Clarkson University professors and local educators are collaborating on instructional models to develop computer science skills in diverse content. The Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES) offered the North Country STEM Learning Ecosystem an opportunity to participate in an NSF funded initiative to develop closer collaborations between universities and secondary schools focused on improving Computer Science participation. The project is coordinated by Mary Margaret Small, Director of Educational Partnerships in Clarkson’s Institute for STEM Education, and Coordinator of the Ecosystem.
Computer Science Professor Jeanna Mathews and Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Mahesh Banavar joined a dozen local educators for a virtual design studio. Three teams developed instructional modules that integrate computer science skills into content instruction, including Social Studies, Math, and Technology. The lessons for middle school and high school students will be taught during Spring 2021 semester in schools across the North Country. Participating educators teach in the following school districts: Boquet Valley, Beekmantown, Watertown, Massena, Heuvelton, Gouverneur and St-Lawrence-Lewis BOCES. The teams also had administrative support from Massena and Watertown school districts and CFES Brilliant Pathways.
The NSF project is being implemented by TIES in conjunction with Cleveland State University and the Northeast Ohio STEM Learning Ecosystem. The goals of the project are two-fold: to increase the number of individuals in computer science workforce and academia pipeline from underrepresented and underserved populations.; and to create long-lasting and productive Communities of Practice among those invested in improving Computer Science participation.
For more information about this project or the North Country STEM Learning Ecosystem, contact Mary Margaret Small mmsmall@clarkson.edu.
