Every December, Computer Science Education Week is held in recognition of the birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, who was born on December 9, 1906. Throughout her life, she dedicated so much to the field of Computer Science. She is credited with coining the term “bug” (an error in a program) after removing an actual moth from a computer in 1947.

Admiral Hopper received numerous accolades in her lifetime. In 1991, President Bush awarded her the National Medal of Technology, the nation’s highest technology award. She was the first woman to be so honored as an individual. In 2016 Hopper posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of her remarkable contributions to the field of Computer Science.

Computer Science Education Week is a call to action. It is a way for us to promote equity in the field of Computer Science. We celebrate Grace Hopper and all the other individuals who dedicated their lives to Computer Science each year. The students we teach today might be the next great innovator.

Teachers at Legacy Elementary School in Brambleton have been finding authentic ways to integrate Computer Science across their curriculum this year. From LEGOs to cyber safety and beyond, staff are utilizing their resources to deepen their students’ understanding of the curriculum, increase student engagement, and highlight the 5Cs (Creator, Communicator, Collaborator, Critical Thinker, and Contributor). Each month, grade levels come together to plan at least one opportunity for their students to engage within the next month that integrates Computer Science.

As teachers and facilitators search for ideas, they turn to their “#trending” wall. This data wall lives in the Creation Station, also home to collaborative CS planning meetings. Divided into six categories, ‘posts’ highlight photos of integrated projects, a brief description, and the C that the lesson focuses on.

When asked about the big-picture goal for this resource, Mr. McIntosh said, “After the school year, this will serve as a valuable vertical alignment resource. Grade levels will utilize this to plan future learning experiences that build off the previous grade level’s accomplishments.”

When asked about the reason behind spending time vertically aligning the work with Computer Science after the school year, McIntosh shared, “This ensures students are provided opportunities to demonstrate their learning at an appropriate pace and complexity (of the tool or software).” It is apparent that teachers, students, and support at Legacy Elementary understand that Computer Science integration is all about meeting teachers and students where they are with their learning and pushing them to constantly grow their knowledge.”

"I wanted to try to do something new and different and completely out of my comfort zone with my students!! When I saw the opportunity to incorporate Computer Science and coding into a lesson I was working on with my students (for the solar system shared in a recent Computer Science newsletter), I jumped at the opportunity! This was not only an opportunity that is important and relevant in today's changing world but one that provided some voice and choice in students’ creations! Although I was a bit uncomfortable since it was something completely new to me, and I didn't fully know how to teach it just yet, my students jumped on the opportunity and helped to teach me! I loved that the students got to help teach me and could do more than what I had asked of them because they were so engaged and having so much fun! It was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to doing more!!"