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Comment Re:Who is going to fund that? (Score 1) 125

Microsoft and Google are trying to influence that labor supply, too. 1. Microsoft President Calls For a National Talent Strategy For Electricians. 2. Google is announcing a new paper and support for an effort to train 100,000 electrical workers and 30,000 new apprentices in the United States.

Submission + - Tech Leaders Launch Campaign to Make CS and AI a Graduation Requirement

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Twelve years ago, tech-backed nonprofit Code.org kicked off the Learn to Code movement as it launched with a viral video calling to expand access to K-12 computer science education "to give every student in every school the opportunity to learn computer science." On Sunday, Code.org upped the ante, kicking off its new Unlock8 campaign ("unlock 8% higher wages") with a new website and video that call for making computer science and AI a graduation requirement for all students, rather than an elective. A Who's Who of tech leaders led by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella have endorsed the campaign, signing a letter of support that ran in the New York Times (the campaign officially kicks off Monday).

From the video: "Our future won't be handed to us. We will build it. But how can we when the education we need is still just an elective? The power to create with computer science and AI. The skills transforming every industry and increasing our earnings by 8%. This isn't radical. It's what education is supposed to do. Make computer science and AI a graduation requirement"

Code.org teased the new Unlock8 campaign last month on social media as it celebrated a new Executive Order that makes K–12 AI literacy a U.S. priority, which it called a big win for CS & AI education, adding, "We’ve been building to this moment."

The move to make CS and AI a graduation requirement is a marked reversal of Code.org's early days, when it offered Congressional testimony on behalf of itself and tech-led Computing in the Core reassuring lawmakers that: "Making computer science courses 'count' would not require schools to offer computer science or students to study it; it would simply allow existing computer science courses to satisfy a requirement that already exists."

Submission + - Google, Microsoft CEOs: No Developers, Developers, Developers!

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Last week saw Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai boast to Wall Street that AI is now writing "well over 30%" of the code at Google (up from 25% last fall).

This week saw Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella boast that AI is writing 20%-30% of the code at Microsoft during a fireside chat with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Meta’s LlamaCon conference (Zuckerberg said he didn’t know how much of Meta’s code is being generated by AI).

So, is "No Developers, Developers, Developers!" the new "Developers, Developers, Developers!"?

Comment AP CSP Students Allowed to Use AI to Develop Code (Score 2) 40

Meanwhile, as the April 30th deadline for high school students to submit their AP Computer Science Digital Portfolios approaches, it's worth noting that the College Board's 2024-25 Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Tools and Other Services varies greatly by course.
 
  AP Art and Design Policy: "The use of artificial intelligence tools by AP Art and Design students is categorically prohibited at any stage of the creative process."
 
  AP Computer Science Principles Policy: "AP Computer Science Principles students are permitted to utilize generative AI tools as supplementary resources for understanding coding principles, assisting in code development, and debugging. This responsible use aligns with current guidelines for peer collaboration on developing code. Students should be aware that generative AI tools can produce incomplete code, code that creates or introduces biases, code with errors, inefficiencies in how the code executes, or code complexities that make it difficult to understand and therefore explain the code. It is the student's responsibility to review and understand any code co-written with AI tools, ensuring its functionality. Additionally, students must be prepared to explain their code in detail, as required on the end-of-course exam."
 
The 'Create Performance Task', for which generative AI may be used, accounts for 30% of the AP CSP Exam score. Over 1,000 colleges and universities offer credit, advanced placement, or both for qualifying scores on the AP CS Principles Exam. Even prior to allowing students to use generative AI coding tools, AP CS Principles was dubbed 'Coding Lite' by the New York Times.

Submission + - Univ. of Waterloo Coding Competition Results Withheld Over Suspected AI Cheating

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Finding that many students violated rules and submitted code not written by themselves, the University of Waterloo's Centre for Computing and Math decided not to release results from its annual Canadian Computing Competition (CCC), which many students rely on to bolster their chances of being accepted into Waterloo’s prestigious computing and engineering programs, or land a spot on teams to represent Canada in international competitions.

"It is clear that many students submitted code that they did not write themselves, relying instead on forbidden external help," the CCC co-chairs explained in a statement. "As such, the reliability of 'ranking' students would neither be equitable, fair, or accurate. [...] It is disappointing that the students who violated the CCC Rules will impact those students who are deserving of recognition. We are considering possible ways to address this problem for future contests."

Submission + - Should Kids Who Don't Take a CS and AI Class Be Denied a HS Diploma?

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Code.org, the tech-backed nonprofit behind the 2022 CEOs for CS PR campaign credited with arm-twisting the nation's Governors into signing a Compact to Expand K-12 CS Education for their states, will be "bringing together a powerful coalition of industry leaders, including visionaries like Satya Nadella, to champion computer science and AI education as essential to building the workforce of the future" as part of a new national campaign called Unlock8 that will launch in early May.

