Computer Science Curriculum From Ellipsis Education: More Than Just Coding

Purpose & objective

Our proposal rests on two primary challenges in computer science education. First, computer science education is viewed as having tremendous benefits to learners of all ages. However, the notion of what constitutes 'quality' in computer science education is still rather ambiguous. This leaves practitioners scrambling to define quality on their own, while wrestling to vet a variety of approaches and resources. Second, schools and districts who are interested in supporting computer science education face unique complexities as they determine when its taught, how its taught, and who teaches it. Our curriculum, and thus our proposal, is designed to address both ideas. We are helping to shape narrative around what quality computer science education looks like by providing a curriculum that leverages best practices with a thoughtful design using four lesson types. We deliver the curriculum in such a way that it can be easily implemented in schools, even as they continue making decisions about their unique instructional strategies for computer science.

In this presentation, we will share a poster that highlights how the design of the Ellipsis computer science curriculum anticipates these challenges and supports teachers, schools, and students in high-quality computer science learning. We will share real-life stories to illustrate how the curriculum has enabled teachers' and students' success. We look forward to conversations with ISTE attendees about their current approaches to computer science education and are always happy to serve as a thought partner as they consider expansion opportunities.

Furthermore, as holders of the ISTE seal-of-alignment, we will demonstrate how our lesson support the ISTE student standards.

Outline

This is a poster presentation so we will follow the ISTE format. Key elements will include sample lessons, examples of student work, a video that will be highlighted in an upcoming documentary on public television, and testimonials from teachers using the curriculum.

Supporting research

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