Mr. Matthew Gates grew up with a love for video games, like most teenage boys. However, once a hobby, his interest in video games grew into something more. Now evident in his daily life as a computer science teacher, his passion for video gaming evolved into an ambition to learn the coding practices necessary to create them.
Mr. Gates began his educational journey at St. Vincent College, in Latrobe, PA, where he, at first, focused on earning a degree in computer science. Even though computer science was his lifelong aspiration, he realized that he had another passion: helping people.
“I got more joy from helping people than from programming,” he explained. “And I thought, that was something I needed to explore.”
A few years into his degree program, he asked himself how he could combine computer science with his desire to help others. He had confided in his family, friends, and St. Vincent mentors to realize that teaching computer science was the right path for him. Mr. Gates pursued a degree in business education information technology (BEIT) with a PA certification in business, computer, and information technology (BCIT) for grades K-12.
Fast forward a few years, and Mr. Gates is now in his second school year as a PA Distance business/technology teacher providing several technology and computer science course options for students in grades 9-12.
“I feel at home interacting with kids virtually,” he noted. “I can chat with a student one-on-one while simultaneously teaching a live lesson to the rest of the class.”
Right now, he teaches several courses, including; Intro to Social Media, Technology, Computer Science I, Computer Science II, and Intro to Coding. Mr. Gates is in the process of restructuring his Technology course and adding new components. For example, the course is now designed to teach students the history of computers and the internet, how to use Google Suite, how to do internet research, how to program, digital citizenship and careers in computer science.
“I am making my technology class my own,” he explained. “It’s one of my favorite classes, and it teaches the kids a variety of topics.”
However, next school year, some of the courses he teaches will be changing. Mr. Gates, as one of the three members of the PA Distance Computer Science Team, will be spearheading new classes as part of the comprehensive computer science curriculum.
“Including this year, we have two more school years until the full implementation of the entire computer science curriculum,” he noted. “PA Distance will have classes for kids ‘to get their feet wet,’ who aren’t sure if they want to get involved in higher-level computer science classes.”
With the new computer science classes also comes new technology to teach those courses. “We are using the Code HS system, which is awesome,” he noted, referencing the teaching platform that PA Distance will be using to teach some of the new computer science classes. “It’s a top-of-the-line teaching tool,” Mr. Gates added.
Mr. Gates, along with the rest of the team, is thrilled to be able to offer brand new courses to students interested in furthering their knowledge and pursuing futures in technology and computer science. “We are going to have classes in web design, game design, and cybersecurity for kids who are interested in learning something new, but not anything more in-depth with computer science,” he explained.
“Once all of these computer science classes are implemented, we plan to form ‘career pathways’ where students can take specific classes that will set them up for the transition into their college major down the road,” Mr. Gates explained. “We can encourage college prep with these courses.”
PA Distance’s goal is to introduce students to computer science courses and expand access to a new skill set and knowledge base. “We want everyone to be able to get involved if they want, no matter their grade level or prior knowledge,” Mr. Gates said.
“This program will set PA Distance apart from other schools,” he added. “I’m excited about it, and I hope our students are, too.”