IBM and CSTA will provide more than 36,000 teachers with free access to computer science resources in an effort to improve teachers’ expertise and help students acquire necessary skills for jobs in the 21st century.
The new resources are being introduced based on a pilot program involving a half of a dozen high schools across the US. The IBM/CSTA learning materials are designed specifically for high school classroom use. These tools help teachers introduce basic programming and web design principles into everyday computer science, math and science classes.
Although computer science is an established discipline at the collegiate and post-graduate levels, its integration into the K-12 curriculum has not kept pace in the US. For example, according to the Department of Education, 82% of US high school seniors are below proficient levels in science. Ensuring that there are skilled individuals prepared for jobs in the IT industry has become a major issue worldwide, but even more acutely in the US
The mission of the CSTA is to bring greater exposure to the study of computer science in the K-12 sector. It was a logical choice to collaborate with IBM to drive innovation around computer science in the classroom, said Chris Stephenson, executive director of CSTA. As a pioneer of the computer science industry, IBM has a deep knowledge and expertise in this field. Working together, we can actively deliver high quality, accessible tools for teachers to draw more students in this exciting field.
An additional resource being provided through this partnership is a professional development module that can be used by teachers to improve their own teaching strategies. Using the techniques outlined in this module, teachers can lead a series of group exercises that teach students how to collaborate with each other and solve complex problems.
