Computer Science Collaboration Project
November 2012

The vision of the Computer Science Collaboration Project is to efficiently increase participation of underrepresented groups in computer science opportunities and activities by effectively building collaborations between K-12, community-based organizations, higher education and industry. 

 Project Updates 

The Computer Science Collaboration Project uses the most  successful elements of the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) to connect K-12 outreach programs, professional organizations, and companies as well as alliances that are part of the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) community, specifically focusing on outreach to and collaboration with persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and women. We are working with the Computer Science Teachers Association, Computing Alliance for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and AccessSTEM along with many other partners.

 

CSCP at the Society for Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Conference
Members of the Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth in Computer Science (CS) Leadership Team for the CSCP presented on K-12 Collaboration and Exemplary Practices for Engaging Hispanic/Latino(s) Youth in CS at the SACNAS-hosted Computing Alliance for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) Symposium on October 10, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. The CSCP session provided an overview of K-12 CAHSI outreach programs and showcased the recently completed mini-grantee project "Learning CS through the Lens of Culture and Society" led by San Bernardino School District's Crafton Hills Community College which successfully engaged high school students through collaboration, mobile application development, near-peer role models, and family involvement.

 

Mini-Grantee Webinar Showcase 

Project activities for the Engaging Youth with Disabilities and the Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth mini-grantees are near completion. CSCP is hosting two webinars highlighting mini-grant outcomes and resources. Register below to participate in these live events.

 

CSCP Webinar Engaging Youth with Disabilities in Computer Science: Mini-Grantee Showcase
Monday, December 10, 2012, 10:00 - 11:00 AM Pacific
In October 2011, the CSCP offered funding for mini-grant proposals engaging youth with disabilities in computer science opportunities through collaborative projects. Funded projects brought together over 36 cross-sector organizations across 6 states to address accessibility issues and empower youth to create new technologies. A panel from completed mini-grantee projects will share promising practices, program models, low-cost strategies and resources, along with their greatest challenges and successes. 
Register: http://www.cscproject.org/?q=node/620 

 

CSCP Webinar Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth in Computer Science: Mini-Grantee Showcase
Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 10:00 - 11:00 AM Pacific
To provide incentive and support to collaborate, the CSCP funded five collaborative mini-grant projects focused on engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) youth in computer science opportunities through the use of Exemplary Practices that include cultural competency, family involvement, computer science content, and broadening the image of computer science. A panel from completed mini-grantee projects will share exemplary practices, program models, low-cost strategies and resources, along with their greatest challenges and successes.  
Register: http://www.cscproject.org/?q=node/621
 

Archived Webinar

CSCP Webinar Universal Design in Education: Philosophy, Research, and Application 

This webinar explored the evolution of approaches to people with disabilities that included charity, medical, and social justice models. Participants learned how universal design has emerged as an approach to ensuring the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and how it can be applied in educational settings including instruction, services, technology, and physical spaces. This webinar was presented by Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, Director for the University of Washington's Accessible Technology & DO-IT programs. Dr. Burgstahler's work is supported in part by AccessComputing, funded by the National Science Foundation to increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing. Archived recording: http://www.cscproject.org/?q=node/75

Computer Science Events

Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek)
December 9-15, 2012 

CSEdWeek recognizes the transformative role of computing and the need to bolster computer science at all educational levels. Join teachers, students, parents, and others in this call to action to raise awareness about computer science education and computing careers by participating in CSEdWeek activities and events.
Details: http://www.csedweek.org


Richard Tapia: Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference
Washington, D.C.
February 7-10, 2013
The 2012 Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference brings together diverse leading researchers to present state-of-the-art topics in the field of computing. The Tapia conference provides a supportive networking environment for underrepresented groups across the broad range of computing and information technology, from science to business to the arts to infrastructure.

