Computer science for all—what does it entail, exactly?

Maya Israel, an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education, was welcomed as a guest blogger on the Teacher Community blog of code.org, a nonprofit organization that works to expand computer science in schools and increase participation in the field by women and underrepresented students of color. In her piece, Israel shared how students with disabilities fit into the Computer Science for All initiative by the White House.

Israel believes the initiative can potentially advance education equity in computer science, and that the focus on teacher professional development and high-quality instructional materials are necessary elements to effectively integrate computer science into K-12.

The blog post by Israel also points out the misconceptions that computer science education is only about preparing workers in the field, and that instructional practices for students with disabilities do not exist. Policymakers, educational researchers, and school district personnel should invest in the right kind of teacher professional development, support academically diverse learners through the right kind of research and instructional strategies, and create instructional materials in the field that are accessible to students with sensory and cognitive disabilities.

“As computer science education is integrated into more schools,” Israel said, “we have an unprecedented opportunity to consider how to include all learners.”          

Read Israel’s full blog post.