News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County Middle and High Schools will roll out a nine-week Computer Science class next year.
Curriculum Supervisor Bubba Winningham said state legislation, passed in 2021, made Computer Science a requirement starting in the ’24-’25 school year. Winningham said in today’s world, computer skills are not just for those pursuing tech or health care as future careers.
“It doesn’t matter what field they’re going into,” Winningham said. “They need to have that piece with them when they graduate. It just only furthers their knowledge and helps them whether they’re going to the workforce or college. Either/or, they have this piece with them that will help them.”
He said the class will be taken online with lab facilitators supervising. He said the facilitators are mostly teaching assistants who will help students log into the class and answer questions as needed. He said while teachers still work toward their Computer Science endorsements, this is the best the system can do with its current funding.
“Computation integration, that’s increasing in our job market,” Winningham said. “Whether you’re going, again, into tech or STEM, or those non-STEM fields. It’s everywhere. So, it’s important that as we start introducing this in the middle school and the high school, that we equip our students with the knowledge.”
Winningham said at the high school level, the incoming cohort of ninth graders will be the first group required to take the course before they graduate. He said that gives more breathing room to get the class rolled out and scheduled for high schoolers. He said in middle school, the plan is to start with fifth and sixth graders next year.
“One day, as we grow in this field, the hope is that it’s face-to-face and we’ll have teachers teaching this class,” Winningham said.
