Latinas in STEM
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Programs
    • K-12 Outreach >
      • Video Archive
      • Photo Gallery
      • Latinas in STEM 101 Conference >
        • Science
        • Technology
        • Engineering
        • Math
        • My STEM Journey
        • Sponsors
    • College Student Support >
      • Post Secondary Scholarships & Internships
    • Professional Development
  • Resources
    • Student Resources >
      • High School Scholarships & Internships
    • Parent Resources >
      • High School Scholarships & Internships
    • Teacher Resources >
      • High School Scholarships & Internships
    • Professional Resources
  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Blog
  • MEMBERS ONLY
  • Contact

Computer Science Resources

1/25/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
 AI4All is an organization dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in AI education, research, development, and policy. 

 Black Girls CODE is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching girls ages 7-17 about computer programming and digital technology.
 Code.org is an organization dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. 

 Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.
KhanAcademy Computer Science Courses offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that helps learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom


​
0 Comments

My STEM Journey- Sofia M. De Jesus

1/15/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
My journey into computer science has not been linear. I’ve always, and I mean always, loved things that have to do with computers. My favorite toy when I was a kid was called a Computron, which had math and word games. I started asking for a computer for Christmas when I was in third grade, but we did not get one in my home nor did I get one until after I graduated college. I did use a computer regularly in college using their computer lab, but it wasn’t a requirement for most classes. So I wasn’t well versed in computers until after I turned 18.


When did I create my first program, though? Well, that was senior year of high school. We were required to have graphing calculators, so I had a TI-86. That calculator had that PRGM button and I really wanted to use it. So I learned how to get things to work and created a program to solve linear systems of equations. I’m a math nerd and very proud of that, so of course my first program was for math.


In college, I majored in general sciences. I loved everything, so I took classes like Microbiology and Genetics, but also Chemistry and Physics and electives in those areas. But mostly, I took math classes. From Calculus 1, 2, and 3 to Differential Equations, and even History of Mathematics. I took it all. I just wanted to learn, but I had no idea what I’d do with the degree yet.


After I graduated, I tried my hand at law school, but that was not the path for me. I switched to a master’s in mathematics education and began teaching. I loved teaching math. I still love teaching math.


But I ended up with a published book in Applied Computational Thinking with Python, so how did THAT happen? Like I said, my journey wasn’t linear. I loved programming things, like Excel sheets that would make my job easier with some Visual Basic, or creating designs for products when I worked in educational publishing, which I did from 2006 to 2012. Any time I could use a programming language to make my life easier, I did.


In 2012, I started teaching again and was asked to not only teach math, but programming. And I got hooked. I studied every chance I got to learn more so I could teach more. I took courses in programming but also in robotics. I spent most of my summers absorbing what I could and designing classes. Currently, I’m a computational thinking teacher and run classes like Python programming, Game Design with Python and Scratch, Circuits, Robotics, Web Design, and more. Whenever I get a chance, I continue studying, on my own or in courses, focusing a lot of time in data science and machine learning as of late. I do not learn these things to get a job in the corporate world. I learn these things so I can get my students and other educators excited about STEM areas and I love it.
​
0 Comments

Careers in Computer Science

1/8/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
Computer science is the study of computers and computational systems and allows for a variety of career options. When people hear of computer science they often think of a career in Silicon Valley, but computer scientists are needed across a variety of sectors including fashion, automotive, and game development to name just a few.  

Students working toward a Computer Science degree learn about software and hardware as well as applications of computer science in the real world. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, computer and information technology occupations are expected to increase by 13% between 2016 and 2026. This is faster than the average among all occupations. Some careers in computer and information technology can lead to a six figure salary.  

The most common path for someone with a computer science degree is to become a software developer or a system analyst.  Most positions do not require a Ph.D. in computer science, however the positions that are more research intensive do require a Ph.D. in the field.  

Almost every industry requires a computer scientist to some degree. Some of the more non-traditional career choices with a degree in computer science include positions in animation and the movie industry; computer scientists help bring characters and animations to life and can model special effects in movies. Businesses use computer scientists to analyze the markets and identify business trends. Artificial intelligence (AI) is another area of research that is of interest to computer scientists. Scientists in AI work to program computers to think like humans. The automotive industry has computer scientists who work on developing computers and software for new cars. The fashion industry relies on computers to help determine the  fabric weave needed for a design or for the sizing of a design. Computers are also used to help design glasses and jewelry. Chemical industries rely on computer scientists to model chemical and biological processes in reactors. Computer scientists can develop models for visualization of reactors, reaction pathways, and molecular interactions. Hospitals rely on computer scientists to develop systems for data management, medical records, and development of new diagnostic methods.  

Studying computer science teaches you how to solve problems logically and this is a skill that can be applied to most sectors.  A degree in computer science can help you with a career in just about any industry you are interested in.

1 Comment

What is Computer Science?

1/5/2021

1 Comment

 
Computer Science is defined as the discipline that deals with the study of computers and computational systems. Those who study computer science are most commonly called computer scientists, coders or programmers. However, computer scientists don’t just code, they solve problems. Coding is an essential part of being a computer scientist, but it’s not all that computer scientists do. 

But what do computer scientists actually do?
Computer Scientists are the designers and analysts of algorithms used to solve complex problems. Those problems can be tangible or abstract. Tangible problems include creating user friendly apps for mobile devices, like our phone. Abstract problems involve the use of computational algorithms for general problem solving.  
There are many sub sections of the computer science field, here are a few: 
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Computer systems & Networks
  • Security 
  • Database Systems
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Vision and Graphics 
  • Numerical Analysis
Computer science plays a vital role in our society. It’s the reason we have smartphones, it protects our information on the internet through encryption, and it’s even used to help create graphics for modern animation in the entertainment industry. Computer science is a broad field and coding is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Picture
1 Comment

    Latinas in STEM Blog

    All about STEM. We share about our members, activities, and events.

    Archives

    April 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    March 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    Careers
    Consejos
    Education
    Engineering
    Events
    Mathematics
    Media Coverage
    My STEM Journey
    Resources
    Science
    STEM 101
    Technology

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
                                                                                                    Our mission is to Inspire and Empower Latinas to Pursue and Thrive in STEM fields