Join Us for our January Book Club Discussion of the Computer Science Graphic Novel Power On!

by Marie Heath

One of my favorite ways to annoy my computer science educator friends is to ask them, “but seriously, why do we need all kids to learn to code?” Part of me is serious when I ask the question. Why DO all children need to code? The assumption that everyone should code links technological advancements to social progress and assumes that computer scientists will solve our problems. It ignores the complex social nature of the problems and provides a simple, technological, solution.

I pretend that I can’t help myself - I’m just a humanities thinker at heart! - but the truth is, I also have a knowledge gap around computer science. I don’t understand coding. I also don’t really have a desire to understand coding. I realize complex reasons for my disinterest probably exist. I get the gendered context and the patriarchal systems operating on me as a girl and then a woman in the world. Regardless of the reasons, I tend to hear radio static and white noise when people start discussing the ins and outs of coding. 

Despite the ribbings I give to my CS colleagues, I realize that computer science knowledge can be helpful, and perhaps essential, to justice-oriented civic work. For instance understanding, even in basic ways, how algorithms work can help citizens combat harmful and anti-democratic practices like algorithmic oppression and surveillance capitalism.

This is why I’m excited for our next Civics of Tech book club, Power On! Authored by two amazing computer science educators, Drs. Jean J. Ryoo and Jane Margolis, the graphic novel 

follows the lives and experiences of four high school students from diverse backgrounds as they confront the harm technology has done in their own community. We follow them as they awaken to how technology can perpetuate racism and inequality and gradually understand that those who run the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley create technologies that do not reflect the voices and perspectives of themselves: women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities. In response, the four friends seek out computing experiences that are both personally and politically empowering, and decide to use what they’ve learned to take a stand for all students to learn computer science. 

You can watch the trailer for the book below.

I’m looking forward to learning more about computer science, as well as thinking about the contexts and social issues surrounding it (can’t stop, won’t stop that humanities approach). Join us, and our moderator, Ms. Shaina Glass, a Senior Professional Learning Manager at the Computer Science Teachers Association, to discuss the graphic novel and how we could use it in our classrooms. Or just come to tell me why I’m wrong about coding! 

Either way, I hope to see you on Thursday, January 12th, @ 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Register on our events page for the Zoom link.