Browsing by Author "Coenraad, Merijke"
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Item Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead(Digital Promise, 2021-12) Mills, Kelly; Coenraad, Merijke; Ruiz, Pati; Burke, Quinn; Weisgrau, JoshTechnology is becoming more integral across professional fields and within our daily lives, especially since the onset of the pandemic. As such, opportunities to learn computational thinking are important to all students—not only the ones who will eventually study computer science or enter the information technology industry. However, large inequalities continue to exist in access to equipment and learning opportunities needed to build computational thinking skills for students that experience marginalization. We call all educators to integrate computational thinking into disciplinary learning across PreK-12 education, while centering inclusivity, to equip students with the skills they need to participate in our increasingly technological world and promote justice for students and society at large. This report issues two calls to action for educators to design inclusive computing learning opportunities for students: (1) integrate computational thinking into disciplinary learning, and (2) build capacity for computational thinking with shared leadership and professional learning. Inspired by the frameworks, strategies, and examples of inclusive computational thinking integration, readers can take away practical implications to reach learners in their contexts.Item Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide(Digital Promise, 2021-12) Mills, Kelly; Coenraad, Merijke; Ruiz, Pati; Burke, Quinn; Weisgrau, JoshWe call all educators to integrate computational thinking into disciplinary learning across PreK-12 education, while centering inclusivity, to equip students with the skills they need to participate in our increasingly technological world and promote justice for students and society at large. This quick start and discussion guide is a resource for educators to learn about and build capacity for students to engage in computational thinking.Item Empathy Interviews for Developing Inclusive Computing Pathways(Center for Inclusive Innovation, Digital Promise, 2021) Coenraad, Merijke; Hodge, Malliron; Ruiz, Pati; Mills, Kelly; Burke, QuinnThis interview protocol includes five steps to conduct an empathy interview. In the Empathize Phase of designing an inclusive computing pathway, empathy interviews are conducted. Empathy interviews allow you to hear the stories and experiences of someone who will use what you are designing and learn about their realities, in this case, a student.Item Outcomes of Increased Practitioner Engagement in Edtech Development: How Strong, Sustainable Research-Practice-Industry Partnerships will Build a Better Edtech Future(Digital Promise, 2022-06) Pautz Stephenson, Stefani; Banks, Rebecca; Coenraad, MerijkeA new participatory research model, Research-Practice-Industry Partnerships (RPIP), presents a unique value proposition. Design processes have typically placed professional designers, not the end users, at the center of the work. RPIPs create an intentional feedback loop that transforms the knowledge, action, or goals of all involved parties (Baker et al., 2022). RPIP aims to create better designs for scalable technologies that both meet the needs of educators and incorporate research from the learning sciences. This yields a product more likely to be used, used appropriately, and have the desired impact for learners. Digital Promise partnered with edtech startup Merlyn Mind and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in an RPIP. This white paper describes our engagement and suggests that this model can yield positive impacts and new learning for all participants. Surveys and interviews with participants showed that engagement was mutually valued among all parties, practitioners learned more about AI and edtech in general, and Merlyn Mind staff learned more about working with schools and educators. Practitioners also benefited from the networking and collaboration that participation in the RPIP brought and felt it helped them grow professionally.Item Student Empathy Interviews: An Instrument For Considering More Inclusive K-12 Computing Pathways(2021-05-26) Ruiz, Pati; Mills, Kelly; Burke, Quinn; Coenraad, MerijkeThis presentation shares the development and use of empathy interviews at Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) which is the fifth largest school district in the state. At this district, equity challenges have arisen as the city has grown rapidly over the past decade, shifting from a rural and predominantly White college town to a burgeoning tech sector with a significant influx of Latinx families. During the first two years of participation in the Developing Inclusive K-12 Computing Pathways Research Practice Partnership (CT Pathways), the district developed a computing pathways document to guide schools and teachers in the integration of computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT). After a year piloting their pathway, an Inclusive CT Pathways Committee was formed to review the existing pathways document and ensure it was ably addressing the district’s overall equity goal of better serving students from Black and Latinx communities. As an orientation step to personalize this goal and understand it within the context of their own classrooms and schools, teachers on the Inclusive CT Committee conducted empathy interviews to learn more about the computing experiences of their students. Teachers reflected upon the structure of the interview protocol, the insights they gained, and the potential opportunities the approach afforded them to address misconceptions about computing. They described the interviews as opportunities to learn more about designing supports, on-ramps, and more inclusive computing opportunities for students.