CS & IT Symposium Notes
The Symposium Organizing Committee–Chris Stephenson, Doug Peterson, Don Kirkwood, Lillian Israel, Betsy Federick, Philip East–and Celia Einhorn
[Editor's note: You can link directly to the presentation information on the ISTE Professional Development Pages by clicking the link between the session overview and the comments we provided. The ISTE professional development page is at http://www.iste.org/profdev/ and the CS & IT Symposia links are available via the "Computer Science" link.]
Object Oriented Design–Think Big
by Timothy A. Budd
Object Oriented Design can and should be taught as an independent topic to the instruction of a specific programming language, such as Java. In this presentation I will illustrate a language neutral introduction to the primary OOP concepts, and then continue with an example exercise in OOP design. In the process, I will illustrate how working with designs that are much larger than students are actually able to program can help solidify the concepts of classes, encapsulation, composition, inheritance, and interaction.
Comments from Chris Stephenson
Budd put forward the idea that we are now in the third era of computer science, where the emphasis is on the move toward a service-centred view of computing which is fundamentally different than what has happened before. In order to encourage students to more accurately view programming as a means of solving specific problems elegantly and efficiently, he argues that students must be taught design before they begin to program. Doing so, he says, would give them a better understanding of what it means to be object oriented, and allow them to appreciate why OO languages are designed as they are.
Modeling: An Innovative Approach in High School Computing
by Philip East & Betsy Frederick
The emphasis on problem-based instruction for learning higher-level skills is making computer modeling a popular tool for teaching computing. We will explore this approach by considering some aspects of establishing a "Down Under Theme Park" in "Up Above Washington". Spreadsheet implementations of models can help us decide what to do about the 'roos that are on their way to SEA/TAC. The exploration will address both modeling and using modeling to teach–hopefully, with lots of discussion.
Comments from Celia Einhorn
East pointed out at the beginning of the talk that he had decided to look at human population models instead of the Kangaroo growth model he and Frederick had planned originally. He demonstrated several powerful examples starting with a model that showed a population of 50 in the first year followed by 13 births in the following year and asked us to guess how the table would fill. Each successive table was more sophisticated and finally incorporated census data. It was a good lesson for not only developing an understanding of population growth but sophisticated uses of a spreadsheet in a problem-problem solving context. There is enough material here for an extended and thoughtful unit in mathematics, science, and/or computer applications. Be sure to look at the spreadsheets!
Ethics in the Age of Napster and MP3
by Betsy Frederick & Celia Einhorn
In this collaborative session teachers will explore the ethical issues underlying one of the new technologies—MP3 files. After a discussion of what MP3 file format is and how it works, we will divide into groups to play several of the roles involved in the use of MP3s (music lover, Beastie Boy, Metallica drummer, recording company executive). Following the role-playing, we will share the chief arguments presented by each point of view. Our goal is to provide a framework for classroom discussion of copyright laws. A list of online resources will also be provided.
Comments from Chris Stephenson
This presentation not only modeled the usefulness of group work and collaboration, but raised too many of the thorny ethical questions which make this topic both challenging and essential to teach. Participants noted the difficulty of teaching students not to do what they see happening all around them. They also considered the fact that in many cases, ethics seem to be generational rather than consistent and static. One explanation put forward for the widespread use of illegal copying is that many people, and certainly not just students, also see this as a victimless crime. Teachers noted also that many copyright-infringement practices are widespread: think about the Xerox machine and video sharing.
An Introduction to the Security Implications of Wireless Networking
by Aaron Janssen
What do you need to know about wireless networking? What is a "rogue access point"? What is Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)? In this multimedia presentation the problems, advantages and risks associated with wireless networking will be reviewed and suggestions for keeping your network safe will be presented.
Comments from Betsy Frederick
Janssen’s entertaining and information-loaded talk clarified the technical issues surrounding wireless implementations in the school environment. The audience appreciated the graphic, audio, and animation clips that enlivened the detailed presentation on threats to networks from an increasingly mobile wireless population.
How Real Interdisciplinary Curricula Can Work for All of Us
by Don Kirkwood
Are there ways to attract more students to our computer classes? We have known for years that there is a disparity between the number of young women or any person of diversity and white males in our classes. Attracting more students means exposing our students to more interesting and diverse problem solving strategies. It also helps us keep our programs viable in a packed curriculum. This session examines how an interdisciplinary approach can perk up the computer classroom.
Comments from Doug Peterson
Don’s session was a summary of his MECA program, an interdisciplinary course combining English, Geometry, Computer Applications, and Programming. Devoted to the subversive art of teaching, the environment was constructed so that the students in the class were motivated in areas where they might not be otherwise. In a traditional classroom setting, student mindsets shift from one subject area to another when the bell rings. Since all of the students remain clustered in Don’s class, they move seamlessly from one topic to another with the same teacher. Topics taught and the approaches taken were sensitive to the needs of the students. The result was a higher success rate in these subject areas and more young ladies were involved in computer activities.
Educating Kids for the Information Age
by Ed Lazowska
What kind of education is required for 21st century jobs and 21st century citizens? And, what role can technology play in providing this education? I'll consider both of these questions, from regional, national, and international perspectives.
