Blog
Let The Student Program The Computer, Not The Computer Program The Student
Seymour Papert, in his book Mindstorms, reminds us that the greatest benefit of integrating computers in the classroom is NOT as a tool for standardized assessment, repetitive skill reinforcement, or as Papert put it, “the computer programming the child.” Rather, he argued, “The child programs the computer. And in teaching the computer how to think, children embark on an exploration about how they think themselves”. This approach cultivates the soft skills identified as necessary in today’s workforce, including problem-solving, creativity, and cooperative learning. Further, Papert advocated that this benefit begins in pre-school. Yes...pre-school!
Designing an Equitable Computer Science Education Program for Your District
With equitable design and a concerted effort, computer science programs can promote equity and empowerment among students.
In Praise of Teachers
I have always looked up to and respected teachers. Most of us can look back fondly on a teacher who saw more in us than we saw in ourselves. Or a teacher who sparked an interest or passion in us and then fanned that small ember into a flame of lifelong learning. At BootUp, teachers are absolutely central to our nonprofit mission of bringing coding and computer science to all elementary students. We cannot begin to imagine the fulfillment of our nonprofit mission without them.
Board of Directors on Equity and Social Justice
We unconditionally condemn the current environment of systemic racism and related intolerance that contributes to fostering its very existence.
A Chat With Jacqueline Olliges from Amazon Future Engineer
We sat down with Jacqueline Olliges from Amazon Future Engineer to discuss the Amazon Future Engineer + BootUp PD Computer Science Elementary Sponsorship, the importance of computer science education, advice for school districts who want to bring computer science to their schools, and much more!