Register: http://tapiaconference.org/2013


28th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference
San Diego, CA
February 25 - March 2, 2013
Presented by California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Center on Disabilities, this event provides an inclusive setting for researchers, practitioners, exhibitors, end users, and speakers to share knowledge, best practices, and cutting edge technology in the field of assistive technology to increase the participation of persons with disabilities.
Details: http://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/index.php


4th International Conference on Education, Training and Informatics: ICETI 2013
Orlando, FL
March 19 - 22, 2013
ICETI 2013 brings together researchers, professionals and practitioners from private and public sectors in education, training, and informatics. Fostering collaborative research and development, this conference is designed to share ideas, results of research, and innovative services or products, in a multi-disciplinary and multi-sector forum.
Details: http://www.iiis2013.org/icsit/Website/AboutConfer.asp?vc=31 

 

Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Corner

Computational Thinking Resources

There is a great deal of discussion around computational thinking (CT) and how it might be integrated into current learning standards. Frequently, there is confusion about what the term actually means. Most commonly, CT is conflated or confused with mathematical computation. In these situations, even when CT is perceived to have a computing component, it is interpreted as the computer-implementation of an existing mathematical solution to a problem. A more powerful way to view CT, however, is as a process in which computer science and other disciplines are collectively brought to bear on the solution to a problem, often to the benefit of both fields. The combination of computing power, computing techniques, and disciplinary knowledge can lead to the identification of new problems and to developments in other fields.  

 

One example is the Human Genome Project, one of the first "big data" problems computer scientists were asked to help address. When this project began, neither biologists nor computer scientists had the necessary tools and methods. The application of both computer science and biology expertise to this problem led to the development of parallel sequence analysis algorithms, better visualization tools, mechanisms to distribute databases, new pattern recognition algorithms, and gene modeling algorithms. Similarly, data mining and information retrieval methods were advanced in the context of the genome project, and today are employed to solve problems relevant to a host of other disciplines. For a wealth of resources on CT, please visit CSTA's Computational Thinking webpage: http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CompThinking.html.  

 

CSCP Program Directory - Register Your Program Today!

The CSCP Program Directory lists organizations and programs that focus on motivating underrepresented youth to pursue careers in computer science (If your program is in the NGCP Program Directory, it has automatically been included in the CSCP Program Directory.) 

 

The purpose of the CSCP Program Directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and collaborate on computer science related projects.The Directory contains Program descriptions, resources available within each organization, Program and/or organization needs, and contact information. Submitted entries undergo review and verification prior to publication.

 

Register your program: http://www.cscproject.org/index.php?q=pd/newprogram.

 

Resource Spotlight

FabFems LogoFabFems: Share your past. Spark a future.

Studies have shown that girls with strong computer science role models tend to stay with computer science longer than those without. FabFems spark girls' interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by connecting them with female role models. There are over 100 FabFems profiles in the database and this number is growing. Role models are enthusiastic about the science and technology work they do and want to inspire a future generation of FabFems. Visit FabFems to search profiles, connect with role models, and find resources on career pathways.


Meet Claudia Galvan, who is Director of Product Management at YouSendit, currently leading overall product internationalization. As a young girl, Claudia was encouraged by a computer programmer at a career fair to pursue computer science, and she was hooked.  Despite the fact that math was not her strongest subject, she succeeded, graduating first in her class. Claudia went on to receive her bachelor's degree in computer science from Anahuac University in Mexico City, and her master's degree in program and project management from Golden Gate University. Her impressive career path includes some of the top companies in the industry. After spending nearly 6 years at Microsoft, Claudia moved to Adobe, where she held senior software engineering roles, developing Globalization and Electronic Software Delivery technologies used in all Adobe products. She was the 2008 recipient of the Global Product Development Leadership award and the 2009 recipient of the Microsoft Women Empowerment award. Claudia is also VP of Career Guidance at the Society of Women Engineers in Silicon Valley and a board member at Notre Dame High School in San Jose, California. Claudia has spent the last 10 years volunteering at several organizations supporting STEM. To read more about Claudia, visit her FabFems profile at http://www.fabfems.org/users/claudia-galvan.

