Linda Ott, Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean for Special Initiatives in the College of Sciences and Arts, was welcomed as a guest blogger on STEMconnector.org.
STEMconnector.org seeks to bring science, technology, engineering, and math educators a way to connect their ideas to improve STEM education. In The Thrill of Computer Science For All, Ott details her excitement around President Obama’s initiative to expand K-12 computer science education funding.
“We can make a difference more quickly through a concerted effort to attract more students today. Here are some of the things we are doing at Michigan Tech. Perhaps others will find inspiration here for immediate action:
- We offer a scholarship-based summer workshop on computing for high school women. One of our 2013 participants, Christina Li, is featured on the White House page. The scholarships are funded by Jackson National Life Insurance and Ford.
- Michigan Tech faculty and students provide local pre-college students with an opportunity to learn programming.
If all of us involved in computing do something—help advise a local FIRST Robotics team, teach a Saturday class on programming at a local library, talk to a local Girl Scout troop, invite area students and parents to see how you actually use programming—there will be an immediate impact.”