1. Yes! You can Teach computer science with
Ryan Rasar
STEM Coordinator
@RLRasar
Yes! You can Teach computer science with
NSTA STEM Forum & Expo
Denver Colorado
July 29, 2016

2. Who wants their students to…
Have confidence in dealing with complexity
Have persistence in dealing with difficult problems
Be tolerant of ambiguity
Be able to deal with open ended problems
Communicate and work with others to create a solution
Think on their own for more than 5 seconds before saying “tell me the answer”
How about having your students do all of this (and more) without complaint and LIKING it? Have no fear computer science is here!

3. You Got Skills? Results Text “RYANRASAR747” to “22333”
Then reply to the text with your answer “A, B, C or D”
How comfortable are you teaching computer science?
I have a BS in CS. I even dream in JavaScript.
I could handle it. I have made some code before.
A little bit. I at least know that computers run on code.
Not at all. I am scared of semicolons.
This question is designed to pre-assess your audience’s knowledge of your presentation topic. This will allow you to respond appropriate to their questions as well as engage the audience in the presentation.
Results

4. ERROR 404…this guy doesn’t have a computer science degree
Ryan Rasar
Previous career in site planning and landscape architecture
8 years as an educator
Have taught science, computer technology, engineering classes in brick & mortar and online
Insert a brief bio and picture on a slide such as this for each speaker.

5. You Got Skills? Results Text “RYANRASAR747” to “22333”
Then reply to text with your answer “A, B, C or D”
How comfortable are you teaching computer science?
I have a BS in CS. I even dream in Javascript.
I could handle it. I have made some code before.
A little bit. I at least know that computers run on code.
Not at all. I am scared of semicolons.
This question is designed to pre-assess your audience’s knowledge of your presentation topic. This will allow you to respond appropriate to their questions as well as engage the audience in the presentation.
Results

6. What are we doing here? Speaking Points Audience Learning Objectives
Technology “consumers” to “producers”
5 reasons for kids to code
What is SGD
Student engagement, learning, and skill development
Firsts as a virtual school
SGD plus other CS options
It is FREE! Yes FREE!
What you need to know (or not know) about teaching computer science
What training and resources are available
It’s not all fun and games
Positive outcomes for students
How you can start this (or similar program) with your students
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

7. What are we doing here? Speaking Points Audience Learning Objectives
Technology “consumers” to “producers”
5 reasons for kids to code
What is SGD
Student engagement, learning, and skill development
Firsts as a virtual school
SGD plus other CS options
It is FREE! Yes FREE!
What you need to know (or not know) about teaching computer science
What training and resources are available
It’s not all fun and games
Positive outcomes for students
How you can start this (or similar program) with your students
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

8. Not a new idea My favorite games of the 1980’s Number Munchers
Odell Lake
Oregon Trail
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

9. VS Why games? It’s FUN! (hard fun) Accomplishment (points, etc.)
It’s OK to lose
Learn by losing
Social
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one. VS

10. Need to shift from being “consumers” of technology to “producers” of technology.
Your students are most likely excellent users of technology.
Somehow kids can text with their phone in their pocket and find very creative ways to bypass your content filters.
Maybe your sub lesson plans say “Ask Suzy if you need help with the (insert anything with a power cord or battery here)”.
kids are the first to use every app and play every annoying game possible.
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.
But how good are your students at CREATING with technology rather than just using it?

11. 5 Reasons Why
Promising Practices Speaker Session

12. 5 Reasons Why
Promising Practices Speaker Session

13. 5 Reasons Why
Promising Practices Speaker Session

14. 5 Reasons Why
Promising Practices Speaker Session

15. 5 Reasons Why
Promising Practices Speaker Session

16. 5 Reasons Why
Promising Practices Speaker Session

17. Wow that’s great!
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

18. So then why don’t you program?
“Programming is hard and boring”
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

19. “programming is hard and boring”
easy
cognitive
hard
affective
exciting
boring

20. Wouldn’t it be nice to be here?
easy
cognitive
hard
affective
exciting
boring

21. SGD gets your students in the “Zone”
SGD has low threshold, high ceiling curriculum.
Allows students and teachers to quickly start with simple games.
Then continue to sophisticated games and simulations exhibiting artificial intelligence.
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

