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Submission + - SPAM: Do CS Teachers Need to Know CS?

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: "I already know that my view isn't the popular one," writes CS teacher certification coordinator Mike Zamansky about the downside of K-12 CS education providers that provide short form 'training' and scripted content, "but I'll say it over and over until I retire — CS teachers really do need to know CS."

A problem with out-of-the-box scripted solutions, Zamansky explains, is that "teachers are less and less expected as much to know their subjects, their students, and how to teach but rather to follow the script. This approach might get those students past the standardized exam but in the long run it's not giving students what they need nor deserve. I've seen this every year in my undergraduate CS classes. Since APCS Principles was launched many of my students have come in having taken the classes and 'passed' the exam. Truth be told, the majority of them come in basically knowing nothing. This wouldn't be a problem if they didn't come in thinking they knew quite a bit. [...] School supervisors don't know any better so they see that they can check off the computer science box. Many teachers probably don't know better because their short term training is focusing on how easy CS is and how you don't have to learn anything to teach it rather than the truth — it's just like anything else, it takes time and effort to really master."

Submission + - Goldfish Taught to Drive Electric Vehicle (theguardian.com)

Submitted by cusco
cusco writes: https://www.theguardian.com/en...

  Israeli researchers created a robotic car and report that they taught six fish – named after characters from Pride and Prejudice – to navigate it on land. . .

First, the team, led by Prof Ronen Segev, created a watery tank on wheels that moved in response to the movements and orientation of the fish. Then they set about teaching the goldfish (Carassius auratus) how to drive it . . .

he fish first had to connect their own swimming movements to the movements of the vehicle so they could navigate it. Then they were given a destination: a pink target board in a foreign room that elicited a food reward when the vehicle touched it. A computerised camera system attached to this “fish operated vehicle” recorded and translated the fish’s swimming directions.

After several days of training, the fish successfully navigated the vehicle to the target from different starting positions in the room – even if they faced obstacles like false targets or hitting a wall.

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One has to look out for engineers -- they begin with sewing machines and end up with the atomic bomb. -- Marcel Pagnol

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