I refer to this phenomenon as the "computer science teacher's
complex." Just because something has the word "computer" or
"technology" in it, does not mean it's computer science.
We computer Science teacher's have a complex about it, because every
time we want to teach computer science someone starts talking to us
about "tech skills."
This is understandable. Everyone recognizes, or at least has a
visceral sense, that computers and technology are of vital importance
and that using them to do anything from personal productivity and
communication to doing sophisticated computation to find scientific
answers, requires some kind of "skills." What exactly these "skills"
are is source of some debate.
At Lab we are going to teach students "actual" computer science
because the underlying science of computers is one of the few things
that remains, and has remained basically constant. If you have a
deeper understanding of the machine, its history, and how it works,
you're much more likely to be able to solve your own problems. If
you've actually programmed an application, you're much more likely to
be able to figure out how another one works. If you understand the
theory and limits of computation, you're much more likely to be able
to operate competently in the technological world.
The primary goal of our course is to get students to a point where
they can think critically about technological problems and questions
that they will face in their lives. There are questions that have no
right answers. What's your opinion on domestic "terrorist"
surveillance? Do you feel threatened by it? Is your feeling informed
by any understanding of how this surveillance is actually conducted?
Our goal is not to churn out legions of programmers, but rather
informed and competent citizens. Maybe one of our students might
become a congresswoman who's working on the government's policy, or a
lawyer who needs to argue about such things in court. Without
understanding something about computation, its possibilities and
limits, you'll have no chance of being able to participate
intelligently in the world.
But students need this knowledge NOW even within school walls. How
safe is Facebook? What are they doing with your information? What
are the laws about this? Are those laws even realistically
enforceable? By arming our students with some foundational understand
of computers, technology and the history and science behind it, their
sophistication as USERS of technology will grow much more rapidly, and
in a way that's relevant and useful to them.
I will now dismount my high horse,
-Baker
Baker Franke
Computer Science Dept.
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
773.702.5419
On Sep 25, 2009, at 10:51 AM, Ross Lenet wrote:
>> Does your upper school curriculum include technology and/or computer
>> science as a graduation requirement?
>
> I always feel uneasy when schools include the phrases "technology"
> and "computer science" in the same sentence. I wish I had a nickel
> everytime somebody used the phrase "computer science" when they
> really meant "computer stuff." It is critical that the
> administrators and people with the power to make decisions and spend
> money understand the meaning of "computer science." My favorite
> quote in this regard is from the late computer scientist Edsger
> Dijkstra:
>
> "Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about
> telescopes."
>
> There is a lot of fuzzy thinking in some schools about technology on
> the one hand and computer science on the other. To suggest that
> either "technology" or "computer science" would satisfy a graduation
> requirement implies that the two concepts are sufficiently close as
> to warrant inclusion in the same discussion. I guess I would
> disagree. Others might see it differently.
>
> Ross Lenet
> Sidwell Friends School
>
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