Political Quotes

“I wish to recognize Joel Spencer of Little Rock, AR, as this week's Arkansan of the Week for his dedication to educating the next generation of computer coders, teaching students computer coding skills, and training other teachers as well. Studies show that students who learn coding and computer science at a young age are more successful later on, and Joel Spencer wants to make sure each child who comes through his classroom has the opportunity for that success. Joel is an elementary science specialist and teacher in the Little Rock School District and each week teaches over 500 students. But his dedication to learning doesn't end there. Joel also conducts an afterschool computer Science First club, a Lego MINDSTORMS robotics club, and various other day camps around the State to introduce Arkansas students to programming. To say he is passionate about computer science education is an understatement. Children aren't the only ones Joel teaches. He is also dedicated to helping his fellow teachers become better educators. Joel serves as an affiliate trainer for Code.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented groups. Through his work with this organization, Joel has trained over 1,000 teachers in code curriculum. He was also part of the committee that developed and adopted the K-8 computer science standards in Arkansas.…”