Comments from Chris Stephenson
Lazowska highlighted the extent to which computer science teachers must deal with constant change, referring to existing technologies as merely "technology dujour" which changes almost daily. This rapid rate of change also has a profound effect on students, as it requires them to learn how to learn what they will need to know in the future. Lazowska also highlighted the essential link between technological fluency and algorithmic thinking or programming - noting that knowing how to "use" technology is simply not enough. He also reminded teachers of the importance of using technology to support teaching and learning and the positive effects using and modeling technology use can have on learners and teachers across all disciplines.
Role Playing and the APCS Java Marine Biology Simulation
by David Levine
Starting in 2004, the Advanced Placement Computer Science curriculum will require that students learn about a new case study, the Java Marine Biology Simulation. This session will discuss how scripted role-playing can be used to introduce students to object-oriented programs in general and the Java MBS in particular.
Comments from Don Kirkwood
David Levine jumped right in and had teachers acting out the methods of the MBS. By doing so, the entire group came to understand the fairly complex interaction between all of the MBS classes. Not only did this process provide an overall understanding of inheritance and polymorphism, David’s presentation showed how the MBS could be used to set up great future discussions with students.
The Use of the Internet in Computer Science Courses
by Doug Peterson
In this session, we'll discuss the rationale for having Computer and Information Science students use the Internet to address the curriculum. What can Internet activities contribute towards the study of Computer and Information Science? There are differing levels of sophistication for Internet use and examples of each will be shown along with related Web sites.
Comments from Philip East
Doug described several categories of Internet content for use in computer science. He provided rationales for and examples of their use in addition to giving many links to the resources. His overall goal seems to be one of moving Internet usage from a relatively superficial to a more in-depth and academically useful activity. Some of the categories he included were "stuff" (interesting and useful but not particularly educational), programming contests, Web quests, and lists of resources. His discussion was friendly and informative. The links contained in his presentation should provide a significant resource to computing teachers.
Web Programming–Free, Fast, and Fun!
by Bill Robertson
The tools required to create web pages are most likely already available on your computer: a text editor and a Web browser. The HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) will be used in order to develop Web pages in which form and content can be integrated as well as controlled independently. A discussion of "publishing" Web pages and advanced web technologies will follow.
Comments from Celia Einhorn
Bill Robertson, Los Alamos National Laboratory, presented HTML topics for both beginners and advanced participants. Robertson noted that commercial web-authoring products may be beyond the financial reach of many school districts and so urged and demonstrated using readily available, free tools such as a text editor and a web browser for creating web pages. Uses of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) were of interest to participants. He made time in his presentation to answer questions about the advanced tools useful for sophisticated design.
Comments from Doug Peterson
The session focussed on the notion of using Cascading Style Sheets in conjunction with regular HTML programming to create more easily maintained web sites that load considerably faster, even at slower connection speeds.
Summary:
HTML - CONTENT - FUNCTION
CSS - FORMAT - FORM
Using CSS, it’s extremely easy to take a regular HTML page and convert it to a "printer friendly" version without redoing the entire site. Steps to create web sites:
- Build a stylesheet for formatting
- Build a template for the function of the site
- Focus on the content of your website.
With CSS, you can have design consistency throughout your site.
Toward a K–12 Computer Science Curriculum
by Allen Tucker
This session will present a unified curriculum model that can be implemented in K–12 schools. The model has four levels, covering computer science concepts in grades K–8, 9 or 10, 10 or 11, and 11 or 12, respectively. Its focus will be on fundamental computer science concepts that are appropriate at each level, and it will complement established computer science curricula described in the NETS standard (grades K–8) and AP (grades 11–12). Finally, it will identify implementation challenges that will accompany the wide adoption of such a curriculum.
Comments from Lillian Israel
Allen Tucker, Chairman of the ACM K-12 Task Force Curriculum Committee, presented a unified curriculum model that could be implemented in K-12 schools. The model consists of four levels; it focuses on computer science concepts that are appropriate to each level.
Attendees pointed out some of the (possible) impediments to such a model -- for example:
- how does the model fit in with the 3R's?
- Curriculum is driven by "No Child Left Behind," and schools are given money based on their students' performance on standardized tests, therefore, no money for developing course materials not currently in the curriculum.
- It will be a Herculean task to get a buy-in from all the states and school districts.
Implementers of this curriculum would need to work closely with teachers from other disciplines, such as math, physics, etc. And, interestingly, Tucker felt that the "ethics" part of CS could be introduced as early as grade K. From the discussion, it appeared that a good deal of "CS
by Stealth" work would be needed to introduce actual computer science concepts or critical thinking especially in the lower grades.
What's New in Computing?
by Leigh Rickerson
This presentation will feature some of the latest technologies available today. You'll see the new Tablet PC and Pocket PC and get some ideas on how integrating them into the classroom will change the future of education.
Comments from Betsy Frederick
Ms Rickerson’s presentation was a cheery way to end the day. She presented lots of new "toys" and gave us all severe PDA envy! The applications she previewed were powerful and hold promise for classroom integration to enhance curricula.
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