K-12 Computer Science
Our Focus
- All students at all schools receiving a high quality computer science education beginning in Kindergarten and extending through 12th grade.
- Strategies to intentionally engage females and students of color in computer science.
- Inclusion of students in special education.
- Student success with 21st century skills: critical thinking, collaboration, computational thinking, communication, and creativity.
- Providing all students with an exemplary college preparatory education so they can succeed in college, career, and life.
Curriculum Developers
Dani Ward
wardd@bsd405.org
Why Computer Science?
Computer Science has never been more important for our students than it is right now. As we look toward the future, we know that the skills that students learn in their CS program will serve them throughout their schooling and into a wide range of careers. We also know that we live in a community where some students have vast access to CS learning outside of school, while many of our students do not have the same opportunities.
This is why our program has the lofty goal of reaching all students. Computer Science gives creative voice to students in a new way. It helps students understand the technology-rich world around them. It opens doors and levels playing fields. It builds a skill set that student need as they set out to become globally competent change-makers.
K-12 Computer Science Initiative at a Glance
Our Computer Science classrooms focus on building creative, flexible, computational thinkers. Our work is centered around thinking skills, not around the projects that we build. Coding, robotics, and unplugged lessons are what we do, but what we learn is: predicting and analyzing, pattern recognition, algorithmic thinking, decomposition, perseverance, abstraction, debugging, and collaboration.
A second tenet of our program is showing students that everyone belongs in Computer Science. We work every day to combat the pervasive stereotypes about who this subject area is for, while simultaneously showing students the possibilities that Computer Science can open in other areas of interest, whether that is art, sports, medicine, fashion, gaming, storytelling, engineering… Computer Science opens doors in every passion and career.
Our goal is not to ensure that every student wants to be a programmer, but to ensure that every door is open to all of our students, and that all of our students have the 21st century skills that will help them become creators of their future world.
Pathways
Elementary School
- Students at Ardmore, Lake Hills, Sherwood Forest, and Stevenson attend Computer Science as a specialist class once per week, for 40 minutes.
- Students at Clyde Hill and Enatai experience Computer Science in their regular classroom, integrated into their core content areas. This is the model that will continue to expand to our other elementary schools as part of our CS initiative.
- All of our elementary schools have access to integrated Computer Science curriculum and professional learning and are supported by a Computer Science Lead Teacher.
Middle School
- When students reach Middle School, elective Computer Science courses become available to them. These include CS Discoveries, Python 101 and Python 102, Engineering, Robotics, Flight & Space, and more.
- We are also developing integrated Computer Science units that occur during the general Science class for all Middle School students. All 6th grade students experience these integrated units. We are currently piloting units for 7th and 8th grade as well.
High School
- AP Computer Science is offered at all comprehensive high schools, as well as International School.
Sample of High School CS offerings:
Offering |
---|
CISCO Networking |
Advanced CISCO CCNP |
Advanced CISCO Cybersecurity |
Computer Technology |
Coding in Python 1 & 2 |
Introduction to Mobile Application Development |
Video Game and Simulation Design |
Web Publish |
AP Computer Science |
Special Topics in Computer Science |
Resources
The CSforAll Consortium is a network of computer science (CS) education providers, schools, funders, and researchers working to support the mission of expanding access to CS education for all K-12 students.