Wow! What a Whirlwind!
For me, December 2017 turned into CS Education Month. I presented at Family Code Nights at Hawthorne Elementary, Vincent Farm Elementary, Cromwell Valley Elementary, and Relay Elementary. It was a pleasure to see parents and their children so engrossed in coding. I had as much fun as they did.
The night at Relay included some special moments. We were honored to receive of a Proclamation from Governor Larry Hogan presented by Ali Keane of his staff. Deputy Legislative Officer Keane is working diligently with the governor to introduce legislation this spring to improve computer science education in the state.
We were also honored to receive a citation presented by Delegate Aruna Miller of the State General Assembly. Delegate Miller is working tirelessly to introduce computer science legislation this spring. I’m excited to see what transpires.
Another highlight at the Relay event were the fabulous classroom stations lead by the Relay faculty. Through unplugged activities, parents discovered that sometimes learning computer science concepts doesn’t even require a computer. The Drone, Ozobots, and Spheros borrowed from the district were a real hit.
In a parallel strand, key players in Maryland computer science held a thought-provoking roundtable lead by Dr. Marie desJardins of University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I’m optimistic that we are on the brink of a tipping point for computer science in Maryland.