Teaching Impacts of Technology: Relationships from Coursera

In this course you’ll focus on how “smart” devices have changed how we interact with others in personal ways, impacting how we stay connected in our increasingly mobile society. This will be done through a series of paired teaching sections, exploring a specific “Impact of Computing” in your typical day and the “Technologies and Computing Concepts” that enable that impact, all at a K12-appropriate level.

This course is part of a larger Specialization through which you’ll learn impacts of computing concepts you need to know, organized into 5 distinct digital “worlds”, as well as learn pedagogical techniques and evaluate lesson plans and resources to utilize in your classroom. By the end, you’ll be prepared to teach pre-college learners to be both savvy and effective participants in their digital world.

In this particular digital world (relationships), you’ll explore the following Impacts & Technology pairs --

Impacts (Keep me connected in a mobile society):, personal relationships, facebook, circle of friends

Technology and Computing Concepts: algorithms, software engineering evolution, heuristics, computer runtime, big O notation, P vs NP

Impacts (Making geography-based connections): findings friends, maps, geolocation

Technology and Computing Concepts: data and binary, image encoding, pixels, how color pickers work, filters, blurs

In the pedagogy section for this course, in which best practices for teaching computing concepts are explored, you’ll learn about the current CSTA K-12 CS Standards and practice using them to review and apply to lesson plans, as well as how to apply the ICAP framework to connect your students’ engagement to active learning outcomes, such as through peer instruction.

In terms of CSTA K-12 computer science standards, we’ll primarily cover learning objectives within the “impacts of computing” concept, while also including some within the “networks and the Internet” concepts and the “data and analysis” concept. Practices we cover include “fostering and inclusive computing culture”, “recognizing and defining computational problems”, and “communicating about computing”.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Orientation

Welcome! Are you interested in teaching about the impacts technology has on our relationships? To learn more about the computation and computing concepts that underlie those technologies? We'll be using a problem-based approach to explore interesting ways to teach concepts of networks and the internet, data and analysis, and even algorithms and data representation. Finally, we'll evaluate, critique and improve/personalize two lesson plans -- one of your choice and one on pixels. Specifically, we'll be looking to improve these lesson plans by increasing the amount of interactive learning time for students.

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores how social media and mobile devices impact personal relationships and how 'smart' devices have enhanced our global connections

Suitable for educators seeking to teach the impacts of computing concepts at the K-12 level

Covers a range of computing concepts, including algorithms, image encoding, and data analysis

Provides guidance on using the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and the ICAP framework for effective teaching

Involves hands-on exercises, such as evaluating and improving lesson plans

Requires prior knowledge in computer science

Reviews summary

Teaching tech's impact on relationships for k-12

According to learners, this course is a highly valuable resource for K-12 educators looking to integrate computer science concepts. Students particularly praise its strong pedagogical focus, including the application of CSTA K-12 CS Standards, ICAP framework, and peer instruction techniques. The course effectively connects real-world technological impacts like social media algorithms and geolocation with underlying computing principles, helping teachers develop interactive lesson plans. While some find the blend of K-12 appropriate discussions with concepts like Big O notation occasionally challenging or too brief, the practical application and focus on teaching methodologies are consistently highlighted as its major strengths.

Connects daily tech use to underlying computing concepts.

"The blend of societal impact and underlying technology (like algorithms for social media) was well-explained and highly relevant."

"The exploration of Facebook's newsfeed and geolocation apps was engaging."

"The way it connects common technologies (social media, maps) to underlying computer science principles is brilliant."

Equips teachers with tools to develop interactive plans.

"I can immediately use the lesson plan development techniques."

"The emphasis on developing interactive lesson plans was a major plus."

"The course helps teachers immediately apply concepts and strategies to create engaging lessons in their classrooms."

Provides invaluable strategies for K-12 educators.

"This course is incredibly valuable for K-12 educators looking to integrate computing impacts into their curriculum. I particularly appreciated the practical application of CSTA standards and the focus on interactive learning strategies..."

"Excellent course for teachers! It provides a unique lens through which to teach computer science concepts by focusing on real-world impacts on relationships. The emphasis on pedagogy, CSTA standards, and practical lesson plan refinement is spot on."

"As an experienced educator, this course provided fresh perspectives on integrating current tech impacts into lessons... The pedagogical sections were highly beneficial, especially refining lesson plans for more interactive engagement."

Primarily geared towards educators, not general learners.

"I enrolled hoping for practical insights into technology's impact on personal relationships, but this course quickly pivoted to teaching strategies for K-12."

"The overall focus felt a bit niche, geared strictly towards CS educators."

"It's clearly designed for educators, which is great, but sometimes the 'K-12 appropriate' level felt a bit superficial on the technical side..."

Some technical concepts may require more scaffolding.

"While the technical concepts like Big O notation were introduced, I felt they could have been explained with more K-12 friendly examples."

"I found the jump between 'K-12 appropriate' impact discussions and concepts like 'P vs NP' a bit jarring without enough scaffolding."

"As a non-CS teacher, some of the technical depth felt a little overwhelming, even if briefly touched upon."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Teaching Impacts of Technology: Relationships with these activities:

Organize your course resources

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Stay organized and prepared by consolidating your notes, assignments, and other course materials for easy access.

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Create a dedicated folder or notebook for the course.
File lecture notes, readings, and assignments systematically.
Use a note-taking app or digital tools to categorize and organize your materials.

Review Facebook development tools

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Reinforce your knowledge of Facebook development tools and environment to prepare for this introductory course.

Browse courses on Facebook

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Update your knowledge of the Facebook SDK.
Review the best practices for developing Facebook apps.

Code Facebook algorithm problems

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Solve Facebook algorithm problems to improve your problem-solving skills and prepare for the course's coding assignments.

Browse courses on Algorithm

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Practice coding problems from LeetCode or similar online platforms, focusing on data structures and algorithms.
Attempt to solve Facebook-specific algorithm problems found on websites like Interview Cake.

Four other activities

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Join a Facebook study group

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Connect with peers and engage in discussions about Facebook-related topics, fostering a deeper understanding of the course material.

Browse courses on Facebook

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Search for and join a study group focused on Facebook development on platforms like Facebook Groups or Discord.
Actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your knowledge.
Collaborate on projects and support each other's learning.

Explore Facebook's documentation

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Familiarize yourself with Facebook's developer documentation and resources to supplement your understanding of the course material.

Browse courses on Facebook

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Visit the official Facebook Developer website.
Read through the documentation for Facebook's APIs and tools.
Follow tutorials and examples provided by Facebook.

Attend a Facebook developer meetup

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Meet and network with professionals in the field to gain insights and expand your knowledge of Facebook development.

Browse courses on Facebook

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Find a local Facebook developer meetup group.
Attend meetups and engage with other developers.
Ask questions, share your experiences, and learn from others.

Build a simple Facebook app

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Put your knowledge into practice by creating a basic Facebook application that demonstrates your understanding of the platform.

Browse courses on Facebook

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Choose a simple app idea that aligns with the course content.
Design and implement the app using Facebook's development tools.
Deploy and test your app, ensuring it meets the specified requirements.

Career center

Learners who complete Teaching Impacts of Technology: Relationships will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Computer Science Teacher

This course will be quite interesting to take as a Computer Science Teacher. It will help you to teach the CSTA K-12 computer science standards, which are becoming increasingly important in the US. The course will also give you practice using the ICAP framework to connect your students' engagement to active learning outcomes, such as through peer instruction. This can be a valuable tool for making your lessons more effective and engaging.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Science Teacher

Software Engineer

This course is also a helpful fit for the career Software Engineer. Many of the concepts taught in this course, such as algorithms, software engineering evolution, and heuristics, are essential for Software Engineers to know. This course will also give you practice using these concepts in real-world scenarios, which will be valuable experience for your career.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Data Scientist

Data Scientists will also benefit from taking this course. The course will help you to understand how data is collected and analyzed, and how to use this data to make informed decisions. This is a valuable skill for Data Scientists, who use data to solve problems and make predictions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Web Developer

This particular course may be useful for a career as a Web Developer. It will provide you with a foundational understanding of the technologies used to create websites, such as algorithms, data and binary, and image encoding.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

UX Designer

This course covers such topics as user experience and heuristics, which are important for UX Designers to know. This course will also give you practice using these concepts in real-world scenarios, which will be valuable experience for your career.

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Product Manager

Product Managers may find this course helpful in their career. It will help you to understand the impacts of technology on society and how to use technology to create products that meet the needs of users.

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Technical Writer

Technical Writers will find this course useful as it will help you to understand the technical concepts that you will be writing about. This course will also give you practice writing about technology in a clear and concise way.

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Computer Programmer

This course may be useful for those interested in the Computer Programmer career. It will help you to understand the fundamentals of computer programming, such as algorithms and data structures.

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Information Technology Specialist

Information Technology Specialists will find this course helpful as it will provide you with a foundational understanding of the technologies used in the IT field, such as networks and the Internet, data and analysis, and algorithms.

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Database Administrator

This course could be helpful for Database Administrators, as it will provide you with a foundational understanding of the technologies used to manage databases, such as data and analysis, and algorithms.

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Network Administrator

This course provides a foundational understanding of the technologies used to manage networks, such as networks and the Internet, and algorithms, which may be helpful to Network Administrators.

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Systems Analyst

Systems Analysts may find this course helpful as it covers topics such as data and analysis, and algorithms, which are important for this career.

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Cybersecurity Analyst

This course may be of some use to Cybersecurity Analysts, as it covers topics such as networks and the Internet, and algorithms, which are important for this career.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts may find this course to be moderately helpful as it covers topics such as data and analysis, and algorithms, which are useful for this career.

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Project Manager

This course could be helpful to Project Managers, as it covers topics such as algorithms, and data analysis, which are useful for this career.

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