4CSCC at the 4 Corners CS Convening

4Corners Computer Science Convening

Fort Lewis College, located in Durango, Colorado, hosted the 4Corners Computer Science Convening, a three-day conference held June 23 through 26, showcasing computer science (CS) education for Indigenous students. Roughly 200 presenters were involved and affiliated with Native American schools, students, and educators. “Being a Good Relative,” was the theme, its goal enticed participants to connect with others and incorporate Indigenous teachings within CS. The event began Sunday, June 23 with a welcome and networking dinner, the Fire Side Chat with elders carried an interesting aspect on traditional Navajo teachings and using technology as a tool, one elder shared a desire for a computer greeting in Dine Bizaad (Navajo Language).

Each day presented unique key speakers to kickstart the experience and included various CS activities for classroom integration. Attendees participated and explored an array of workshops throughout the convening. Attending the 4Corners CS Convening helped 4CSCC continue its goals; a major takeaway was incorporating various tribal teachings with CS and STEM. Sharing our lessons and curriculum successfully provided educators with practical ideas for aligning CS with their curriculum.

Workshop Summary

On Monday, June 24, 4CSCC members Franklin, Jeff, and Simon presented a two-hour workshop highlighting physical computing as a gateway to scientific computing. See more information about our event here. Our audience primarily consisted of computer science educators from Native American communities. We began our presentation by outlining shared insights into our program and recent collaborations in the Four Corners region. Jeff used role modeling of Socratic questioning focused on a slide that contained an image of a chemical spill outside of Tucson, Arizona. This activity effectively stimulated interest and critical thinking as participants analyzed the image and brainstormed ways to figure out its context.

Next, Franklin guided participants in assembling Raspberry Pi 400 mobile kits with various environmental sensors. We introduced participants to the Raspbian Operating System and our 4CSCC Dashboard. Then we provided two additional lessons (via QR code in the presentation) for participants to follow, taking them to our 4CSCC website with lessons and a curriculum guide. These lessons included using Scratch programming to activate a small LED followed up with a challenge to make the LED blink in Morse code. Participants viewed data in real-time, experimented with variables that affect environmental sensors such as household cleaners, chalk dust, and heat lamps, and explained how data manipulation gets students active in lessons.

4Corners CS Convening Reflection

Throughout the workshop, participants were highly engaged and many inquired if they could purchase our mobile kits. The experimental design and collaboration demonstrated how physical computing could be integrated into chemistry and physics through various methods and collaborative efforts. Positive feedback highlighted future activities and our upcoming Micro:bit lessons developed by Simon. The exploration and integration proved beneficial for our participants. Presenting at the 4Corners CS Convening allowed 4CSCC to increase awareness and engagement with our materials and to prepare for future workshops accommodating various levels of familiarity and interest.

Other Featured Presenters

As mentioned, each morning featured various speakers followed by various CS sessions. Presenters shared information and inspiring stories about how they started their careers. One additional presentation 4CSCC would like to share includes “Cultural Representation in Computing,” which featured CS educators sharing projects highlighting STEM and cultural traditions. For example, one speaker shared how a team used their native language as an advantage in a drone competition, speaking “up/down, forward/backward, left/right,” in the Apache language. Another presentation utilized Scratch programming and animation, titled “Sugar Bush and Three Sisters,” its session also revealed constellation names in the native language. Both implement CS tools while incorporating Indigenous teachings and knowledge.

Workshop Gallery