Dive Brief:
- Chris Bartlo, a computer science and math teacher in Oregon, writes for Ed Surge that programming education is an integral and natural part of basic math instruction, saying it "directly supports some of the core tenets of how we learn mathematics."
- By thinking about basic programming as a way to problem-solve instead of a tech niche, more students can be engaged and greater diversity among CS learners can be achieved.
- Learning about programming can also encourage collaboration among students and help them pay attention to detail by writing code that demands precision to function or execute intended tasks or goals.
Dive Insight:
Both math and computer science are rooted in understanding and communication through abstract language, and a reconsideration of how basic mathematics is taught could certainly benefit American students. A plethora of STEM jobs exist, yet not enough students are graduating from high school or college with the skills necessary to land well-paying tech jobs.
Some states have already adopted a progressive stance on the issue, allowing CS or coding classes to count toward math credit requirements for graduation. Washington lawmakers passed a bill last June that established computer science standards, and Arkansas already requires all traditional and charter schools to offer computer science courses.
In California, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the University of California Academic Senate in December to consider letting high school computer science classes count as math classes instead of electives in admissions requirements, and over 18,000 Californians have signed a petition in support of the goal.
