February is Black History Month, and a big part of our mission at Ozobot includes opening access and equity for underrepresented groups in both the tech and education fields. We want Ozobot teachers and students to know that all students, no matter the background or skin color, can be a computer scientist or roboticist.
The urgency in the job market is real. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, computing jobs are projected to grow by 12% between 2018-2028, far quicker than other occupational fields. In the United States, the projected technology and computing job market growth outpaces the current rate of college graduates to fill those roles.
One key reason for this is that the education pipeline lacks diversity. Why is diversity important? Here’s an example from the past: when pacemakers were being developed, the creators focused on testing them on men. Men have larger hearts than women, and this difference was not accounted for in the initial creation of the pacemaker.
The results showed less effectiveness for women, which made the creators realize they needed to widen the scope of their invention and design for more diverse populations. Innovation and technology benefit deeply from diversity.
Teachers using Ozobot have recognized the need for computer science instruction to begin before commonplace stereotypes around computing and robotics are solidified.
As we all know, teachers make a big impact in students’ lives and can inspire them to pursue various career paths.
Knowing that the teaching field is historically not as diverse as the student population, we’d love to feature diverse educators to encourage diversity in both the teaching and tech fields.
Do you know an educator that is a champion for social justice and inclusion? Are they passionate about educating historically underserved student populations?
We are looking for our Educator of the Month for February in honor of Black History Month! Nominate yourself, or an outstanding educator you know, by emailing heather@ozobot.com.
In order to be considered the nominee must:
- Have at least one high quality lesson in the Lesson Library. Bonus points if this lesson is focused on Black History Month themes.
- Briefly share how they have worked to improve outcomes for underserved student populations and their passion for Black history/highlighting the achievements of black citizens.
If selected, the Educator of the Month will receive special recognition on the Ozoblog and a $100 Ozobot gift card! Send in your nominations today!
Did you know?
- In 2018, women comprised 57% of the national workforce, yet they only held 26% of computing roles. Only 3% of the computing workforce were Black women.
- According to the College Board, which tracks AP exams, 3,101 students took the AP computer science exam in 2011 in California. Of those who did take the computer science exam, only 29 students were African American. While this number has increased in recent years, it does not reflect the diversity of the population of the state.
- According to Code.org’s 2019 State of Computer Science report, 29% of test takers were from underrepresented minority groups.
