Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/569858
feedback CODING IS COOL Thank you so much for this article in the April Educator. This is the message I have been promoting for years. A few additional points for why computer science should be taught in schools: • Computers are everywhere! You find them in cellphones, coffee makers, microwave ovens, ATM machines. Your vehicle has thousands of lines of code. • Most fields are impacted by com- puters. Hadi Partovi in Newsweek states: "The world around us is being completely changed by technology in every field. Whether you want to go into banking, medicine, law, politics, transportation, entertainment, retail, every single field is impacted signifi- cantly by computers and software." • Computational thinking is a skill that is needed in all fields and is taught in computer science. Linda Luikas, founder of Rails Girls coding organiza- tion, states: "The ability to speak and structure your thinking in a way a computer understands it will be one of the core future skills, whatever your field." Resources for teachers: • Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) — csta.acm.org • CSTA K-8 Twitter Chats by Sheena Vaidyanathan, CSTA K-8 representa- tive and Los Altos teacher — visit the G+ page at tinyurl.com/K8CSTA • National Center for Women & Information Technology — ncwit.org Myra Deister Fullerton Secondary Teachers Association CONTEST: "See Me After School" What do you do after the last bell rings? Tutor? Coach? Take salsa lessons? Maybe you volunteer at church or in your community, or head to a CTA workshop. Or maybe you just decompress at the local café (probably while grading homework). You can win a $50 gift card for school supplies by showing us what you do. Send up to three photos of you in action after school hours to editor@cta.org. Be sure to put "See Me After School" in the subject line, and include your name, your chapter, and a description of the photos. We'll pick three winners based on creativity, photography and interest. Deadline is Nov. 25. PAY IS IMPORTANT, TOO The most popular Facebook post as reported in the August California Educator (page 10) included the statement: "I am a teacher: I am not in it for the income, I am in it for the outcome." While this is a catchy, clever sentence, as well as an ad- mired sentiment, we actually do ourselves a disservice by this either/or framing. There is nothing wrong or contradictory with simultaneously expecting a good income for the important work we do and being dedicated to positive outcomes for our stu- dents. Somehow, the frequently accepted perspective — and one that we, as educa- tors, often internalize — is that people whose work involves providing a public good shouldn't be so crass as to want (and need) good pay as well. In San Francisco, as in many cities around the country, we are expe- riencing an affordability crisis, caused by extremely high housing costs, which is driving an increasing number of our members out of the city, our schools and our profession. Our students' families are suffering as well, as rents rise and evictions continue. Though pay isn't everything, it is not an insignificant thing. One way to show respect is by paying people well. We must stop devaluing our work, which in turn devalues public education and our students. Susan Solomon, Executive Vice President United Educators of San Francisco Y O U R O P I N I O N S A N D L E T T E R S A R E W E L C O M E ! There is a 250-word limit, and all letters will be edited. If you send photos or other materials, identifications and permissions are required. Letters must include your name along with your address, daytime telephone number or email address. Email editor@cta.org. 3 V O LU M E 2 0 I S S U E 2