For the CSTA Board Corner this month, we interviewed Dr. Abigail Joseph, Director of Learning, Innovation, and Design, Grades 6-8 at The Harker School (San Jose, CA). Dr. Joseph has been involved with CSTA for the last seven years.
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For the CSTA Board Corner this month, we interviewed Dr. Abigail Joseph, Director of Learning, Innovation, and Design, Grades 6-8 at The Harker School (San Jose, CA). Dr. Joseph has been involved with CSTA for the last seven years. What motivates you to be involved with CSTA?
Technology is the currency of the future and we all deserve a fair chance to create and feel empowered by that future. I believe computer science is a tool for everyone, even those who don’t understand its power yet. Developing and empowering computer science teachers to educate all students and present them with access to the multitude of opportunities that CS provides is what motivates me to be involved with CSTA.
What have you learned that’s most interesting to you either about the CSTA or K-12 CS Education?
It’s interesting to me that most people don’t understand what computer science is and because of that, they think that it is hard to understand or that they could never learn the skills behind the discipline. Once you expand the definition of Computer Science to be more than coding, teachers start to understand computer science’s place as a tool in their lives and that of their students from discussion around the impact of technology to the computational concepts and approaches that can be used in any discipline to solve problems that need to be solved in our world. Once a teacher of any discipline is armed with this broad perspective of the discipline the gates start to open and all of sudden CS is being taught and explored in all subjects which I think is amazing.
What do you hope for CS education in the future? How do you believe CSTA will help in achieving this?
I hope that every teacher will embrace computer science as a tool for problem-solving that they can integrate into their classroom much like Google Apps or FlipGrid. Teachers do not need to be an expert in this field, but rather curious people willing to learn alongside their students and discover its power to help them solve problems in their communities and the world. CSTA is continually expanding its offerings for teachers to learn about teaching CS or expanding their skills as CS educators. The continued commitment to provide equity and expand access to CS education is prevalent in the expansion of programming designed to build, support, and lift the voices of diverse leaders in the field.
What else would you like to add that might be interesting to readers about you, your commitment to CSTA or perhaps why others should also be interested in becoming involved?
As a K12 educator of over 20 years, CSTA’s professional learning communities are where I find my support and inspiration for what I do in my classroom and in my school community. STEAM and computer science teachers are often the only specialist teachers in these areas in their schools which can be an extremely isolating experience. CSTA gatherings of all magnitudes have been the place where I can connect with others to learn new skills, reflect on my practices, and uncover the inspiration and confidence to try something new. When you break it down, there are numerous places where you can find a CS curriculum to teach, but CSTA is where you find the community to support you in those efforts.
