was someone's favorite part of the day.
Our biggest concern about the symposium was that it would be an isolated event—a one-time shot at meeting a continuous and growing need for professional development. Our hope was that it would be the beginning of a larger effort to build a community of teachers dedicated to learning and sharing their learning with their colleagues.
To share the benefits of this event with as many people as possible, a Web page was set up to allow teachers to download the speaker's presentations. As an added bonus, three graduate students (Christina Hess, DaVona Hansborough, and Mary Grace Bradley) volunteered to take notes at the sessions. Fadi managed and mentored these students and then incorporated their notes into the synopsis (below).
The good news is that we have already seen some of the fruits of our efforts. One group of teachers has started their own online discussion and support group. Many teachers have also downloaded the presentations and facilitated discussions within their own schools. And now, the second CS and IT Symposium: Issues and Trends in High School Computing has been held (June 24, 2001, in Chicago, Illinois).
The following links are our way of giving those who were not able to attend the 2000 and 2001 symposia access to the wealth of information and opportunity provided. Please read them and share them with your colleagues. Click the link to view these and other PDF files online. Right-click (PC) or click-and-hold (Mac) the link to download the file to your computer for later (offline) viewing.
Check out the Computer Science Symposium 2000 Synopsis (PDF, 123KB, 9 seconds, PDF Instructions). It offers program summaries of all the presentations—providing useful resources and references. Don't forget to view the following speaker presentations.
- Teaching AP Computer Science (PDF, 473 KB, 35 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Tim Corica
- IT Core Concepts and Tools (PDF, 80 KB, 6 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Diane McGrath
- Emerging Technologies—Here Comes the Future (PDF, 864 KB, 1 minute, PDF Instructions)
by Sandra Rankin
- IT Successes and Strategies (PDF, 9,154 KB, 11.5 minutes, PDF Instructions)
by Sheila Rhodes
- Equity Begins with Acknowledging Diversity (PDF, 81KB, 6 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Chris Stephenson
- CS Core Concepts and Tools (PDF, 36 KB, 3 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Allen Tucker
- IT Professional Certification (PDF, 332 KB, 25 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Jay Wood
- Providing a Framework (PDF, 88 KB, 6 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Philip East
- CS Successes and Strategies (PDF, 990 KB, 1.24 minutes, PDF Instructions)
by Jill Jones
Check out the Computer Science Symposium 2001 Synopsis (PDF, 131 KB, 10 seconds, PDF Instructions). You'll find program summaries of all the presentations—which will provide valuable resources and references. View some of the speaker presentations, too, available as downloadable PDF files.
- Emerging Technologies and Career Opportunities (PDF, 589 KB, 44 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Simon Phipps
- Ethics—The Dilemma of Technology
Computer Lab and Internet Usage Policy (PDF, 17 KB, 1 second, PDF Instructions), Internet Parent Approval Form (PDF, 13 KB, 1 second, PDF Instructions), Resources for Computer Ethics (PDF, 1 KB, 1 second, PDF Instructions)
by Jill Jones
- AP with Java (PDF, 500 KB, 38 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Tim Corica
- Getting to the Bottom of Computer Hardware: Creating Chips, Gates, and Interfaces (PDF, 108 KB, 8 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Graham Smyth
- Knowing What to Teach—Computing in High Schools Panel (PDF, 40 KB, 3 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Chris Stephenson
- Frills or Foundations: Grades 9 & 10 (PDF, 168 KB, 13 seconds, PDF Instructions), Grades 11 & 12 (PDF, 455 KB, 34 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Jay Wood
- Preparing Your Students with the Best Skills for their Future (PDF, 672 KB, 50 seconds, PDF Instructions)
by Todd Knowlton
Contributor
Chris Stephenson is the President of Holt Sofware, which produces educationally oriented computer science texts and software. She also does research into the teaching of secondary computer science and is active in CS-Ed activities in both Canada and the United States.
In her spare time, Chris thinks about how she never has enough spare time to do all the things she enjoys.
chris@hsa.com
www.holtsoft.com/chris/home.html
All time approximations assume the use of a 53.3 kbs modem.
Copyright © 2001, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.
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