By joining the Unlock8 Coalition, a Code.org Advocacy Coalition Unlock8 pitch deck aimed at attracting Business, Education, and Nonprofit leaders explains, "your organization and executives can publicly align their names and influence with this transformative initiative, demonstrating a shared commitment to making computer science a high school graduation requirement in all 50 states." A mock-up of a planned May 4th New York Times print ad to kick off the campaign is signed by the likes of Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Reid Hoffman, Michael Dell, and Marc Benioff. It begins with a question and some big assertions drawn from a 2024 Univ. of Maryland study: "What if a single class could help close wage gaps, unlock $660 billion in economic potential every year for everyday Americans, and address the skills gap we currently face? This is possible, today — if we include computer science and AI as a core part of every student's education. Just one high school computer science class boosts wages 8% for all students, regardless of career path or whether they attend college."

Tech led and bankrolled coalitions to push CS education into K-12 classroom are nothing new — Microsoft and Google kicked off the Computing in the Core Advocacy Coalition in 2010 (later merged into Code.org) with the goal of graduating a 21st Century Workforce. The call to add now-critically-important-to-big-tech AI into the K-12 education mix — jump-started by President Trump's signing of the Advancing AI Education for American Youth executive order earlier this week — and the call to deny high school diplomas to kids who don't complete a CS course merely ups the ante.

Submission + - Code.org, Tech Leaders Launching Campaign for a CS and AI Graduation Requirement

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Following President Trump's Wednesday signing of the Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth executive order (a leaked draft of which Slashdot reported on earlier), tech giant-backed nonprofit Code.org took to social media to give credit to its partners and to tease the May 5th launch of Unlock8, a new national campaign to make all U.S. K-12 students CS and AI savvy.

From the LinkedIn post: "We're working with states to make CS and AI a graduation requirement, backed by research that shows one course can boost earnings by 8% and employment by 3%. Our future is being built on AI. AI is built on CS. We teach both."

A mid-April pitch deck on Unlock8 by the Code.org Advocacy Coalition further explains: "Code.org is bringing together a powerful coalition of industry leaders, including visionaries like Satya Nadella, to champion computer science and AI education as essential to building the workforce of the future. By joining the Unlock8 Coalition, your organization and executives can publicly align their names and influence with this transformative initiative, demonstrating a shared commitment to making computer science a high school graduation requirement in all 50 states."

In what appears to be a mock-up for a planned May 4th New York Times print insertion that will kick off the campaign, a document 'signed' by the likes of Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Reid Hoffman, Michael Dell, and Marc Benioff begins with a question and some big claims: "What if a single class could help close wage gaps, unlock $660 billion in economic potential every year for everyday Americans, and address the skills gap we currently face? This is possible, today — if we include computer science and AI as a core part of every student's education. Just one high school computer science class boosts wages 8% for all students, regardless of career path or whether they attend college."

Comment Let's Go to the Executive Order Signing Video! (Score 1) 115

by theodp (#65327035) Attached to: Draft Executive Order Outlines Plan To Integrate AI Into K-12 Schools

1. "A very smart person, said that AI is the way to the future." 2. "I don't know if that's right or not," 3. "but certainly very smart people are investing in it heavily." [President signs the Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth executive order]

Submission + - No Amazon Future Engineer CS Scholarship Winners in 10+ States

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: When it comes to education opportunities, zip code shouldn't matter, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos asserted in 2021 before changing his own zip from Seattle to Miami in 2023 and dodging a massive capital gains tax that aimed to help fill gaps in WA state education funding.

So, it's interesting to see that zip codes also seemed to matter when it came to Amazon's recent awarding of $40,000 college tuition scholarships and internships to "400 [high school senior] students selected from nearly 40 states" (Amazon-provided map of scholarship 'flyover states') to pursue computer science-related degrees at U.S. colleges and universities as part of its Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) initiative. Amazon offered no explanation for what seems to be a geographically disproportionate distribution of winners, e.g., Amazon notes students in more than ten states were shut out of the scholarships, while tiny Washington D.C. had at least five winners. Perhaps just randomness or a data quality error, although a cynic might point to a 2023 LA Times report on a leaked confidential Amazon document that it said "reveals an extensive public relations strategy by Amazon to donate to community groups, school districts, institutions and charities" to advance the company's business objectives.

The post announcing the scholarship winners that's accompanied by a congratulatory video featuring actress Susan Heyward ('Sister Sage' on Amazon Prime Video's The Boys) and former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (an analyst for Amazon Prime Video's Thursday Nigh Video) boasts that the reach of AFE's "childhood-to-career" CS education program now extends to 2+ million K-12 U.S. students. AFE's K-12 CS educational content includes a number of Amazon funded and themed offerings, such as the recently released Prime Video Sports: Behind the Streams (featuring former Seattle Seahawks cornerback and current Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football analyst Richard Sherman), a Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) aligned video and Kahoot! quiz 'Career Tour' intended for grades 3-12 (apparently a product of Amazon's and CSTA's $1.5M collaboration to 'empower the future CS education'), which offers a $5 Amazon gift card to teachers who complete a survey after taking the tour (sample question: "How did this tour affect the majority of your students' interest in pursuing careers in technology?").

