#EdTech: Why Schools Need to Evolve and Put Computer Science in their Curriculum

“Okay, Google-play some 70’s Music”, my brother-in-law says aloud. All of a sudden Google responds, explaining how they have located a Pandora station to suit his taste. Although Google Home is an obvious form of AI (Artificial Intelligence), it is pervasion in our modern lives, from Uber to SnapChat, to those recommendations on Amazon (and any online business that tracks our data). However, most of us don’t even understand how a computer works, let alone how it “thinks”.

Here’s a bit of trivia: in 2014, most common job in America- What do you think?-It was a Truck Driver. (Thanks to Amazon.com) Does that surprise you?

But if you want your students to grow up and become a truck driver, good luck with that!-that’s a dead end job. Self-driving vehicles aren’t really “science fiction” anymore, they are predicted to become a “science fact” by the year 2020.

In fact, by 2033, 47% of our jobs will be automated.  So what does that mean? Well here is a smattering of a variety of jobs and the risk of being a part of that statistic.

• 98% of umpires and referees will be replaced.
• 97% of cooks at restaurants will be replaced.
• 89% of bus drivers will be replaced.
• 68% of dental hygienists will be replaced.
• 4.9% of farmers and ranchers (although they will rely heavily on tech to support sustainable practices)
• 0.4% of elementary school teachers (Yeah! I have a place in the future!!)

Supply vs. demand for computer scientists may vary from state to state in America, but there is definitely no lack of opportunity and the need is only going to increase, especially with the rise of Artificial Intelligence  (not just Alexa or Google Home). No country will be spared. It will only be a matter of time before technology not only augments our lives but disrupts our economic opportunities.  Furthermore, it can’t be long before policymakers and educators begin to recognize that not knowing how to code will be as crippling as not knowing how to read. To be technologically illiterate is a handicap that citizens cannot tolerate, and it can be prevented for our students.

So why isn’t it there a bigger initiative to promote it in our curriculums? In my opinion, because of there too many “digital immigrants” in education that are too scared to learn something new. Let’s be honest–ignorance and fear hold us back.  If I was to poll you, lovely reader, and ask you if you know basic computer programming, most of you would woefully sigh and say “no”. And I have to wonder if given a choice between learning computer programming language (like C++ or JavaScript) or Hungarian (supposedly one of the hardest languages to learn), most of us would choose a human language over computer language. But I don’t think we need to go out and pick up a book about Python for our summer reading, but we can embed the concepts and that kind of thinking in our classrooms. So, not only do you translate those 0s and 1s into images and ideas, but you discover how to solve problems and understand the impact a decision may make. Have you ever read the book Algorithms to Live By? If you are a naysayer or you just can’t see the connection, then I would really recommend that book. You’ll start to see how algorithms (which are a part of a computer program), impact our daily lives.

 Goodness knows that in our PYP  schools, which I feel lead the educational landscape for innovation, I think we should consider teaching computer science as if it was an additional language–not to be cutting edge and trendy–but because those skills and concepts will be necessary for our learners to co-exist in their future world if not lead and create a better world that works for everyone.

 

Computer Science has changed everything and if we were to unpack our daily lives, we would feel more compelled to bring it into our classrooms. Period. Not because we are “experts” in it, but because we need our future generations to have a firm handle on it in order to survive if not thrive. As I attend a professional development workshop given by Code.org, I feel excited to find connections and ties in with computer science and math, science, language and even social studies (PSPE). And, being the nerd I am, get to figure out how to pull it into our POI (Programme of Inquiry). Perhaps you are as passionate about this as well. Please share your ideas and suggestions in the comments below about how you embed it into your classroom’s learning.