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The ACM TechNews newsletter is a great place to find and explore current topics in CS.
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Use articles for homework to address the Computer Science Principles social implications component.
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Activity:
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Have students read the article and write a summary for homework.
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The summary should a paragraph or longer (minimum of 5 sentences).
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If students want to include their opinions in the write up this will be the second paragraph.
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Have a 10 minute discussion about the reading at the beginning of class.
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Consider requiring students to post their summaries and opinions on a discussion board so they can read each others’ posts and comment on them.
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You can make commenting on a certain number of other posts a requirement for the assignment.
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Scaffold students in discussion board etiquette by developing a Social Contract all students must sign. Make sure to fully scope out etiquette expectations by including rules, examples, and consequences of violation. Things to include in the social contract include:
- Style and Grammar
- Etiquette
- Content
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Consider having students follow a single topic over a period of time by searching for additional information on the topic throughout the course to see how current events in the industry unfold.
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Additionally, you could post articles online and have students vote for which on they want to use for the assignment instead of picking out the article yourself.