In today’s society, computer science is everywhere. It’s in every piece of technology we interact with. It’s becoming a skill that is needed regardless of the career field a student pursues. Math is the gateway that unlocks limitless possibilities for students – including computer science.
This summer math teachers from Clairemont, Hoover, Kearny, Mission Bay, and Morse learned a new way to support students in Integrated Mathematics I (IM1) – through computer science! The pilot course, Bringing Math to Life: Unlocking the Secrets of Software Design and Data Science, reinforces the concepts taught in IM1 and introduces coding to provide a relevant and engaging math experience for students.
The course was developed through a partnering with UCSD CREATE, UCSD’s Computer Science and Engineering department and Bootstrap. Joe Politz (UCSD CSE professor and Bootstrap developer) helped adapt Bootstrap Algebra and Bootstrap Data Science material for this one-of-a-kind class. During training, teachers experienced the course as students, learning the basics of coding and how math can be supported and emphasized through it. They created their own videos games and used their newly developed skills to use data to answer questions such as “Who is the best athlete?”
This exciting new hands-on way to bring math to life will allow students to create their own unique video game and use data to answer their own questions. The age old questions of “When will I use this in life?” and “How is this used in the real world?” will be answered immediately and often.
UCSD-TV will be releasing a video on this about innovative way computer science can support math skills and introduce students to computing on Friday, September 7, 2018.
Strengthening math skills. Building computer science skills. Our students are being prepared for their futures!
