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According to an ecological affordances perspective, any static curriculum has a set of affordances, and differences in teachers, students, and the teaching environment change how those affordances are viewed and used. Therefore, teaching is a relationship between the curriculum, the teacher, and the students. As such, it is not only possible but expected that a teacher will diverge from the details of a lesson plan to better accommodate the needs of themselves as a teacher and their students as learners. In this study, we report on a mixed-methods investigation that explores the different ways upper-elementary and middle-school (7- 13 y.o. students) teachers implement the Scratch-based TIPP&SEE learning strategy and the reasoning for their approaches. As expected, we find that teachers across grade levels often deviate from lesson plan details to cater to their own classrooms. For example, teachers serving younger grades were far more likely to keep scaffolds that lesson plans suggest removing. The varied degree of deviation suggests that the repeated use of a learning strategy, alongside lesson plans that present a variety of scaffolded implementations, is beneficial in enabling teachers to adapt lesson content to serve the needs of their specific classroom. 

Background and Context: The study was conducted in a special education classroom in an elementary school with multilingual Latine students, utilizing a computer science curriculum focused on community-based environmental literacy. Objective: This study explores the experiences of diverse elementary students with disabilities in learning computer programming and identifies instructional strategies that enhance their learning within a culturally sustaining curriculum. Method: An exploratory case study approach was used to examine students’ learning experiences and teachers’ instructional strategies during curriculum implementation. Findings: Students who typically did not engage with peers collaborated effectively, and those with behavioral and performance difficulties exhibited heightened engagement. Instructional strategies included multisensory engagement and connecting environmental and computational concepts to real-life situations. Implications: The result underscore how a culturally sustaining computer science curriculum can empower diverse students, foster inclusivity, and leverage their strengths through effective teaching practices. 

Abstract The rapid proliferation of ChatGPT has incited debates regarding its impact on human writing. Amid concerns about declining writing standards, this study investigates the role of ChatGPT in facilitating writing, especially among language learners. Using a case study approach, this study examines the experiences of Kailing, a doctoral student, who integrates ChatGPT throughout their writing process. The study employs activity theory as a lens for understanding writing with generative AI tools and data analyzed includes semi-structured interviews, writing samples, and GPT logs. Results indicate that Kailing effectively collaborates with ChatGPT across various writing stages while preserving her distinct authorial voice and agency. This underscores the potential of AI tools such as ChatGPT to enhance writing for language learners without overshadowing individual authenticity. This case study offers a critical exploration of how ChatGPT is utilized in the writing process and the preservation of a student’s authentic voice when engaging with the tool. 

Background: There has been a dearth of research on intersectional identities in STEM, including the fields of computing and engineering. In computing education research, much work has been done on broadening participation, but there has been little investigation into how the field of computer science (CS) presents opportunities for students with strong intersectional identities. This study explores the strengths and connections among the unique identities and the symbiotic relationships that elementary Latina students hold in CS identity attainment. Purpose: The aim of this article is to better understand how predominantly low-income, multilingual Latina students experience identity development through the lens of diverse group membership. We examine how young Latinas, through their participation in a yearlong culturally and linguistically responsive CS curriculum, leverage their intersecting identities to rewrite the formula of what a computer scientist is and can be, leaving space to include and invite other strong identities as well. Research Design: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used that analyzed data from predominantly low-income, multilingual Latinas in upper elementary grades, including pre- and post-CS identity surveys (N = 50) delivered before and after implementation of the curriculum, and eight individual semi-structured student interviews. Findings: We found that Latina students developed significantly stronger identification with the field of CS from the beginning to the end of the school year with regard to their experiences with CS, perception of themselves as computer scientists, family support for CS and school, and friend support for CS and school. Interviews revealed that perception of their CS ability greatly influenced identification with CS and that girls’ self-perceptions stemmed from their school, cultural, and home learning environments. Conclusion: Our results highlight the wealth of resources that Latinas bring to the classroom through their home- and community-based assets, which are characterized by intersecting group membership. Students did not report on the intersection between language and CS identity development, which warrants further investigation. 

Abstract: Developing student interest is critical to supporting student learning in computer science. Research indicates that student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement. While there is a growing body of work on developing computing identities for diverse students, little research focuses on early exposure to develop multilingual students’ interest in computing. These students represent one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in computer science education. This study examines identity development of upper elementary multilingual students as they engage in a year-long computational thinking curriculum, and follows their engagement across multiple settings (i.e., school, club, home, community). Findings from pre- and -post surveys of identity showed significant differences favoring students’ experiences with computer science, their perceptions of computer science, their perceptions of themselves as computer scientists, and their family support for computer science. Findings from follow-up interviews and prior research suggest that tailored instruction provides opportunities for connections to out-of-school learning environments with friends and family that may shift students’ perceptions of their abilities to pursue computer science and persist when encountering challenges.