According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, Amazon was one of several tech giants that in 2017 each pledged to commit $50 million to K-12 CS+STEM education in return for securing Ivanka Trump's help in persuading President Trump to issue an Executive Order that unlocked $1 billion in Federal funding for K-12 CS+STEM education. Amazon subsequently launched Amazon Future Engineer and gave tech-backed nonprofit Code.org $15 million to create a new College Board endorsed AP CS A curriculum (which makes high school students Java-savvy) that's powered by AWS. Amazon Future Engineer also collaborates with ProjectSTEM, another endorsed AP CS A curriculum provider.

Submission + - Overvaluing Things Considered Hard-To-Do Considered Harmful

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: In Three Stories About How CS is Overwhelming, and Ideas for How We Can Do Better", Univ. of Michigan CS Prof Mark Guzdial tackles the problem of how computer science's if-it-ain't-considered-hard-it-ain't-considered-important attitude dissuades students and educators alike from pursuing certain areas of study and research.

"We overly value things that are hard to do," Guzdial explains, "which leads us to undervalue things that are interesting, valuable, or useful but are not necessarily hard to do (e.g., studying how people build in Excel is interesting and valuable, even if it’s not as 'hard' as studying programmers building million LOC systems). I have heard this sentiment voiced lots of times. 'The study was really not that much. I don’t see why it’s interesting.' 'The system wasn’t hard to do. Anyone could have built it. It’s not really a contribution.' 'Anyone could have thought of that.' An academic contribution should be judged by what we learn, not by how hard it was to do or invent. That focus on being hard is part of what drives students away from computer science."

Submission + - Computer Science Has Confused 'Hard' with 'Interesting' or 'Valuable'

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: "There is a lot of literature about how much CS overwhelms students," writes Univ. of Michigan CS Prof Mark Guzdial. "There’s also literature on how we can do better."

One of Guzdial's top paper picks in this space is A Case for Feminism in Programming Language Design by Felienne Hermans and Ari Schlesinger, which makes the case for why CS and computing education should be broader than just what computer scientists and the Tech industry want it to be. In her engaging presentation of the material, Hermans opens with an acknowledgement that the title may be off-putting or confusing to some ("And maybe you're like, 'What? What does feminism have to do with programming languages?'") and quickly gets to her points by giving the audience an 'Is it a programming language?' quiz (C? UML? Spreadsheets? Scratch? Knitting patterns? HTML?).

"I appreciated Felienne’s point that computer science has confused 'hard' with 'interesting' or 'valuable'," Guzdial writes. "We overly value things that are hard to do, which leads us to undervalue things that are interesting, valuable, or useful but are not necessarily hard to do (e.g., studying how people build in Excel is interesting and valuable, even if it’s not as 'hard' as studying programmers building million LOC systems). I have heard this sentiment voiced lots of times. 'The study was really not that much. I don’t see why it’s interesting.' 'The system wasn’t hard to do. Anyone could have built it. It’s not really a contribution.' 'Anyone could have thought of that.' An academic contribution should be judged by what we learn, not by how hard it was to do or invent. That focus on being hard is part of what drives students away from computer science."

A good example of what Hermans talks about can be observed in a 2013 Microsoft Research video, in which a CS-degreed middle school math teacher gets ostracized by the research crowd after she has the temerity to suggest that most kids would be better served by instruction on how to use computers and software like Office (she also suggests 'computational thinking' could be learned in math class and coding concepts be taught outside of the context of CS courses) rather than the 'rigorous CS courses' Microsoft and Google insisted were needed for UK and US K-12 schoolchildren. Interestingly, eight years later in a 2021 Microsoft Research podcast, the same Microsoft Researcher from the 2013 video now embraces the idea of giving children instruction in Office ("We teach children programming using Excel"). Why the change of heart? Microsoft Research explained that it had transformed Excel ('easy' concepts) into a 'Turing-complete' formula language with a new LAMBDA function ('hard' CS concepts).

Submission + - How Much Time Does Needless Red Tape Add to Coding Changes?

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: In what will likely have both government and private sector software developers nodding knowingly, Newsweek reports that a change to reposition a logon button on an IRS web page — originally estimated to take at least 103 days to deploy — was instead completed in 71 minutes after DOGE worked with an IRS engineer to cut through the red tape.

A DOGE post on X explains: "On the http://irs.gov/ website, the 'log in' button was not in the top right on the navbar like it is on most websites. It was weirdly placed in the middle of the page below the fold. An IRS engineer explained that the *soonest* this change could get deployed is July 21st... 103 days from now. This engineer worked with the DOGE team to delete the red tape and accomplished the task in 71 minutes. See before/after pictures below. There are great people at the IRS, who are simply being strangled by bureaucracy."

So, does this strike a chord with those of you who have to jump through the hoops of various oversight boards at your organization? How much time do well-intentioned but needlessly onerous requirements of Agile, Risk, Audit, Compliance, Security, Architecture, Governance, Change Control and other groups add to coding changes?

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He: Let's end it all, bequeathin' our brains to science. She: What?!? Science got enough trouble with their OWN brains. -- Walt Kelly

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