Dale Loggins

Please share your ECS story. How did you arrive at this point in your career?

I am classically trained in Computer Science. The recollection of my classes in Data Structures and Advanced C++ left me underwhelmed with my own performance. After completing my bachelor’s degree, I changed career tracks to education. As a computer science student, I suffered from “imposter syndrome,” yet I have always loved computer science. The ECS program presented the opportunity to answer a nagging thought: Can I communicate the computational ideas at the core of computer science that befuddled me as an undergraduate student. In learning how to teach ECS, I learned about myself as a student of Computer Science. With much respect to my undergraduate degree, I have been able to teach myself more about Computer Science after completing the ECS course than what I was able to learn in collegiate courses.

When you begin planning a lesson, what is the first thing you think about?

The first thing that I think about is a good journal prompt. The question that I ask is: “How can I link this journal prompt to an everyday occurrence?” As a student, I was so lost in the jargon. Through the ECS curriculum, I have learned that most of the computer science concepts can be related to everyday occurrences. The journal prompt allows the mind of the student to connect to their everyday lives. A good journal prompt builds a bridge between student experiences and computer science concepts.

What advice would you give to a new ECS teacher?

I would advise a new ECS teacher not to allow “imposter syndrome” to stymie your progress as an educator. Lessons will fail sometimes, perhaps more often than we would like when teaching a new subject area. The person who bench presses 400 pounds at one point struggled with 100 pounds. Growth comes through failure. Keep showing up! Keep learning!

Is there something you have learned (a practice, strategy, or concept) while teaching ECS that has made its way into your other classes?

One of the many strategies that I have implemented is experiential learning. Generally, we would not ask someone to follow a recipe prior to tasting the recipe first. Experiential learning allows students to experience how good computer science tastes. Once students taste and see that the topic is good, students are ready to dig into putting the concepts together to create a unique recipe according to their tastes. This concept has proved to be beneficial in all subject areas that I teach, but especially subjects where there may be some learner trepidation.

Describe a really great day in your ECS classroom?

The topic can be varied. The student’s are driving the instruction. I am allowed to facilitate. Just like we do not want to constantly hear the GPS voice, but we do want to hear it occasionally for direction, my students do not want to constantly hear my voice, but they do anticipate occasional direction. I love it when students are talking, discussing, doing, and having a good time doing it.

What do your students enjoy most about their ECS class?

The students enjoy the “a-ha” moments. When students understand a CS Concept that they previously thought was too complex, they are besides themselves with confidence. Students recently learned how to use CSS tag selectors to change colors on a website by specifying a RGB value. If it sounds complex, it really is not. The students are coming to terms with this fact: Just because it sounds complex does not mean that it really is.

What is a challenge for you?

I am perpetually challenged to modify the content and give necessary accommodations to my students with diverse abilities. Of course, the accommodations and modifications outlined in the IEP are the foundation of instruction. I have learned that inquiry and equity looks different for each student. Being instructionally flexible based on student needs, underlies the practice of equity. When I ask myself how much support should I give a student to allow for inquiry, knowledge of the student allows me to uniquely address that challenge for each student.

How has teaching ECS affected your own personal and professional growth?

I have become a more empathetic communicator. I have learned the power of words. I have learned the value of fewer words. I have also learned to trust the process. A seed is working unseen in the soil before it’s manifest. In the same way, I may not “see” the benefits of a process, but it will manifest itself if I do not uproot the soil. I try to be instructionally patient.

Can you sum up your ECS philosophy, experience, or technique in 3 words or less?

Trust the Process