Maya Israel recognized as a CS Hero

Maya Israel recognized as a CS Hero

Dec 4, 2023

Dr. Israel uses research-based approaches to advocate for inclusive K-12 Computer Science Education where students feel they belong in computer science classrooms — CSEdWeek 

Maya Israel Ph.D., associate professor of Educational Technology and Computer Science Education, has been recognized as a 2023 CS Hero by CSEdWeek.

Israel was named a CS Hero for her outstanding contributions to computer science education. Her research focuses on providing accessible computer science education for all kinds of learners, especially students with disabilities. This honor comes on the heels of earning the 2023 AccessComputing Capacity Building Award in November.

Using accessible strategies, Israel’s research creates meaningful engagement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) computer science education, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). She is currently the director of the newly formed CSEveryone Center for Computer Science Education as well as the Creative Technology Research Lab.

As a CS Hero, Israel shared research findings and resources for educators to implement in their classrooms. On her profile, she provides a detailed video on computer science as well as UDL-guided lessons teachers can use in their classrooms.

Israel has participated as a speaker in CSEdWeek panel discussions centered around computer science education. As a named hero, Israel’s dedication to inclusive computer science education not only inspires educators but also significantly advances opportunities for all learners.

Learn more about our CS Hero
Maya Israel

Maya Israel, Ph.D.

Scaling Up Computer Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Scaling Up Computer Science Education for Students with Disabilities

May 15, 2023

Today, University of Florida (UF) researchers and Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) announced that they are launching a professional development program for computer science (CS) teachers and special education teachers, called CS Inclusion. The development of the program was supported by a $100,000 grant from Google. The program focuses on providing teachers with strategies and resources to expand access to computer science for students with disabilities, who make up 15% of all K–12 students in public schools nationwide.

UF Associate Professor of Educational Technology and CS Education Maya Israel, along with a team of experienced teachers and instructional staff from UF and BCPS, are developing a “coach the coach” model for professional development that can be used by schools nationwide and globally. The strategies can be adapted by teachers to meet the individual needs of their students.

“We’re doing something extraordinary here at UF with our partners in Broward County Public Schools,” said Israel. “With support from Google, we are expanding the scope and reach of this initiative both within Broward, the sixth largest school district in the country, and beyond.”

“At the heart of the CS Inclusion program is expanding access to in-demand careers for all students,” said Dr. Lisa Milenkovic, Supervisor of STEM and Computer Science in BCPS Applied Learning Department. “All students can benefit from CS. The knowledge and skills they learn can be used in virtually every industry that exists today – and career paths that will exist in the future. We are excited to be participating in this grant-funded program.”

CS Inclusion builds upon CSEveryone, the existing efforts out of UF to expand CS education in K-12 settings through teacher preparation as a part of the Kenneth C. Griffin CS Education for All Initiative. The CSEveryone team, led by Israel, is working to develop, implement and research innovative approaches that prepare educators everywhere to teach computer science to all K–12 learners.

“We believe that all students deserve the opportunity to explore, advance, and succeed in computer science,” said Carina Box, Google’s Tech Education Partnerships Lead. “The CS Inclusion effort is a scalable and sustainable solution to address a critical challenge that will have an immediate and lasting impact on so many students.”

To learn more about the CS Inclusion program in action and how it is already impacting students in BCPS, read “These teachers are bringing computer science to students with disabilities” in Google’s blog, The Keyword.

For more information on the CS Inclusion initiative, visit browardschools.com/browardcodes.

Google
Broward County Public Schools

“We’re doing something extraordinary here at UF with our partners in Broward County Public Schools,” said Israel. “With support from Google, we are expanding the scope and reach of this initiative both within Broward, the sixth largest school district in the country, and beyond.”

UKG Grant Through Reboot Representation Supports Computer Science Education

UKG Grant Through Reboot Representation Supports Computer Science Education

Aug 18, 2022

The 2018 Rebooting Representation report detailed a significant lack of women representation, particularly women of color, in the U.S. tech sector. Driven by the report’s findings and action items, the Reboot Representation Tech Coalition was formed. The group is composed of 22 leading tech companies that are committed to doubling the number of Black, Latina, and Native American women receiving computing degrees by 2025. The Coalition works to achieve that goal through targeted, philanthropic investments in the often overlooked programs and institutions that make education and careers in computing more equitable.

