SCIENCE IN COMPUTER By Jessi Chartier - ACTE
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IN COMPUTER
SCIENCE By Jessi Chartier
34 Techniques October 2017 acteonline.org
T
he lack of girls in high school coding classes has dramatic impli-
cations downstream, for college and for the workplace. Women
make up just 18 percent of college computer science majors
(“Science and Engineering,” 2013). And though the computer in-
dustry is a jobs powerhouse — creating new jobs at a rate faster
than the national average (“Computer and Information,” 2015) — women will
hold only about 20 percent of those jobs by 2025 (“Cracking the Gender Code,”
2016) if current trends continue.
The Case for Diversity in Computer Science
Here’s why the gender imbalance is particularly troubling: Without a diverse
group of developers tackling society’s problems, the industry’s field of vision is
limited. Gender diversity in coding isn’t just about giving women jobs in the com-
puter field. It also means enabling a large, key group of people to better partici-
pate in the problem-solving and societal improvement that technology brings.
At its core, coding is about solving problems. Increasing opportunities for
those underrepresented in the field to learn the tools and skills of technology
empowers them to solve problems directly facing them. I always say that I love
teaching high school students how to code because they’re solving problems I
didn’t know they had. Of course, that insight can be broadened to empower peo-
ple of all walks of life to improve their lives and communities.
acteonline.org October 2017 Techniques 35
Coding as a skillset is a pathway to Census and American Community Sur- level. A growing number of states recog-
gainful employment. Software developers veys indicates 40] percent of American nize computer science toward graduation
make a national average of $63,000 a year, women are the ones who pay the mort- credits for math, science and even, in Tex-
(“Software Developer,” n.d.) and for that gage, who put food on the table (Wang, as, foreign language (Zinth, 2016). And as
income there is opportunity: Projections Parker & Taylor, 2013). These (develop- such, it is the onus of educators to break
point to more than a million unfilled com- ment positions) are good-paying jobs, and stigmas and challenge assumptions in
puter jobs in the United States by 2020 ("A quite frankly, as [more] of the things we order to drive gender balance in computer
National Talent," 2012) due to a shortage do become automated, these will be ‘the’ science classes.
of qualified, skilled workers. And yet… The jobs. So, it’s important to make sure that
number of women taking on computer women are not left out.” Tactics for Diversifying High
science as a major has dropped dramati- Forty percent is a significant number of
cally in recent decades (“Science and Engi- women who are primary household earn- School Computer Science
neering,” 2013). ers. Yet they’re being excluded (or exclud- Many schools recognize there is a need
Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who ing themselves) from gainful employment, for a concerted effort to recruit more
Code, gets to the central essence of the a quality of life and an industry that is girls into computer science classes. Still,
issue in a 2017 interview with EdSurge: starved for developers. many lack confident strategies to achieve
“We're living in a time where we're depen- All said, there’s never been a more crit- this goal. There’s a lot that can make the
dent on American women as our bread ical time to address the need for diversity chronic gender imbalance in computer
winners — [research from the Decennial in computer science at the high school science seem insurmountable, but there
36 Techniques October 2017 acteonline.org
are specific tactics career and technical CTE needs developers to build the .CSV commands, functions and
educators (CTE) can use to make a differ- safety algorithms in self-driving cars, scripting to create dynamic re-
ence and help drive the shift. the systems that translate magnetic ports and data visualizations.
fields into images for doctors, and apps •• Designers are closer to the code
1. Position computers
for your phone to remember where you
as more than games. behind apps and websites than ever
parked. At the heart of this myriad of
In 1983, Wargames hit theaters featuring before, often working directly with
possibilities are problem-solving, critical
an adolescent boy who saves the world developers to bring concepts to life.
thinking and coding skills — and they’re
by playing a game against a computer. becoming applicable, often essential, to •• Marketers need programming
This shifted the perception of comput- nearly every industry. skills to build campaigns, gener-
ers from computational machines to ate leads and grow companies.
•• Journalists need CSS and HTML
gaming machines.
skills to modify their work online. •• Government employees increasingly
Of course, there is a place for games. But
•• Audio engineers in music, film and need data visualization and manage-
when students view computers as tools
live events need programming skills ment skills to make decisions.
that solve problems, the technology can
open doors and surface opportunities that to create the sounds and audiovi- •• Urban planners need data visu-
even we, in the industry, can’t imagine. sual spaces their industries want. alization and manipulation skills
Ask students, “What problem do you want •• Knowledge workers who use to understand the present and
to solve?” spreadsheets need to know basic future of their communities.
acteonline.org October 2017 Techniques 37•• Collaborates well with others
•• Is able to recognize patterns
(Again, think musicians!)
5. Get the word out with your
Coding is about solving problems at both school communications team.
micro and macro levels. But it’s also about Work within your school to promote the
course. You might consider a collaboration
discovery, collaboration, learning how to with your school’s media class to make a
video about coding, like that which came
embrace and grow from failure, and building out of Illinois’s Deerfield High featuring the
school’s app development class and inter-
real solutions to actual problems. views with its students and their teacher
(“Mobile Makers,” 2016); this encourages
involvement from current CTE program
students and entices others to get involved
themselves.
