Dr. Janice Mak (Postdoctoral Researcher at Arizona State University, she/her) has been involved with CSTA since 2014, including as part of an initial group of four people who revived the CSTA Arizona chapter.
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Note: As part of an effort to share who serves on the CSTA board and why they are motivated to volunteer their time, we will be using the new Board Corner. We hope that this inspires others in the community to consider being part of the CSTA board in the future.
Dr. Janice Mak (Postdoctoral Researcher at Arizona State University, she/her) has been involved with CSTA since 2014, including as part of an initial group of four people who revived the CSTA Arizona chapter. She has been serving as a member-at-large on the board since 2019.What motivates you to be involved with CSTA?
I am motivated by the work that is being done and still needs to be done to advance a strong and supportive community of practice for CS teachers, equitable and inclusive CS learning environments, and implementation of CS instruction that is aligned to CSTA’s student and teacher standards.
What have you learned that’s most interesting to you either about the CSTA or K-12 CS Education?
I’ve learned that as a community, so much is possible. Working with committees and local chapters to plan local CSPD weeks and seeing grants such as CSforEL come to life inspire me. The K-12 CS education is an ecosystem that thrives on all these connections to higher ed, policymakers, and industry partners.
What do you hope for CS education in the future? How do you believe CSTA will help in achieving this?
My hope is that CS education will be inclusive and equitable in terms of opportunity, access, and classroom learning environment. My hope is that systems and stakeholders will be able to coordinate together to ensure that participation in computing is not only broadened, but that capacity is built in every area, including strengthening teachers’ practice to provide differentiated CS instruction to meet the needs of every learner. Through CSTA’s work in developing standards for teachers and students and aligned professional development, CSTA is actively contributing to the realization of this hope.
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?
On their website, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) states, “The idea you don’t have is the voice you haven’t heard.” This is the reason to be involved in CSTA, whether it be on a committee planning the annual conference, as a presenter, or as a chapter leader. CSTA needs to hear your voice and your ideas -no one else can contribute in the ways each of you can. We are truly better together!