High Schools Fail To Meet Needs Of Tech-Driven World ????

I ran across this report while scanning this week’s Tech Learning News.

Only 26 percent of U.S. schools require students to take computer science courses, according to a report released last week.

Most cite lack of time in students’ schedules, according to the computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). Though computer use pervades almost every aspect of life, the misperception that computers are for video games and surfing the Internet also prevents greater class enrollment, according to the report released last week.

The story goes on to say,

“The United States cannot ignore the fact that there will be a shortage of qualified candidates for the 1.5 million computer and information technology jobs by 2012,” co-author of the report and CSTA President Chris Stephenson said in a prepared statement. “This report provides a call to action for a variety of audiences to help others acknowledge computer science as the fundamental field that it is.”

information week | News | Report: High Schools Fail To Meet Needs Of Tech-Driven World | June 12, 2006

I’m always suspicious about these kinds of calls for more emphasis on math, science, technology, … I’m not sure if it’s the history teacher in me, my disappointment that the humanities seem to have taken a back seat lately — and the ever increasing evidence that the real problems of the world have less to do with our lack of technological prowess and more to do with our inability to understand each other.

That said, two thoughts (questions) came to mind as I read this story.

  1. How much of our (U.S.) technological leadership came from the engineering side of the process, and how much of it can be attributed to innovation? Is it computer science we should be clamoring for, or classrooms that encourage and celebrate creativity?
  2. How much computer science in our high schools is taught by educators with a passion for the engineering of information and communication technologies, and how much is taught by business teachers who have been asked by their principals to teach this computer science course?

I’m just asking questions, and I look forward to your answers.

Image Citation
Pandemia, “Il Computer Alla Festa.” Pandemia’s Photostream. 4 Sep 2005. 21 Jun 2006 <http://flickr.com/photos/pandemia/40177311/>.

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8 thoughts on “High Schools Fail To Meet Needs Of Tech-Driven World ????”

  1. I would answer your first set of questions by saying that the innovation we have seen in the US has always required a basic engineering understanding. Asking if computer science is what we should be asking for rather than classrooms that encourage and celebrate creativity is a bit like asking should be have recess or some time for students to have fun. There has been some discussion about creativity and computer science in my blog recently. I think that computer science is about as creative as art class if taught correctly.
    That of course brings up your second question. And clearly we do have a shortage of computer science teachers who are really passionate about the subject. But I would argue that the same can be said of most subjects. For my part helping passionate computer science teachers is what my job is about. I also spend a lot of time trying to build some passion and interest among teachers who are assigned to teach CS.

  2. I think programming language should be considered a “foreign” language, and taught as an option along with French, German, Spanish, and Latin. But it shouldn’t stop there. We have “writing across the curriculum,” we should also have “computing across the curriculum,” where computer USE is built into as many aspects of learning as possible. Ultimately, I think the computer is going to lead to interdisciplinarity and (I hope) an abandonment of the artificial disciplinary “siloes” of traditional education.

  3. Saying you are “always suspicious of these kinds of calls for more emphasis on math, science, technology,” is kind of weird considering your promotion of The World is Flat.

  4. From my own experience it seems to be that it is the business teachers that are doing most of the computer science teaching in our high schools. I really believe that there exists a misconception about what it means to integrate technology in our classrooms. Too many teachers and administrators alike believe that just because a lesson is taught using PowerPoint, or that children spent 20 minutes of their day in the lab, integration is taking place.

    The article you quoted from TechLearning, especially the statement “Only 26 percent of U.S. schools require students to take computer science courses, according to a report released last week. Most cite lack of time in students’ schedules, according to the computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)” reminds me of an article addressing these kinds of excuses I have placed on my blog. The article can be found at: ( http://bumpontheblog.etowns.net/?p=3)

    Keep it coming!

    Brian
    http://bumpontheblog.etowns.net

  5. I think you are asking great questions here because they try to move us beyond the symptom (fewer computer science students/requirements) and get us to try and find a deeper cause for that symptom. If we focus our attention on developing classrooms that “encourage and celebrate creativity,” we can use that as one way to encourage kids to seek out these electives (rather than mandating more – yeh, that will fix things.) Your second question also requires us to look at the statistic as a shared problem – it’s not just that kids aren’t taking these classes. Let’s not blame them for their lack of interest. Why is that? Could it be that the instructors are not exactly drawing these kids in? Why is that? Again, we shouldn’t point the finger and blame the teachers entirely. What is the system doing to insure that qualified, passionate educators are in those teaching positions?

    Mandate more computer science courses – temporarily address only a symptom of the problem, and likely create new problems. Share the problem and address larger issues that may be causing the problem (such as general lack of creativity in classrooms, teacher preparation, etc.) – you at least have a chance of improving the situation over the long term.

    Now how do we get more people to look at problems this way?

  6. I think that so many things are linked incorrectly to computer science. I think there is the computer literacy aspect portion as well as the computer science portion. Error #1: Students are not being taught to type.
    This is considered “vocational” in public schools and many elite private schools (except mine) and is not taught to students. Big mistake. What results is students who can only type 10-15 words per minute in an 80 words per minute world. Big disservice whatever the field a student goes in! This should be the next progression in writing. I have seen few reports focusing on this but I think this has a lot to do with students not being interested in computer science. A student who cannot speak a foreign language would not go into international studies and a student who cannot type will not go into computer science.

    Error #2 – Students are not receiving basic computer literacy.
    When it comes to operating systems, basic computer operations, computer applications, antivirus, and fundamentals of computing, I find that most students do not even have the basics unless they have had a formal course. And if they have had a formal course taught by a non-computer science type person, they often did rote drill and practice which will be out of date when the software goes out of date. The methodology of many teachers who emerged on the business education side is often (but not always) not conducive to creating intuitive learners but robots who do the steps as performed. Open projects seem to be rare in many such classrooms. Again, this is the vocational track. In a world where the secretary no longer exists, we are still training them. Instead, I know VP’s who are typing their own letters! How much more productive could they be if they just typed 10 words a minute more!

    Then, we get into computer science. However, if we’ve not covered these first tw o issues, we cannot even get into computer science. For a while, many schools took the Cisco Router/ A+ certification route but again, this was more vocational training. Those who are going to college will end up being the decision makers and leaders and we are not training them to communicate effectively, rapidly, and in a way relevant with the changing world.

    I think that is the overarching issue that far surpasses the computer science issue and affects every subject and every student.

    Thank you for your meaningful posts.

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