cSINO

 

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.
—Anonymous, at times attributed to Edsger Dijkstra
(Quoted in the California K12 Computer Science Standards Document) 

Our project aims to create new destinies and better futures for the multilingual learners who call Santa Cruz, California their home. Our title, cSINO (computer Science Integration for New Opportunities), reflects the wide goals of our research-practice partnership (RPP). The word “sino” has three distinct meanings in Spanish. First, it commonly means “but” or “rather.” It is also used in logical operations, such as “if…then…else,” which translated to Spanish is “si…entonces…sino.” Its third meaning is the most comprehensive and refers to one’s destiny or fate; this meaning holds special emphasis in our RPP and reflects our shared desire to support our students’ futures by building their capacity to use computational thinking (CT) in order to help them engage in the world of computer science (CS). cSINO is the next iteration of the RPP that includes Santa Cruz City Schools (SCCS) and the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). cSINO is prepared to support all learners – with special emphasis on Spanish-speaking multilingual learners – to understand and use CS/CT.

We will achieve this through exploring innovations in curriculum design, teacher learning, and community and family engagement, specifically (1) co-designing coherent K-8 science curricula (using FOSS materials) that integrates CS/CT and utilizes project-based learning principles to provide rich language development opportunities; (2) creating a teacher professional learning model spanning preservice and inservice teachers that develops their capacity to design and implement CS/CT instruction; and (3) developing opportunities within K-8 curriculum for families to engage in CS/CT with their students over time.

A Research Practice Partnership between UC Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz City Schools