Category: Miscellaneous

I teach web development at a community college, and my students use AI.
In CTEC 121, our intro to programming class, students work with the CS50 Duck Debugger. It’s an AI tutor available 24/7. No appointment is needed, and there are no weird vibes. Just help when they need it. The Duck shows up more reliably than most people do for Student Hours.

In my more advanced classes, AI becomes a pair programmer. It asks questions, challenges ideas, and helps students actually think about their code instead of staring at error messages like they’re written in ancient Greek.

But AI isn’t a replacement for real understanding. Soon, I’ll be bringing back in-person assessments. Nothing fancy. Just me, the student, a computer, and a problem to solve. One-on-one. No hiding behind copied code or clever prompts. Just a chance to show what they really know and get some honest feedback in the moment.

Meanwhile, some professors still ban AI, as if it were a cheat engine. They ignore it, trash it, and pretend students aren’t already using it.
Let’s get real. AI is already part of how modern developers work. Ignoring it doesn’t make you rigorous. It makes you irrelevant.

We can teach students how to use today’s tools or keep grading like 2009.

I’ll be over here building the future with a duck, a slice of pizza, and a cup of Dunkin’ coffee.

On speaking at conferences and other events:

I’ve spoken at more conferences than I can count, from corporate ballrooms to college lecture halls, from events that ran like symphonies to ones that felt more like garage bands missing a drummer.

Some events treat speakers like respected guests. Others treat them like content cattle, herded in and out without a word.

I just wanted to tell you about the good ones.

There was Lotusphere, back in the day. If you know, you know. Rocky Oliver, Susan Bulloch, and the team made it feel like home. You showed up, and everything worked: travel, tech, timing, etc. You weren’t a slot on the agenda. You were part of a living, breathing community. And you left knowing your work mattered.

Fast-forward to the CS50 Educators Conference at Harvard University, and the magic was still alive. Bernie Longboy? A total rock star. Thoughtful, organized, deeply human. She ensured that sessions ran smoothly and that you felt welcome.

And here’s the kicker: it was my 60th birthday while there. You know what they did? They surprised me by singing Happy Birthday. They gave out cupcakes to all of the attendees. Mine even had a candle. I’ve never forgotten it. Because it wasn’t performative. It was personal. It was real.

Compare that with another event I spoke at in May 2024, a gathering of Washington State 911 leaders. The audience? Fantastic. Truly engaged and gracious. But the person who booked me? Not a word before, not a thank-you after, no acknowledgment. I gave a personal talk, shared vulnerable stories, and left the room without a nod. It didn’t just feel awkward. It felt like I didn’t exist.

Thank goodness for Municon 2025, which I spoke at last week. They knew how to do it right. Communication was clear. Support was solid. And they treated me with genuine warmth and respect. It doesn’t take a parade. Just a little consideration.

Because here’s the truth: speaking takes effort. You step away from your day job, your students, and your family. You rehearse. You prepare. You give a piece of yourself.

We only ask to be treated like humans, not placeholders or PowerPoint operators. Say hello, thank you, and offer a pizza or a rubber duck if you’re feeling extra generous. 🤣

Because we’re not here to be grilled. We’re here to bring the fire.

Thursday, May 15, 2025, marks the 14th anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).

This day is all about sparking conversations, encouraging reflection, and promoting learning around digital inclusion and access for people with disabilities.

Thank you to those who design and build physical and digital things that make the world more accessible for everyone.

At Clark College, accessibility isn’t just an add-on; it’s woven into the foundation of every course in our Web Development program.

#GAAD #GlobalAccessibilityAwarenessDay #A11y

Let’s give it up for the care workers in facilities everywhere. The real MVPs hold it all together while the rest complain about bad Wi-Fi.

You show up. You stay late. You deal with things most people couldn’t handle for five minutes. And you do it with heart, humor, and patience that deserves a medal.

CNAs, nurses, therapists, custodians, and kitchen crews make it all run. You see people at their most vulnerable and still show up with respect and humanity.

So yeah, thank you for your quiet dignity, hustle, and grace. We see you, and honestly, we’d fall apart without you.

In this 7-minute video, you will learn how a screenreader uses semantic HTML to allow those using assistive technology to use your web pages.

Earlier today, I gave a presentation at the Illinois Computer Science Summer Teaching Workshop entitled “Teaching CS50 in Community Colleges and Beyond.

Resources

Submission Tracker
Google Sheets-Based
https://bit.ly/submissiontrackercs50v2

Submission Downloader
with compare50 support
https://github.com/belgort-clark/multi-puller

CS50P Introduction to Programming with Python
https://cs50.harvard.edu/python/2022/

Session Abstract

Explore practical strategies for integrating Harvard University’s CS50P Introduction to Programming with Python into community college settings with insights from Bruce Elgort, a legally blind Computer Technology Professor at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, USA. Bruce, renowned for teaching accessibility and universal design, seamlessly transitioned from the industry to teaching Web Development at the college. He blends material from CS50P with  TiLT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) principles to help students along their guided pathways.

CS50 is Harvard University’s introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming, for majors and non-majors alike, freely available as OpenCourseWare.

Utilizing these approaches, Bruce has also taught CS50 at the graduate school level at Portland State University for students enrolled in Professional and Technical Writing. This 10-minute session, with 5 minutes dedicated to questions and answers, delves into tailored instructional methods and innovative curriculum designs inspired by the support model of CS50 at Harvard University. 

Learn about the CS50 tooling that aids instructors in optimizing resources, monitoring student progress, and customizing courses to meet diverse student needs, ensuring they are well-equipped for success in today’s technology-driven society. Join Bruce to uncover a forward-thinking approach to teaching CS50 at Clark College and beyond.

Cs50 at Harvard University published a paper entitled “Teaching CS50 with AI: Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science Education“. As some of you know, I use CS50 tooling in my coding classes at Clark College, where students use the AI provided by CS50 in Visual Studio Code.

Here’s the paper (PDF) for you to read.

In this video, you will learn how to start coding regular expressions in Python. The video was recorded in February 2023 as part of my Intro to Programming class taught at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.

I’m reading “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” and finding it transformational and eye-opening. I also stumbled upon a secondary school teacher’s YouTube series. She does a fantastic job of breaking each book chapter into her experiences and implementing it in her science classes.