The key element is to build interest by
exposing students to what it looks like in
2. Rename your coding classes. star overnight. It’s all about practice, the class and in practice. Coding is about
Make computer science curriculum practice, practice. This is akin to pro- solving problems at both micro and macro
more tangible, tuned for the audience gramming: So much entails becoming levels. But it’s also about discovery, collab-
you’re trying to attract. For example, comfortable in making mistakes so you oration, learning how to embrace and grow
demonstrate how programming can can learn to get better. from failure, and building real solutions to
improve community and social envi- Some schools are making great prog- actual problems. Try to capture those ele-
ronments by naming your class some- ress by targeting groups that practice ments in your messaging.
thing like “Coding for Social Change.” grit and tackle challenges on a daily
Articulate how computer science helps basis — like girls’ sports teams or musi- 6. Host a teaser course.
address larger social needs, affecting cal groups. Approach the coach or club Give students a taste of what it is like to
real people and solving real problems. sponsor to coordinate an opportunity code by hosting a 30-minute workshop over
Consider a few examples: to pitch. It’s a direct recruitment tactic, lunch, before, or after school. Show them
to be sure, but an effective one. Many how an app is built to demystify the coding
•• Neurocern is a startup in Chicago times these athletes or musicians may
that’s helping to improve the efficacy process. There are a lot of great, free resourc-
not realize how much skill they bring es you can use to make this happen. Like the
of caregiving for dementia patients. to the table when it comes to computer Hour of Code, a global resource designed to
•• Stop, Breathe, and Think is aimed programming. CTE educators are en-
provide programming education online to
at helping improve mental health couraged to explore how these skills in-
students of all ages, all around the world.
through mindfulness and meditation. tersect to find the right messaging that
•• PNC’s Virtual Wallet is designed to help sparks interest and inspiration.
Final Thought
you manage your money on the fly. Everyone needs a seat at the table. Many of
4. Handpick great candidates.
these strategies can also be used to recruit
3. Target girls’ sports Nothing beats an endorsement like a vote
other underrepresented groups into your
teams or music clubs. of confidence from a teacher. Ask col-
computer science classes. Diversity isn’t just
A cornerstone of many 21st century leagues and teachers you know to nomi-
a buzzword. We all come from different back-
skills is the ability to solve problems on nate one or two girls they think would be
grounds, have different experiences, and offer
successful or enjoy a programming class.
the spot and to persevere. Sports are unique solutions to the today’s problems and
Then, host an open house for those invi-
a great place to cultivate these skills. those in the future. Technology will unlock
tees and their parents.
Teams focus on practicing a skill over the solutions to tomorrow’s problems. More
What qualities make a good computer
and over until the athlete can apply and than ever, we need to help us turn the key.
science student?
synthesize the skill into action during a
game. The goal isn’t perfect execution, •• Likes to solve puzzles
but enough practice so you learn. The •• Enjoys working on a prob- Jessi Chartier is director of programs and
lem until it’s solved products at MobileMakersEdu, a division
same is true in learning a musical in-
of the experiential education innovator
strument. No one picks up a recorder •• Thinks about how to solve a prob- Uncharted Learning. Email her at jessi@
in elementary school and becomes a lem with resources at hand unchartedlearning.org.
38 Techniques October 2017 acteonline.orgREFERENCES Accenture. (2016). Cracking the gender code. Retrieved from https://www.accenture.com/ t20161018T094638__w__/us-en/_ acnmedia/Accenture/next-gen-3/ girls-who-code/Accenture-Crack- ing-The-Gender-Code-Report.pdf. Madda, M.J. (2017). Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani: Why an 'hour of code' isn’t enough. EdSurge. Re- trieved from https://www.edsurge. com/news/2017-07-18-girls-who- code-ceo-reshma-saujani-why-an- hour-of-code-isn-t-enough. Microsoft. (2012). A national talent strat- egy: Ideas for securing US compet- itiveness and economic growth. Re- trieved from https://news.microsoft. com/download/presskits/citizenship/ MSNTS.pdf. MobileMakersEdu. (2016). Mobile makers at Deerfield High School. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/190753034. National Science Foundation. (2013). Science and engineering degrees: 1966–2010. Retrieved from https:// www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf13327/con- tent.cfm?pub_id=4266&id=2. PayScale Human Capital. (n.d.). Soft- ware developer salary. Retrieved from http://www.payscale.com/ research/US/Job=Software_Devel- oper/Salary. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of La- bor Statistics (2015). Computer and information technology occupations. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Re- trieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ computer-and-information-technolo- gy/home.htm. Wang, W., Parker, K., & Taylor, P. (2013). Breadwinner moms. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends. org/2013/05/29/breadwin- ner-moms/. Zinth, J. (2016). Education trends: Com- puter science in high school gradu- ation requirements. Retrieved from https://www.ecs.org/ec-content/ uploads/09.13.2016_Computer-Sci- ence-in-High-School-Graduation-Re- quirements.pdf. acteonline.org October 2017 Techniques 39
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