Episode 29: DeSTEMber and Coding with Brenda Bass

*During the month of December, computer science is finding its way into classrooms around the world. “* *DeSTEMber* ( https://girlstart.org/our-programs/destember/ ) *” was created by* *Girlstart* ( https://girlstart.org/ ) *as a month-long virtual program to build awareness for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The goal is to show children and families that STEM is everywhere and to promote equal access to computer science initiatives for girls and misrepresented youth. These 21st-century skills taught this month range from writing lines of code for computer programming to building functioning robots. This emphasis on computer science is made possible by curricular activities found on* *Code.org* ( https://hourofcode.com/ ) *,* *Girls Who Code* ( https://girlswhocode.com/ ) *, and* *Microbits* ( https://microbit.org/ ) *to name a few.**Navigating these activities can be overwhelming and some teachers struggle with the process of incorporating computer science into the traditional curriculum of reading, math, social studies, and science.* *Brenda Bass* ( https://bootuppd.org/team/brenda-bass ) *is not only an expert at these integrations, she is also an amazing educator who trains and supports teachers to deliver computer science initiatives.**I first met Brenda when she was a digital learning specialist; she mentored me as a newly hired employee, training me to train elementary school teachers in technology integration for our school district.  I saw her brilliance with students and teachers firsthand, as she showed my colleagues and me how to connect computer science with various subjects.**In this episode, we speak with Brenda about ways to integrate computer science into a traditional curriculum, engaging classroom activities, and resources for teachers.* Copyright Chillhop Music - https://chll.to/b9bb917bCopyright Chillhop Music - https://chll.to/6cd0b356Copyright Chillhop Music - https://chll.to/fae889b3