Episode 3.5 - Jon & Joe

In this episode, we’re digging into one of the most relevant questions in CS education today: should teachers try to “keep up” with emerging technologies, or is it more impactful to focus on the foundational concepts that transcend languages and platforms? We talk about what it's like to be a new teacher trying to create a modern classroom, and how the pressure to chase what’s new can sometimes distract from the core skills that truly transfer.
We also explore the pedagogical debate between block-based and text-based coding—what rigor looks like in each, what skills they develop, and when it makes sense to use one over the other. There’s a great discussion on using whiteboards as a powerful tool for teaching coding, plus a look at two standout resource books that support foundational learning: A to Z of CS Education by Shuchi Grover, and Coding Art by Mathias Funk and Yu Zhang, a creative take on learning through visual projects.
Finally, we dive into the concepts of inductive vs. deductive learning in CS, and how giving students agency in their learning journey can shape not just what they learn, but how they engage with it.