Outreach Overview
I began doing serious K-12 computer science outreach in 1997, when I joined the Program by Design team (then called TeachScheme!). I co-directed Program By Design with Shriram Krishnamurthi, starting in 2000.
Bootstrap
I co-founded Bootstrap with Emmanuel Schanzer and Shriram Krishnamurthi. Bootstrap produces a series of CS curricular modules for middle- and high-school, with an emphasis on modules that integrate into existing subjects. We currently have modules that integrate into algebra, physics (science modeling), and social science (data science). We also have a computer science module that follows on the algebra module for those looking for a complete introductory CS course.
Bootstrap is active on the national level. We train hundreds of teachers in many states each year, reaching roughly 25,000 students per year. We are actively engaged in both national and state-level CSforAll projects, including CS4RI. Details are on the Bootstrap website.
Within Bootstrap, I take the lead on grant writing, research and assessment, our partnership with the Oklahoma State Dept of Education, our social studies/data science curriculum, and our software infrastructure for producing curricular materials. We all do a bit of everything though, so feel free to reach out if you have a question about the project.
CS Standards Efforts
I have been involved in several efforts to develop educational standards for K-12 CS:
- I was a consultant on the K-12 CS standards for New York.
- In 2017-18, I was a lead author on the K-12 CS standards for Rhode Island.
- In 2014-15, I was on the authoring panel that developed the K-12 CS/Digital Literacy standards for Massachusetts.
- I was an advisor to the National K-12 CS Framework Project.
I was also part of the group that developed the programming languages component of the ACM 2013 CS curriculum.