NSF INCLUDES DDLP:The Alabama Alliance for an Inclusive Middle Grades Computer Science Preparation through Makerspaces in the Alabama Black Belt Region

这个NSF INCLUDES设计和开发启动试点（名为ALCSE-INCLUDES）项目将开发和实施一个创新的计算机科学（CS）教育模式，将为亚拉巴马的“黑带”3个区的所有8年级学生提供令人兴奋和结构化的动手活动，旨在使CS学习愉快。该课程将使用一种称为“通过制作学习CS”的教育风格，学生将创建一个基于CS的产品（如机器人），并了解使产品工作的概念。这种实践方法有可能激励不同的学生群体在高中期间和之后追求更高水平的CS课程和相关学科，并加入CS劳动力队伍，目前需要更多合格的工人。ALCSE-INCLUDES启动试点将联合高等教育机构，K-12官员，计算机科学（CS）相关行业和社区组织的努力，以追求一个共同的议程：开发，实施，研究和评估亚拉巴马黑带（ABB）地区中学水平的CS教育的可扩展和可持续的原型。ABB是一个拥有大量非洲裔美国人，低收入人口的地区;因此，该计划将针对传统上很少获得CS教育的个人。CS教育的原型将在3所ABB学校的8年级学生中进行试点，使用一套协调和相互加强的活动，这些活动将借鉴ALCSE联盟所有成员的优势。该计划的未来扩大版本将在包括ABB所有19个学区的73所中学中实施原型。该计划的主要创新是使用创客空间提供CS教育，创客空间是一个配备了适合年级的CS资源的专用区域，学生在其中接受指导和结构化的实践活动。我们的目标是让所有的学生，在学习CS通过制作，以证据为基础的教学方法，预计将加强技能和促进CS的浓厚兴趣。

This NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilot (named ALCSE-INCLUDES) project will develop and implement an innovative computer science (CS) education model that will provide all 8th grade students in 3 districts in Alabama's 'Black Belt' with exciting and structured hands-on activities intended to make CS learning enjoyable. The course will use an educational style called "learning CS by making" where students will create a CS-based product (such as a robot) and understand the concepts that make the product work. This hands-on approach has the potential to motivate diverse student populations to pursue higher level CS courses and related disciplines during and after high school, and to join the CS workforce, which is currently in need of more qualified workers. ALCSE-INCLUDES Launch Pilot will unite the efforts of higher education institutions, K-12 officials, Computer Science (CS)-related industry, and community organizations to pursue a common agenda: To develop, implement, study, and evaluate a scalable and sustainable prototype for CS education at the middle school level in the Alabama Black Belt (ABB) region. The ABB is a region with a large African-American, low-income population; thus, the program will target individuals who have traditionally had little access to CS education. The prototype for CS education will be piloted with 8th grade students in 3 ABB schools, using a set of coordinated and mutually reinforcing activities that will draw from the strengths of all members of the ALCSE Alliance. The future scaled-up version of the program will implement the prototype in the 73 middle schools that comprise ALL 19 school districts of the ABB. The program's main innovation is to provide CS education using a makerspace, a dedicated area equipped with grade-appropriate CS resources, in which students receive mentored and structured hands-on activities. The goal is to engage ALL students, in learning CS through making, an evidence-based pedagogical approach expected to reinforce skills and promote deep interest in CS.