I was 13 when I fell in love with coding. My school had just become one of the first in the country to get a computer. The machine was massive and slow, and didn’t even have a screen—but it still mesmerized me. My friends and I spent hours writing code and feeding it into the machine. Computer science changed my life, and I recently visited a high school that is trying to do the same thing for young people in New York.
The Academy for Software Engineering (AFSE) is a public high school in Manhattan that opened in 2012. It has an awesome curriculum that uses computer science concepts to help prepare students for college. All students learn the fundamentals of computer science during their first two years, and as upperclassmen, they choose to focus on coding or front-end design. However, not every student who graduates from AFSE will become a coder or a software engineer, so they also need a full non-specialized curriculum (like English and social studies).
Unlike some specialized schools, there are no admissions criteria here. New York City freshmen are assigned to public schools through a random system. Any student can apply to attend AFSE, and their grades and attendance records are irrelevant to their chances of being selected. This results in a very diverse student body from all over the city (though they are trying to get more girls to apply).
I had the chance to participate in a design course offered to upperclassmen. The teacher divided the students into groups and asked them to make a stand for headphones. Using modeling software and 3D printers (pictured is the Ultimaker 3), they had to design an interface that considered functionality, durability, and user-friendliness.
Each team took a different approach—some chose to connect the headphones to a clip on the edge of the table, while others tried to fix the stand to the table. I was struck by how thoughtfully each design was conceived. (You can see some of their work in the video above.)
The school’s unique curriculum is particularly beneficial for some students who struggled in middle school. English language learners and students with disabilities also thrive at AFSE, as computer science focuses more on data than on speaking skills. These students can even benefit from computer science concepts in non-specialized courses—for example, a history teacher might ask students to design a webpage introducing the War of 1812 instead of preparing an oral report.
The school enrolls fewer than 500 students, so class sizes are small, and students are allocated more resources. Everyone receives a tailored graduation plan. Teachers can log into a shared platform to track student progress. When a student becomes a senior, the school uses this platform to identify, pinpoint gaps, and complete incomplete areas. It is not only used for AFSE but also for a network of schools in New York called New Visions for Public Schools. Our foundation recently announced that it would help fund New Visions' efforts to expand this data portal.
As freshmen, students are also assigned an advisor to help them adapt to high school and consider post-graduation plans. These advisors serve as contacts for families and ensure that every student is taken care of. This is an impressive system that helps ensure no one is overlooked; this individualized attention is exactly what people have in mind when talking about small high schools.
I think everyone can benefit from learning the basics of computer science. It teaches you to think differently—how do you complete a task? Can you find a pattern? What kind of data do you need?—and it's useful wherever you go. Computer science has shaped my view of the world, and I hope it does the same for the students I met at the Academy for Software Engineering.
It's great to see such a big breakthrough in education in other countries. In addition to amazing teachers, they've also introduced Ultimaker 3D printers, whose high quality and stability are recognized worldwide, while also paying attention to society and education. Many colleges and universities in Taiwan have also introduced 3D printers. We who continuously follow 3D printing technology and development are also happy to see this! If you have any needs for 3D printers or printing services, we will provide professional consultation and services. The latest news will be on our fan page, so please follow us.
Original source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-3d-printers-preparing-students-life-after-high-school-bill-gates/
Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/3dmart.com.tw/