CS for Appalachia: A Research-Practice Partnership for Integrating Computer Science into East Tennessee Schools

东田纳西州位于阿巴拉契亚山脉的中心地带，具有深厚的文化根源和为学生提供大量计算机科学（CS）学习经验的持续挑战。关注学生参与CS思想和实践的机会，鉴于2019年秋季实施的田纳西州新的CS标准，这是迫切和及时的。为了满足东田纳西州阿巴拉契亚地区学生的需求，该项目为教师提供专业发展（PD），以规划和教授响应学生及其社区的CS策略。该项目在研究人员、教师和管理人员之间建立了研究与实践的伙伴关系，以应对与计算机科学教学相关的挑战，例如为教师提供高质量的专业学习和技术基础设施。这项合作工作汇集了田纳西大学、田纳西州东部三个农村学区和主要社区组织。建立和加强这种伙伴关系，通过增加学生在小学阶段接触CS的机会，可以提高他们的学习和终身成果。对于利益相关者和研究人员来说，该项目有助于加深对农村学区如何为学生创造有意义地参与计算机科学的机会的理解，并有助于在未来几年加强阿巴拉契亚地区的计算机科学教育。该项目的总体目标是通过以社区学习、基础计算机科学思想、围绕文化相关教学法的知识和实践以及共同愿景为重点的工作会议，加强、扩大和正规化现有的合作。该项目为K-5教师开发符合计算机科学标准的专业发展(1)让学生参与与阿巴拉契亚文化和生活经历相关的活动；(2)培养学生对计算机科学及其直接社区以外问题的兴趣和理解。研究活动包括探讨教师认同的发展与社会关怀和教学社会关怀，以及研究教师学习作为他们参与社会关怀的产物。评估侧重于通过向领导小组提供形成性和总结性反馈来加强研究与实践伙伴关系的努力。通过在会议、研讨会和出版物上的演讲，结果与田纳西州和全国的CS教育界分享。这种合作为鼓励开发系统方法来解决最孤立的学区面临的一些最持久的STEM教育问题提供了新的见解。该项目由CS for All项目资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

East Tennessee is a region in the heart of Appalachia marked by deep cultural roots and persistent challenges to providing students with substantial computer science (CS) learning experiences. Attention to opportunities for students to engage with CS ideas and practices is urgent and timely in light of new CS standards for the State of Tennessee being implemented in the Fall of 2019. To address the needs of students in East Tennessee Appalachia, this project provides professional development (PD) for teachers to plan for and teach CS strategies that are responsive to students and their communities. This project employs a research-practice partnership among researchers, teachers and administrators to address challenges related to teaching CS, such as access to high-quality professional learning for teachers and technical infrastructure. This collaborative work brings together the University of Tennessee, three rural East Tennessee school districts, and key community organizations. Building and strengthening this partnership enhances learning and lifelong outcomes for students by increasing their opportunities to engage with CS in the elementary grades. For stakeholders as well as researchers, the project leads to an enhanced understanding of how rural school districts create opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with CS and to a strong partnership that will enhance CS education in Appalachia in the years to come. This project's overarching goal is to strengthen, broaden and formalize existing collaborations through work sessions focused upon community learning, foundational CS ideas, knowledge and practice around culturally relevant pedagogy, and a shared vision. The project develops CS standards-aligned professional development for K-5 teachers to (1) engage students in activities that connect with Appalachian culture and lived experiences and (2) cultivate students' interests in and understanding of CS and issues beyond their immediate communities. Research activities involve exploring teacher identity development related to CS and teaching CS, as well as studying teacher learning as a product of their involvement in the PD. Evaluation focuses on efforts to strengthen the research-practice partnership by providing formative and summative feedback to the leadership group. Results are shared with the CS education community across Tennessee and the nation through presentations at conferences and workshops and publications. This collaboration provides new insights for encouraging development of systematic approaches to some of the most persistent STEM education issues faced by the most isolated school districts. This project is funded by the CS for All program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.