Ashley Silva is a mom of two and currently teaches 6th grade at the Dolores Huerta International Academy in Fontana, a Spanish dual immersion school. After starting as a substitute teacher, Ashley fell in love with the students and community at the Academy due to its multicultural nature.
Ashley Silva: My first introduction to computer science was through the Teacher Innovator Institute through the Smithsonian in Washington DC. I applied for their 2022 cohort following COVID, and became one of 13 teachers accepted across the country. The program is designed for teachers looking to embrace STEAM backgrounds and new ways of bringing it to the classroom. It’s a two-year commitment, where I got to spend two weeks in the summer with other teachers in DC exploring the museums and talking about how we could integrate STEAM into our curriculum. Prior to that summer, I’d never learned about computer science, but once I was introduced I just wanted to learn more. Since then I have applied and participated in Seasons of CS professional development to continue my own learning and bring it to my classroom.
Ashley Silva: Since participating in Seasons of CS, I’ve been able to get my hands on new tech to bring into my classroom and it's truly been the magical piece that was missing in my teaching. It’s drawn even the quietest kiddos out of their shell and gotten them invested in learning. I’ve started plugging CS learning into all content areas I teach because the kids love it so much. Computer science is giving them another way of expressing themselves and an opportunity to see what they are capable of. It’s been very empowering for the students and even for me as the teacher. I’ve even seen an increase in attendance since building CS learning into our regular subjects.
Ashley Silva: Computer science shouldn’t just be for “science enrichment” programs or for students excelling and taking robotics. It should really be something every student has the opportunity to learn, because it’s something every student will need to know at some point in their education or career. I try to expose as many students as I can to computer science and encourage other teachers to do the same.
Ashley Silva: Take all the opportunities that are thrown at you. I know we can't do everything, but if there's something that catches your eye, try it. I know two years ago, one of the opportunities that was thrown my way was getting my computer science supplementary authorization. At first, I have to be honest, I was a little worried and not sure if it was going to be for me since I was so new to teaching. Eventually though, I just decided to go for it and I’m so glad that I did. At the end of the day, we are teaching our kids to be brave and to learn new skills so we should too.
Ashley Silva: If I’m being honest, I don’t know! I sit down and I look at my calendar and sometimes things get out of hand, but for the most part, they all balance out and I never regret taking opportunities as they come. I’m lucky to have a very supportive administration at my school who I can communicate with about the importance of additional learning opportunities. My administration has seen what I do with these trainings and the kinds of projects I bring back for my students. They know this work is important and valuable to the students and to the school so they work with me to fit it all in my schedule.
