California State University, Fresno has announced a $1.2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) award to help faculty in its College of Science and Mathematics and the Kremen School of Education and Human Development prepare teachers with computer science skills. The future teachers will learn about computing, how knowledge in this area empowers literacy and how to implement computer science skills in multiple courses for K-12 students.
According to Fresno State, the award will provide 60 students in the College of Science and Mathematics a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship over five years to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching careers in the Central Valley.
“The program has several support mechanisms, including financial support, a community of practice, professional development workshops, one-on-one meetings with discipline-specific advisers and field experiences,” Dr. Matin Pirouz said in a statement. An assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, Pirouz is also the principal investigator of the NSF-funded project. “The scholarship covers tuition fees as well as a stipend for the duration of the program.”
Pirouz also said the program is expected to directly impact at least 7,000 high school students, many of whom are from less-resourced socioeconomic backgrounds.
Although the state of California does not yet have a computer science teacher preparation program, the California State Board of Education recommended that “opportunities be created for students, especially underrepresented students, to participate in expanded learning, scholarships, internships and mentorships related to computer science” in its Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan published in May 2019.
Fresno State program has plans to partner with local high-need school districts including Sanger Unified, Fresno Unified, and Central Unified.
“This is an equity issue,” said Laura Alamillo, dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at Fresno State. “Providing additional support in computer science opens up opportunities not only for our teacher candidates but for children having access to teachers who are well prepared in the STEM area. Most of our teachers serve areas where children may not otherwise have access to STEM. The best way to provide access is to train our teachers to incorporate it into their everyday classroom. I am excited we have faculty who believe this to be crucial in providing access to all children.”
The steps Fresno State is taking to prepare teachers with computational thinking will help build a national model for other teacher preparation programs to follow.
“Teachers with a computer science background are better able to prepare children not only for the future workforce but also to actively participate in local and global citizenship,” said Dr. Rohit Mehta, assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Fresno State. “Children can become active problem-solvers and change agents.”
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