Member Of The Month

Member Spotlight : Sean Wasson (CSTA ME President) 
Sean Wasson graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a M. Ed. in “Instructional Technology”. He currently spends his days teaching at Lyman Moore Middle School, all while being a code.org facilitator. He lives in the greater Portland area with his wife Kelly, and their children. Sean is involved in anything Computer Science related in New England, between working with the Maine’s Department of Education to help write CS standards, to networking his way through any conference hall he can find, Sean is a true champion of CS here in Maine.
Sean Wasson's 50th Birthday at Celtics Game
Sean Wasson and Hadi Partovi at Phoenix CSTA 2019 Conference
Sean Wasson with his homeroom students showcasing Google Suite abilities
Why is CS Education Important? 
 
I kind of fell into teaching computer science; I did not go into teaching right out of college. In my twenties, I held a variety of jobs: assistant manager in a sporting goods store, working for a production company in Hollywood,a Media Relations intern for the Boston Celtics. I graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Maine, and I thought I would like to become a social studies teacher. However, in the 90's there were no openings for social studies teachers available in Maine. I was starting to pay attention to tech companies and then-Governor Angus King made a big deal out of this thing called MLTI and the need to have “technology” courses in high schools. The University of Maine started a new M.Ed. program called “Instructional Technology”. I enrolled and about halfway through the program, I had four job offers. In 2000, I was one of the first graduates from the program in Maine. I went from no prospects to multiple prospects. That told me that CS is going to be a big thing, and that was 21 years ago! Our entire way of life now depends on technology.
What does CS Education Mean to You?
 
 

Imagine the world without the tech that is allowing us to function right now? We live in a world that is hyper-connected. There is a vast multitude of careers and possibilities that await both us and our students. The world needs many people to understand Computer Science; what it is, how to use it, and how it influences our daily life. That is the world we now inhabit; meetings can connect individuals across the globe, and allow for visits to the most amazing locations, even space! But not everyone has access to these great opportunities due to how Computer Science Education is currently enacted, both locally and nationally. Thus, equity is the key factor as we consider Computer Science's far reaching impact. Everyone needs to have access to high-quality CS education. Period.

What is your favorite lesson? 
 
Code.org's Computer Science Discoveries Unit 2 Lesson 5 (Digital Footprint). This lesson is one of my favorites of all time! Students look for information about three fictional teenagers across three fictional social media sites. The information found and the conversations that students have about their digital footprints across the internet may be the best class I teach all year. Students dig into this lesson and have the most amazing class discussions. This is the “Think-Pair-Share” lesson at its finest. If you have not seen it, you need to check it out!

Message from Member

 

I am both honored and humbled to be elected as the new Chapter President of CSTA Maine. Since CSTA Maine’s inception back in 2016, a group of dynamic educators across Maine have recognized the need and opportunity to bring Computer Science Education to our K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions. These 21st-Century Skills are vital to our students’ education and Maine’s economy. 

 

My predecessors, Dr. Tom Keller and Laura Johns have been guiding forces for CSTA Maine. Both Tom and Laura have been incredibly generous with their time; helping develop member’s leadership skills, serving as our social media director, and as our vice-president. Over the past year, our membership has continued to grow, with new emerging CS leaders continuing to fill out the ranks of CSTA Maine. Our community brings out the best in our membership. Through that combined strength, we continue to develop and deliver high-quality education to our students and add to our skills through a variety of professional development opportunities.

 

Thanks for reading this post! Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or just want to say hello.

 

All the Best,

Sean Wasson