UKG, one of the world’s leading human capital management cloud companies and a Reboot Representation Tech Coalition senior executive member, has granted $200,000 to UF to create a pipeline of opportunities designed to bring more Black, Latina and Native American women into K-12 computer science (CS) education. Facilitated through partnership with Reboot Representation, this funding will expand outreach, scholarships and mentoring through CSEveryone, the Kenneth C. Griffin Computer Science Education for All Initiative.

UF was selected, in part, for ongoing efforts around teacher development and K-12 CS inclusion. Black, Latina and Native American women represent approximately 16% of the total U.S. population, yet they make up only 4% of students obtaining bachelor’s degrees in computing. Reboot Representation is addressing this gap by leveraging corporate philanthropic giving to invest in programs supporting Black, Latina, and Native American women in computing— from classroom to internship to career.

UKG fosters a diverse and inclusive culture of belonging, which drives its corporate social responsibility efforts. This focus aligns with the company’s senior executive membership in the Reboot Representation Tech Coalition, which aims to double the number of Black, Latina and Native American women receiving computing degrees by 2025.

“UKG believes in the unique value of all people, and we are thrilled to partner with Reboot Representation and the University of Florida as part of our UKG Close the Gap Pay Equity Initiative,” said Brian K. Reaves, EVP and Chief Belonging, Diversity and Equity Officer at UKG. “It’s not enough to advocate for pay equity within corporations, we know that pay inequities start much earlier and can be systemic in nature. We hope that increasing representation among computer science educators has the potential to create lasting change in classrooms for years to come, inspiring more BLNA young women to pursue careers in computer science.”

The 2018 Rebooting Representation report found that “teachers can influence girls to engage and persist in computing, whether that is encouraging them to sign up for a class or to stick one out. Providing additional, proactive teacher encouragement to women students is critical, particularly for underrepresented women of color.”  The report also indicated that “diverse teams, including ones with greater gender diversity, are on average more creative, innovative and ultimately more profitable.” This grant addresses immediate representation needs that will impact the future workforce of tomorrow.

“At Reboot, we know that teachers are the backbone of education, and to educate successfully means to support them significantly and intentionally,” said Dwana Franklin-Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Reboot Representation. “We also know that having trusted mentors, educators and advisors who can relate to their lived experiences is deeply valuable for Black, Latina and Native American women in computing degree programs. We’re excited to partner with the University of Florida on a unique and much-needed program to support tomorrow’s tech workforce by supporting educators today.”

Maya Israel, associate professor of educational technology and computer science education, is leading a team of researchers and teacher educators in efforts to integrate CS education in all aspects of K-12 education by transforming teacher preparation and expanding K-12 CS education programs. Leveraging the existing efforts of CSEveryone, the grant from UKG will formalize opportunities aimed at bringing more Black, Latina and Native American teachers into K-12 CS education.

“Having the support of UKG and Reboot Representation is doubly rewarding, considering our focus on inclusion and access in K-12 computer science,” Israel said. “The teacher scholarships provided through this funding helps us meet our goal of providing all children in Florida with the opportunity to access high-quality, inclusive computer science instruction — a diverse K-12 teacher workforce is key to accomplishing this mission.”

About UKG: At UKG, our purpose is people. As strong believers in the power of culture and belonging as the secret to success, we champion great workplaces and build lifelong partnerships with our customers to show what’s possible when businesses invest in their people. Born from a historic merger that created one of the world’s leading HCM cloud companies, our Life-work Technology approach to HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions for all people helps 70,000 organizations around the globe and across every industry anticipate and adapt to their employees’ needs beyond just work.

To learn more, visit ukg.com.

About Reboot Representation: Reboot Representation Tech Coalition is a group of 22 leading tech companies that are committed to doubling the number of Black, Latina, and Native American women receiving computing degrees by 2025. The Coalition works to achieve that goal through targeted, philanthropic investments in the often overlooked programs and institutions that make education and careers in computing more equitable.