22. What is SGD?
The goal of this project is to get computer science into middle schools
Remove the stigma that coding is hard and boring
By game design we mean the active process of students collaboratively engaging in problem solving, creativity, modeling and communication
Game design develops a rich set of skills consistent with STEM and IT competency frameworks such as the National Academy of Sciences Fluency with IT, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards and Next Generation Science (NGSS) Standards
18,000+ research students (estimated exposure to 40,000) in 26 states and 6 countries

23. What is SGD? 21st Century skills!

24. NSF Grant Project Application process to be accepted
Training and software are provided for accepted scholars and their students
In trade for training and software use students provide and teachers collect data
Program participants pre and post surveys
Games are accessed via the online arcade for review by U of Colorado

25. Enough talk let’s make a game!
Easy as 1,2,3 (and 4)!
1) Create agents (characters)
2) Create your world
3) Program your world
4) Create and play your game/simulation

26. FROGGER What is Scalable Game Design? The Art of Storytelling
Da Art of Storytellin’
Actually Step 1 is the story. We might focus on the graphics or the gameplay but all games have a story. Such as this classic…
You are a frog. Your task is simple: hop across a busy highway, dodging cars and trucks, until you get the to the edge of a river, where you must keep yourself from drowning by crossing safely to your grotto at the top of the screen by leaping across the backs of turtles and logs. But watch out for snakes and alligators!
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.
FROGGER

27. Nouns = Agents
You are a frog. Your task is simple: hop across a busy highway, dodging cars and trucks, until you get the to the edge of a river, where you must keep yourself from drowning by crossing safely to your grotto at the top of the screen by leaping across the backs of turtles and logs. But watch out for snakes and alligators!
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

28. Verbs = Interactions (Programming)
You are a frog. Your task is simple: hop across a busy highway, dodging cars and trucks, until you get the to the edge of a river, where you must keep yourself from drowning by crossing safely to your grotto at the top of the screen by leaping across the backs of turtles and logs. But watch out for snakes and alligators!
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

29. www.agentcubesonline.com Let’s build it!
Important things first…Frogger
Then…mass extinction of the human race
And finally…look at other sample games/simulations
This is an alternate welcome slide for your session. You may use either this slide or the previous slide at your discretion, then delete the other one.

30. There’s this thing called NGSS

31. There’s this thing called NGSS

32. SGD is unlike teaching other subjects
Better to be a good teacher than a good computer scientist
Many similarities to the “hole in the wall” (Sugata Mitra)
Creates a learning community with “experts” of all kinds
Your students will teach each other and YOU
Facilitator rather than teacher
Not one way to do it there are so many “right” answers

33. SGD is the best thing since Napster. How do I participate?
Google “Scalable Game Design”
Visit the wiki at scalablegamedesign.cs.colorado.edu/
Join the mailing list (
Apply to the summer institute (spring 2017)
Accepted scholars attend training at the university of Colorado at Boulder June 2017 (1 week)

34. Participation & Demographics
Initial goal was to have 40 students
First semester had over 100
Over 60% chose to continue for a second semester
40+ additional new students for second semester
NVVA overall grades 4-8:
White/Caucasian: 61%
Hispanic/Latino: 15%
Amer. Indian/AK Native
HI or Pacific Islander: 3%
Asian: 5%
Black/African American: 16%
SGD Fall 2015

35. Participation & Demographics
Las Vegas Metro: 85%
Reno Metro: 5%
Rural: 10%
Boys: 74%
Girls: 26%
FRL eligible: 46%
Not FRL eligible: 54%
NVVA overall grades 4-8:
FRL eligible: 52%
Special Ed: 12%
SGD Participants
Special education: (12%)
Gifted & Talented:(8%)
504:(6%)

36. I can’t wait until next year  What can I do now?
AgentCubes Online ( )
Code.org ( )
Hour of Code ( )
Computer Science week ( December 2017
Code Studio ( )
Scratch ( )
Google CS First ( )
MIT App Inventor ( )
STEM Video Game Challenge ( )

37. Go drink the Kool Aid! Ryan Rasar STEM Coordinator
Nevada Virtual Academy
@RLRasar