Imagine you’re a ninth grader navigating a world where generative AI, agentic AI and other emerging technologies dominate the headlines. The future feels uncertain, so how do you even begin to decide what you want to be when you “grow up”?
Students today are shaping identities that will guide them through careers spanning the decades ahead. This uncertainty can be daunting, but one thing is clear: Foundational knowledge in computer science will be essential, no matter what paths they choose.
As educators and industry leaders, we must ask: What do students — and their teachers — need to prepare for a future that is still unfolding? How can we ensure that all students develop the computing skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven workforce?
Computer science is essential, not optional. Every student deserves access; it’s a fundamental part of literacy. Just as we teach the alphabet, structure, vocabulary and syntax, we must teach the language of computers. We don’t know how students will apply this literacy in their careers decades from now, but we can be confident they will need it.
In our roles on the Career and Technical Education (CTE) team at McGraw Hill, we’ve been considering how to ensure all students have the computing skills and knowledge they will need to thrive in the exciting (but murky) technology-infused job market of tomorrow. Here’s what we believe meaningful computer science education should do to foster a generation of technologically literate learners:
1. Computer science should begin early and continue throughout elementary, middle and high school.
Yes, even first graders should be learning computer science, but that doesn’t mean seven-year-olds need to spend their days coding in Python. Instead, an early elementary lesson might involve discussing what computers are, how they help people and their role in students’ daily lives. Students might match a picture of a technology to its purpose, examine the parts of a computer and experiment with basic controls. They may even have a chance to get hands-on with a robot; there is little that students of any age love more than a robot.
2. Computer science curricula should be turnkey, ready for any educator to pick up and teach.
In many schools, computer science instruction is assigned to teachers based on availability rather than expertise. But the knowledge we impart to students in a computer science course is critical for their futures. Therefore, it’s also critical that teachers can impart this knowledge with confidence, ease and little prep, regardless of their background or experience.
3. To be intellectually ethical, computer science education should equip students with comprehensive knowledge about AI.
When evaluating a computer science curriculum, it’s important to consider how it approaches artificial intelligence. All stakeholders in education, from curriculum developers to teachers, have a critical role in preparing students to navigate a rapidly evolving AI landscape with ethical awareness.
A second grader should take computer science even though they aren’t entering the “real world” for another fifteen years because knowledge of and familiarity with AI will be critical to their education and to their ability to navigate the world after school. Computer science curricula should give teachers and students plenty of opportunities to ask informed questions and form foundational understandings of what AI is and is not, enabling learners to keep pace with AI as it evolves in potentially unpredictable ways throughout their lifetimes.
4. Computer science should prepare students to thrive in a technology-infused, globally connected world.
It’s time to challenge common misconceptions about both CTE and computer science courses. While CTE is often seen as a path for non-college-bound students and computer science solely for future tech professionals, these perceptions are outdated. Computer science curricula should go beyond hard skills, like computing, and be for all students, including those who do not plan to enter a computing field.
Digital literacy and computing skills are essential for success in all jobs of the future — and, indeed, today. Quality computer science education should provide students with opportunities to practice life skills such as persistence, collaboration and problem-solving!
Finally, a computer science curriculum developed with a global lens offers students and teachers a particular advantage. As U.S. schools face challenges in keeping pace with international computer literacy standards, adopting approaches and content from around the world can help bridge this gap. Computers are, in many ways, conduits of an international language, one that many of our students will use to contribute to a global conversation in an increasingly interconnected world throughout their careers. We owe it to them to approach their computer education with open eyes, listening ears and global partnerships.
At McGraw Hill, we are launching new computer science programs with internationally leading computing educators, Binary Logic. The courses support computing from basic skills to advanced theory, serving grades K-12. The high-quality, engaging curriculum is recognized by ISTE and prepares students for certification and emerging areas like AI and robotics. We’re immensely proud of the work accomplished by our collaborating international teams and are eager to see these programs making an impact in schools across the United States. You can learn more about the curriculum offerings at www.mheducation.com/computing.