Find more information at: rebootrepresentation.org. 

Maya Israel

Maya Israel, Ph.D.

UF researcher receives NSF grant to develop curriculum to teach computing hardware fundamentals

UF researcher receives NSF grant to develop curriculum to teach computing hardware fundamentals

Mar 23, 2022

Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko, an associate professor of educational technology and director of the NeurAL Lab, was recently awarded a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to design gamified curriculum to teach computing hardware fundamentals. 

This collaborative grant, which includes Mary Jo Koroly, research associate professor, and Swarup Bhunia, Semmoto endowed professor, at the University of Florida, along with Tamzidul Hoque, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Kansas, will create modules that provide a system-level perspective of modern electronic systems. Antonenko believes this will address the skill gap in the current electronics industry that is contributing to the current computer chip shortage.

Pasha Antonenko
Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko, Ph.D. 

“Chips are used in electronic devices that we use in our everyday life,” said Antonenko. “Like most countries in the world, the United States currently relies on computer chips manufactured in Asia and the recent global supply chain crisis has affected our ability to produce and use the products that use chips.”

There is interest in rebuilding the United States’ capacity to produce chips currently used by vehicles, smartphones and other technologies. In January, Intel announced a commitment to spend $20 billion on a new plant in Ohio, possibly spending $100 billion over the next decade. 

But once those plants are built, knowledgeable engineers, scientists and technicians will be needed to work in industries. And that’s the problem Antonenko and his collaborators plan to solve.

Despite college students using technology every day—and many entering college with an understanding of programming—most lack basic knowledge of computing hardware fundamentals. The emphasis on analytics, software development and artificial intelligence motivates students to avoid hardware-related college courses. According to Antonenko, “this limits the exposure students in these programs have to educational resources and experiences that focus on the hardware aspects of computing.”

But there is a solution to this problem: games that teach hardware fundamentals. The team plans to work with high school teachers to co-develop curriculum that uses a gamified approach to motivate and engage college undergraduate and high school students to stimulate interest in computer hardware. 

The investigators will design and test a new gamified curriculum at UF before introducing them to high school students and teachers at UF Center for Pre-collegiate Education and Training summer institutes. Curriculum for the high school level supports Florida’s Computer Science Education Standards similar to the CSforED—with the goal of recruiting undergraduate students interested in pursuing hardware engineering.

“Computer science and engineering undergraduates as well as high school students will develop more nuanced and well-rounded understanding of computer hardware and its interaction with software, particularly as this relates to the problems our society is experiencing such as cybersecurity,” he said.

Moreover, Antonenko believes that using games that focus on collaboration rather than competition “will further support the participation of all students in our curriculum.” He hopes that this approach will “be relevant and engaging” for “populations historically underrepresented in engineering.”

This NSF Grant brings together expertise from the College of Education, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and Center for Precollegiate Education and Training at UF, and the University of Kansas College of Engineering. Andrea Salgado-Ramirez, a UF Educational Technology doctoral student interested in high school computer science education, will serve as the project’s research assistant. 

Faculty and students at the UF College of Education are positioned to “contribute unique expertise on culturally sustaining education, motivational design of instruction, mixed-method educational research, and development of situational and maintained interest in STEM” via this NSF grant.

 

University of Florida Receives $5 Million Gift from Kenneth C. Griffin to Boost Critical Computer Science Education for Teachers and Students

University of Florida Receives $5 Million Gift from Kenneth C. Griffin to Boost Critical Computer Science Education for Teachers and Students

Nov 3, 2021

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida (UF) on Wednesday announced a $5 million gift from Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin to drive the expansion of its K–12 computer science education program. Maya Israel, associate professor of educational technology, will lead a team of researchers and teacher educators in building both a face-to-face and an online community of practice for teacher preparation and expanding computer science education across the state of Florida.

“Education is the most powerful solution we have to enable future generations of students and teachers to realize their potential,” Griffin said. “Computer science is central to our economy, and initiatives like CSforED are vital in preparing our country’s teachers with the skills and education they need to help our students seize on the opportunities ahead.”  

