Designing a Model of Computer Science Professional Development for Elementary Educators in Inclusive Classrooms
New computer science standards are being rapidly introduced at the elementary level but little is known about how to prepare teachers to learn and teach the content of these standards, or how to support students with disabilities in learning computer science. Accordingly, we designed and studied the Inclusive Computer Science Model of Professional Development to prepare teachers to integrate computer science for students with disabilities. This paper presents results from this design-based study to understand the factors that inhibited and enhanced teachers’ participation in the professional development and how participation in the professional development influenced teachers’ instruction and perceptions about teaching computer science to students with disabilities. Results revealed two inhibiting factors and one enhancing factor for participation. Further, although teachers did increase their integration of computer science for students with disabilities, it was challenging for teachers to learn and apply new computer science content and approaches for supporting students with disabilities at the same time. Future professional development efforts should focus on careful scaffolding and release of responsibility when preparing teachers to support students with disabilities in learning computer science.. VIEW
Amy Hutchison, Jamie Colwell, Kristie Gutierrez, Anya Evmenova, Jeff Offutt, and Valerie Taylor
2021
Technology and Teacher Education
Programing: What should be mandatory?
Two educators weigh in on one of digital and computer science literacy's hottest topics. VIEW
Sam Patterson and Amy Hutchison
2016
Literacy Today
Recommendations to Support Coding in the Elementary Classroom
The purpose of this article is to provide recommendations for teachers, drawn from research, on how to select apps and begin practices that support computational thinking. VIEW
Anne Estapa, Amy Hutchison, and Larysa Nadolny
2018
Technology and Engineering Teacher
Using coding apps to support literacy instruction and develop coding literacy
Educators strive to ensure students are prepared for the 21st century. Learn how teachers can use coding apps to blend skill development and content learning to provide rigorous learning opportunities. VIEW
Amy Hutchison, Larysa Nadolny, and Anne Estapa
2015
The Reading Teacher