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Hi everyone.

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Welcome to MOREnet’s Video blog.

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My name is Bob Martin.

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I'm a tech integration
specialist with MOREnet today I'm with Dr.

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Shantia Kerr Sims from UCM.

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And we are here to talk about education
technology and computer science.

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And she's got some really great,
exciting programs to talk about. So,

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Dr. Sims,
if you would, tell us first, just

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tell us about the program.

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Just tell us tell us what it is.

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And thank you for having me.

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I really appreciate the opportunity
to talk about

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our program and computer science
in the state of Missouri.

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So our program, the educational technology
program,

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actually started in 1967

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and was a master of science and education
in audio visual education.

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And so the purpose then, as it is

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now, was to teach innovative technologies,
effectively teaching

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with innovative technologies
and so although it’s been 50 years,

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our mission is still the same and

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right now we offer a master of science
in educational technology,

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a specialist degree, as well as an online
certificate of teaching and learning.

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Now, how did you get involved
with this program?

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So I've been at UCM

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for a good while since about 2008.

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In fact, that's when our program
went completely online.

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So it's a fully online program.

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And I actually got involved

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with educational technology
with my undergraduate institution.

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I went to Fort Valley State
University in Georgia,

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and I had a professor there as I was
in the teacher education program.

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And she brought in
lots of just great technology.

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It was so engaging and

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just really it was a fun class.

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And so I really wanted to be able
to provide

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what she did for me
to other teachers and other students.

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And so I did my graduate work
in educational technology

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and curriculum and instruction
and learning technology.

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And so here we are.

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I work as my service
coordinator of our program,

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and I just love it here.

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So talk a little bit about the
the need for computer

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science education in education.

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Right. Right.

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So there have been a plethora of studies
and research

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that talks about the need
for computer science.

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But I think the US Labor

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Department of Labor had said that between

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2018 and 2028

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and that ten year time span,
then there will be a 16% growth

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in computer science professionals and jobs

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and so we have the statistics
which you can just look around and see.

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We'll need more web developers,
more app developers,

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more artificial intelligence engineers,
we'll need more careers in this area.

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And why did UCM think
that it was important

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to get in on the computer
science for for teachers?

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Well, for one thing,

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the was it in 2018

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and you can correct me
because I know you know all of the facts.

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I don't know all of that.

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I think that 2018 is House
bill number three

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with the 99th General
Assembly here in Missouri, passed the bill

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for computer science educator
and for standards to be developed.

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And so those standards were developed.

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And so we're now able
to, you know, have standards

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for K through 12 in computer science.

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And so there is
so we have that from DESE right?

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We have the standards that we need,
but we also just know

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that the need is great for more teachers

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to be able to teach computer science
and also for our students.

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I personally have a goal.

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I have read that
only 20% of undergraduate students

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who major in computer science are girls.

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And so personally
I would love to see more students of color

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and more women
or girls engaged in computer science.

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And so for our program to offer it,
and especially since we're online,

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it gives us an opportunity to reach
not only those in our area,

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in our central area, but also just beyond

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to help bring more computer science
to the state of Missouri.

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And that's very true.

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We were at a cybersecurity
competition yesterday

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and there were 12 teams
and about 30 high school students.

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One girl. Wow. One girl.

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So the need is great.

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You have the statistics,

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but you can just look around you
and see that there is quite a need.

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For a cybersecurity in computer science.

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Do not care
whether you're a girl or a boy.

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You still have to do it
the same and it's just getting past.

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I think that in all.

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Well, that's

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that's something that boys do know It's
not it's something that smart people do.

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Right.

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And so we. Have to be exposed.

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You have to have exposure to it.

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So even though that is an option for you.

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And so we want to help open those doors
as well.

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Yeah.

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One of our favorite expressions is you
can't see it can't be what you can't see.

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Absolutely.

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And it just getting as much information
in the students hands and heads

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as possible, you know, just to let them
then again, let them make a decision.

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But it's it's very, very true.

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Now, tell us

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tell me about your the the actual
the online course that you have here.

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Okay.

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So we do have computer science
for educator hours and computer science

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for educators.

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It is an undergraduate
and graduate level course.

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So if you are an undergraduate student
in education, you can take it.

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And if you're a
if you're a veteran teacher,

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if you are already teaching
and in the field, you can take it as well.

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This course is eight weeks long
and it is completely online.

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You're going to learn the foundations of
computer science, but also some pedagogy

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is in there too, and so is engaging.

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And we have great teachers for the course
and it's offered

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right now is offered in the fall semester
as we continue to grow the program.

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Now, when you complete that course,

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does that give you
any special qualifications or.

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Yes, and I'm glad you accept you
complete this successful

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we complete the computer science
for educators course,

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then you are qualified
in the state of Missouri

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to teach computer science in grades
seven through 12.

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So this course will qualify you
to teach computer science.

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Perfect timing.

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Start to think about those things
you going to do in the fall.

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Once we get done
with the spring semester here. So

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so one last question as you kind of
look into your crystal ball.

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Yeah.

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What do you see?

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What what do you see

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as the future of like education technology
and computer science?

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So it's it's a very small question,
not a very big prediction at all.

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You know.

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And I don't even know
if you'll be able to use my answer, but.

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I'm definitely going to use it now.

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I think, as we consider.

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Okay, so let's just
let's let's look at the past two weeks.

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Right.

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And see and how it has just exploded.

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Right? Only within

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maybe December and November,
you hadn't heard anything about it.

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And now we're we're doing a workshop on it
on tomorrow, actually, you see.

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I mean,
so I think as you think about the future,

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I think we're thinking about continued
growth.

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We're thinking a lot with artificial
intelligence, artificial engineering.

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And we want to have

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students and

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professionals who can not only create
these entities that can be used for good,

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but also know what to do
with their used in ways that are not.

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But we need to have structures
in place for both.

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But I think there is
there's so much going on and the pandemic

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taught us right as we

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it from March 2020 until now.

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But specifically

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when we started in March 2020,
we didn't know what to expect, right?

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We didn't know where we were,
but we all went virtual, most of us.

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There were some that we weren't able to,
but most of us went virtual.

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We did our zoom.

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We had to learn so much.
So there was a learning curve.

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We were able to to step up
to the learning curve,

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to learn what we needed to,
and to also help others.

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And so in terms of computer science,
in terms of educational technology,

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I see us continuing to provide
exceptional education to others

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so that they can be so that our students,
our teachers, our girls

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can just be effective in their technology
learning, training, teaching.

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Awesome.

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Thank you very much for letting us talk.

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I'm sure we're going to talk to you
some more.

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Yeah, I look. I look forward to it.
That would be awesome. Thanks.

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And we will see you guys next time.

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Thank you so much for having me.