Griffin’s gift is part of a larger initiative focused on increasing access to high-quality computer science education across the United States and is one of four gifts that CSforAll, a central resource for individuals and organizations interested in K-12 computer science education, announced at the DEI Innovation Summit presented by Snap, Inc. on November 3.

The national philanthropic investments made by both individuals and corporations total $20 million and represent the next phase of CSforED – a CSforAll program that raises awareness of the need for computer science in teacher preparation and to build capacity in schools and colleges of education.

 “This investment in the University of Florida will solidify the national leadership work UF is already engaged in and create an opportunity for Florida teachers and students to be best prepared for our current digital workforce and economy,” said Leigh Ann DeLyser, co-founder and executive director of CSforALL.

Maya Israel speaking to attendees of the 2021 Board of Trustees event.

Maya Israel speaking to stakeholders at the 2021 Board of Trustees event.

With a proven track record of effective teacher preparation, along with research and programs focused on computer science education, state-wide reach and renowned faculty in its Institute of Advanced Learning Technologies, UF is uniquely positioned to expand computer science education across the state of Florida. 

Building upon existing efforts around teacher development and computer science inclusion, Israel noted this gift “will allow us to bring computer science into teacher preparation at scale.” The team will work toward integrating computer science into math, science, literacy and other disciplines to address the diverse needs of students in Florida classrooms and strengthen the state’s workforce. 

“Dr. Maya Israel is creating solutions for challenges faced by teachers and students in K–12 settings,” said Glenn Good, dean of the UF College of Education. “In addition to increasing equity and access, this transformative gift will help students develop the skills needed for the workforce of the future.”

The initiative will launch immediately and will follow a phased rollout over the next five years. Israel and her team will begin by bringing together researchers and teacher educators at UF and computer science education leaders from across the state to develop a coordinated vision for computer science teacher preparation before scaling up. To accomplish educator objectives, the team will engage stakeholders and expand advocacy efforts across the state, with organizations such as northeast Florida’s STEM2 Hub. 

“We join the University of Florida in celebrating this major gift, which will allow stakeholders to transform the landscape for computer science education across our state through teacher education,” said Kathleen Schofield, executive director of STEM2 Hub. “By empowering educators with knowledge and skills, we will build capacity to reach students across the state and equip them with foundational computer science skills they will need, leading to full participation in the growing technology sector and economic prosperity.”

Contacts

The final phase of the implementation will focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the initiative and evaluating the model’s viability as a best-practice approach for computer science education across the country. 

With the shortage of computer science teachers being identified as a major issue in the recent Action to Catalyze Tech (ACT) Report, Israel states “we must prepare teachers to have both the technical skills and instructional practices to reach all learners.”

Educational technology professor awarded NSF grant to foster inclusive computer science education

Educational technology professor awarded NSF grant to foster inclusive computer science education

Sep 23, 2020

Maya Israel, associate professor of educational technology, and a team of computer science (CS) education leaders were awarded $299,624 from the National Science Foundation to cultivate a Research Practice Partnership (RPP) that explores and addresses the barriers to inclusive elementary CS education.

As the principal investigator, Israel will partner with CS education leaders from P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, Broward County Public Schools, New York City Public Schools and the San Francisco Unified School District to explore ways to expand inclusion in CS education for students with disabilities.

The project, titled “Universal Design for Learning for Computer Science (UDL4CS): Partnership for Inclusive Elementary Computer Science Education,” aims to build sustainable partnerships among districts around the shared problem of practice of fostering equitable PK-8 CS education and meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities.

Maya Israel, Ph.D. 

Maya Israel, associate professor of educational technology, and a team of computer science (CS) education leaders were awarded $299,624 from the National Science Foundation to cultivate a Research Practice Partnership (RPP) that explores and addresses the barriers to inclusive elementary CS education.

As the principal investigator, Israel will partner with CS education leaders from P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, Broward County Public Schools, New York City Public Schools and the San Francisco Unified School District to explore ways to expand inclusion in CS education for students with disabilities.

The project, titled “Universal Design for Learning for Computer Science (UDL4CS): Partnership for Inclusive Elementary Computer Science Education,” aims to build sustainable partnerships among districts around the shared problem of practice of fostering equitable PK-8 CS education and meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities.