Blogs (4) >>

We live in an increasingly computational world where youth are in near-constant contact with technology, including internet-connected devices. This means youth are impacted by computing technologies and algorithms whether they are using them directly or not. The omnipresence of technology and the impacts that it has on society lead to Threats to Techquity. By this we mean the aspects of computing and technologies that cause or could cause inequity, especially inequity based on marginalized identities. In this work, we partnered with youth and teachers to co-design the Talking Techquity curriculum, a middle school curriculum introducing Threats to Techquity alongside basic computer science skills. After co-designing the curriculum, the teacher partners taught the curriculum with sixth grade students. This paper introduces the Talking Techquity curriculum and explores the successes and challenges of teaching it using data from teacher interviews. This work expands upon efforts to teach students about the social justice and equity impacts of computing and offers an example of how Threats to Techquity can be brought into the classroom in a responsive way.

Fri 22 Mar

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15:45 - 17:00
Socially Relevant Computing for Middle-School StudentsPapers at Meeting Room D135
Chair(s): Tyler Menezes CodeDay
15:45
25m
Talk
Investigating Middle School Students’ Early Experience in Learning Computer Science Through Creating Apps for Social GoodK12
Papers
Gillian Bausch University at Albany, Lijun Ni University at Albany, Elizabeth Thomas-Cappello University at Albany, SUNY, Fred Martin University of Texas at San Antonio, Bernardo Feliciano University of Massachusetts Lowell, Foozieh Mirderikvand University of Massachusetts Lowell
DOI
16:10
25m
Talk
Iterative Design of a Socially-Relevant and Engaging Middle School Data Science UnitK12
Papers
David McKinney WestEd, Chloe Morton WestEd, Brenda Tuohy Oakland Unified School District, Samuel Berg Oakland Unified School District, Audrey Karlstad Oakland Unified School District, Courtney Ortega Oakland Unified School District, Zelda Allison Oakland Unified School District, Griifin Munzel Oakland Unified School District, Max Washburn Oakland Unified School District, Yvonne Kao WestEd
DOI
16:35
25m
Talk
Talking Techquity: Teaching the Equity and Social Justice Impacts of Computing in Middle School ClassroomsK12
Papers
Merijke Coenraad Digital Promise, David Weintrop University of Maryland
DOI