How Pizza and Rubber Ducks Bring Us Together in the Digital Classroom

At Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, I recently brought a taste of community to our online and remote coding classes—through pizza and a little piece of the iconic CS50! This pizza party wasn’t just about food; it was a chance to unite students who usually connect only through screens. There’s something about sharing pizza that goes beyond filling our stomachs. It breaks down barriers, opens up conversations, and lets us see the human side of coding, a profession often steeped in virtual interactions and code blocks.

Pizza is almost a universal language, and even in a digital classroom, it creates a sense of camaraderie. From coding newcomers to seasoned tech enthusiasts, students gathered, laughed, and bonded over slices, sharing their coding challenges and side-hustles. Moments like these highlight the importance of community—reminding us that while we work individually, we’re part of a larger team learning and growing together.

And what’s a coding celebration without a twist? Each attendee walked away with a CS50 Rubber Duck. In case you’re wondering why a rubber duck, it’s not just a quirky gift—it’s a legendary problem-solving tool in coding circles! Rubber duck debugging encourages students to explain their code out loud, often helping them uncover solutions simply by verbalizing their thought processes. Now, every student has a little buddy to “talk” to while tackling their toughest challenges.

Katie Pierce Massey and Bruce Elgort

Whether solving bugs or sharing a laugh, we’re more connected, engaged, and inspired than ever. Here’s to pizza, ducks, and the strong coding community we’re building at Clark College!

Bruce Elgort and Dave Sims

Teaching CS50 in Community Colleges and Beyond

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

Teaching CS50 in Community Colleges and BeyondDownload

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.

Teaching CS50 with AI: Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science Education

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.