Educator Spotlight – Meet Jessa Campbell!

10 January, 2024

“My favorite series of computer science lessons have to do with Morning Meeting. It’s low-risk, community building, and an easy way to introduce computer science concepts to our youngest learners. We focus on computational thinking skills and computer science concepts in small bite-sized chunks. During VSTE 2023, my colleague, Katie Breaud, and I presented on the components and gave concrete examples. Here is our website if other educators need a place to get started. If anyone is unfamiliar with Morning Meeting, I’d recommend checking out this website from Responsive Classroom.”

“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist … using technologies that haven’t been invented … in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”

“If I encounter an educator who feels unsure of the value of CS education, I tell them that integrating computer science equips students with essential skills for the digital era. Learning about computer science fosters creativity, critical thinking, and competitiveness; all necessary skills for students’ and their diverse career paths. It promotes computational thinking, addressing the demand for tech-savvy professionals, and contributing to a more inclusive society. Basically, the skills taught in computer science education transcend the subject area. These skills are necessary for students to thrive in any future scenario. Former Secretary Riley summed up this idea beautifully by stating, “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist … using technologies that haven’t been invented … in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.””

– Jessa Campbell, Learning Technology Integrator: Albemarle County Schools, VA