 

If you or someone you know is interested in finding a FabFem for your classroom or program, or if you are interested in becoming a FabFem, visit: http://www.fabfems.org.

 

Resources

2013 Women of Vision Awards Nomination
This award, hosted by the Anita Borg Institute Board of Trustees, honors women making significant contributions to technology. A winner is selected in each of the following categories: Innovation, Leadership, and Social Impact. Nominations close December 14, 2012.

http://anitaborg.org/initiatives/women-of-vision


American Computer Science League (ACSL): Computer Science and Programming Contests
ACSL offers computer science and programming multi-level contests for junior and senior high school students. Prizes are awarded on a regional basis and Computer Science Teacher Association members who are registering for the first time receive a free contest question CD which includes a set of questions and solutions from all of the ACSL divisions.

http://www.acsl.org


Association of Computer/Information Science and Engineering Departments (ADMI)
The ADMI was established as a national organization dedicated to exploring and providing remedies to the educational issues in computer/information science and computer engineering that confront minority institutions of higher education. The ADMI hosts an annual symposium devoted to computing issues relevant to minority students, education and institutions.
http://www.admiusa.org


CSTA Running on Empty: State-by-State Results
This interactive map provides the most updated U.S. adoption rates of the nationally recognized computer science education standards into state standards and indicates whether or not computer science counts as a core mathematics or science graduation credit in the selected region.
http://www.acm.org/runningonempty/roemap.html


Computing Reviews: Call for Reviewers
Computing Reviews is looking for reviewers. Currently, less than 15% of reviewers on the Computing Reviews site, a collaboration between the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and ThinkLoud, are women, prompting efforts at diversification. Reviewers are authorities in their field and are evaluated on numerous criteria, including educational background, technical knowledge, and professional experience. http://www.computingreviews.com/Reviewer/Signup/Reviewer_Signup1_new.cfm

 

Culturally Situated Design Tools
Culturally Situated Design Tools (CSDT) are software applications aligned with computer science curriculum. CSDTs address African, African-American, Latino(a), Native American, and Youth subculture themes. Funded by the National Science Foundation, these tools are based on research aimed at discovering ways to teach mathematics and computing to students by having them virtually replicate cultural artifacts.
http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/Eglash/csdt

 

Free Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Certification
MTA is an industry credential offered by Microsoft to validate foundational information technology, development, and database knowledge. This offer provides educator certification and alignment of curriculum to industry standards. Interested CSTA members are eligible to receive a free MTA exam voucher, MeasureUp MTA practice test, and LearnKey MTA eLearning course at no charge. http://mms.certiport.com/itstartshere 

 

Includification
This AbleGamers publication is a how-to guide for accessible video game design. This free, downloadable resource includes numerous detailed explanations of common problems for gamers with disabilities, solutions for those problems, printable checklists, developer exercises and personal letters from industry insiders to the game industry. A companion website provides easy-to-read references.
http://www.includification.com/guide

 

IT Accessibility: What Campus Leaders Have to Say
This 15 minute video created by AccessComputing, features university and campus technology leaders talking about the value of accessible technology.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnsB6YCHVXA&feature=youtu.be

 

Khan Academy: Introduction to Programming and Computer Science
An educational non-profit focused on providing high-quality educational resources, Kahn Academy has produced a collection of free online micro lectures that teach computer science fundamentals and programming through interactive drawing.

http://www.khanacademy.org/science/computer-science

 

OpenDyslexic
OpenDyslexic is an open source font designed to increase readability for users with dyslexia by giving "gravity" to letters to prevent the characters rotating in readers' minds. Although more research is needed on its efficacy, nine months after launch, a range of software applications, including Instapaper, doxonbox, and Wordsmith have incorporated this application.
http://dyslexicfonts.com 

 

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EdLab Group The EdLab Group is a private, non-profit organization with funding from federal and state governments, private foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our mission is to leverage the power of technology and diversity to transform teaching and learning.

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