Developing Rural Teachers' Computing Capacities in Eastern Kentucky

• In Event: Rural Educators and Rural Education Leaders in Diverse Ruralities

Abstract

Based upon a 2019 NSF CSforAll grant, this research represents a modest step to address the steep computing teacher shortage in rural East Kentucky, an area economically devastated by the departure of the coal industry. We report on a five-day CS/CT professional development workshop for over 80 Eastern Kentucky K-8 teachers. Reporting on the design of the PD and participant surveys, the paper aims to understand instructors’ perceptions of the workshop and how such perspectives may differ based upon prior computing experience. Results point to a general enthusiasm among participants for CS/CT content and the associated PD, though the degree to which participants were able to internalize computing as a series of interrelated concepts is still limited at this time.

Authors

• Emi Iwatani, Digital Promise

• Quinn Burke, Digital Promise

• Pati Ruiz, Digital Promise

• Traci Tackett, Bit Source