The pervasive bias against female computer science majors – Fortune

by Pooja Sankar   @poojanathsankar  

Most of the top-paying jobs for college graduates today involve computer science and engineering degrees, yet only 18% of computer science graduates are women.For many, college can be a time of intellectual awakening, an opportunity to explore new academic and professional pursuits and even collaborate with experts in the field. It’s also a time to find like-minded souls, friends for life who help you learn and grow, initially during college and sometimes well beyond.

via The pervasive bias against female computer science majors – Fortune.

Program Overview | Google CS First

CS First is a free program that increases student access and exposure to computer science CS education through after-school, in-school, and summer programs. All clubs are run by teachers and/or community volunteers.Our materials:are completely free and available onlineare targeted at students in grades 4th-8th ages 9-14can be tailored to fit your schedule and needsinvolve block-based coding using Scratch and are themed to attract students with varied interests

via Program Overview | Google CS First.

Computing Education Blog

About Computing Education BlogComputing Education Research is about how people come to understanding computing, and how we can facilitate that understanding.  I am Mark Guzdial, a professor in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology.  I am a researcher in computing education.  See more about me at http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~mark.guzdial and my work at http://www.mediacomputation.org and http://www.gacomputes.org.

via About Computing Education Blog | Computing Education Blog.

LED-Lit Robotic Garden Nurtures Kids To Code — Campus Technology

By Dian Schaffhauser 02/23/15

The creators of a robotic garden from MIT are hoping it becomes a tool to encourage students — especially girls — to understand more about algorithms and programming. A team from both the institute’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab CSAIL and the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a tile system that can be used to manage the garden via a tablet or a device with Bluetooth. Users can make a given flower or bunches of flowers bloom or change their colors by communicating with LED lights and dozens of tiny robots. More advanced users can also add their own commands and execute sequences in real time.

via LED-Lit Robotic Garden Nurtures Kids To Code — Campus Technology.

Dream It, Code It, Win It

“Dream it. Code it. Win it.” is a coding competition that is based judged on the quality of the problem being tackled as well as the solution.

Follow these simple steps to enter the $50,000 competition:

  1. Design a code or computer program that solves a problem
  2. Make a video and upload it to YouTube
  3. Submit the form

“Dream it. Code it. Win it.” has been organized by Cristina Dolan, the MIT Club of New York, MIT Enterprise Forum of New York City, and TradingScreen to celebrate and reward the creative aspects of Computer Science education. Last year, college and high school students were awarded $70,000 in cash and prizes for their creations which ranged from computer software, phone apps, to robotics.

via Dream It, Code It, Win it

 

Google hopes to boost AP computer science pass rates – eCampus News | eCampus News

RISE Up 4 CS will aid African-American high school students in college-level computer science courses and examsAs research reveals that minority students enroll in and pass high school and college STEM courses less often than their peers, efforts are emerging to encourage those student groups to pursue STEM studies.

via Google hopes to boost AP computer science pass rates – eCampus News | eCampus News.