Throughout the summer, I saw the how curriculum and teaching philosophies that inspired a classroom culture could impact both the classroom's success and its students' interest in the subject that was being taught. Introductory programming courses, such as those taken by Girls Who Code students and digital humanities students, have the greatest impact not when students learn how to code, but when they leave inspired to further pursue technology. In a world where technology has become such a useful tool used in a multidisciplinary approach at solving real-world problems, coding is a skill that is more important than ever. The technology field is in need of people who will contribute their unique and valuable skills, qualities, and perspectives. Students' recognition of the importance of technology and their ability to see themselves as a computer scientists develops in a classroom that instills confidence, provides a supportive community, redefines computer science, is accessible to those without prior experience, emphasizes the value of hard work, organization, and resilience, encourages creativity and discovery, constantly evaluates student progress and success, and allows students to learn by doing. These students grow into people who will leave their mark on the world as they continuing to revolutionize and redefine the field of computer science.
