From Ideas to Arcade
Attending computer science education conferences always inspires me to develop new curriculum ideas for my students. I went to one of these conferences today and saw some incredible projects other teachers have created.
One idea that caught my attention was combining philosophy and computer science in a module where students not only build a chatbot but also consider its ethical questions. Another project involved a collaboration between a teacher and his student reviving an old gaming library, back to life and learning together in the process.
Among all the projects, the most inspiring story came from a teacher who built a full-size arcade machine. He installed games his students had programmed, making them playable for everyone in his class and even the entire school.
One of his key lessons was something simple yet powerful. A classic piece of advice: just get started. To get this project off the ground, he simply asked his school for a budget and got it. He emailed other teachers to see if they’d be interested in collaborating, and many said yes. This teacher didn’t wait for management layers or endless approvals. He took small steps, stayed focused, and brought his vision to life.
The takeaway? Just start. Take small steps. Keep things moving. The results can be amazing.