ACM
Member
News
DOI:10.1145/1461928.1461932
David Roman
the Dot-org Difference
One of the first things
you’ll notice about the new
Communications Web site
(
cacm.acm.org) is that it
has different content than
the monthly magazine. A
distinctive example is the
blogs. The site hosts two
kinds. Syndicated blogs,
about a dozen of them,
provide an array of insight,
opinion, and information
from innovative technology movers and thinkers.
All were recommended by
ACM members and most
are written by ACM members. They reflect the international scope of the computing world.
In addition, the new Communications site is proud to present its own
expert blog manned by a Who’s Who of leading computer science researchers
and practitioners. These
include MIT’s Scott Aar-onson, Georgia Tech’s
Mark Guzdial, ACM Fellow
James J. “Jim” Horning,
IBM Research’s Tessa Lau,
Google’s Peter Norvig, Microsoft Research’s Daniel
A. Reed, MIT’s Michael
Stonebraker, CMU’s Jeannette M. Wing, and other
illustrious names. Their
collective observations and
insights are sure to spark
great interest and debate.
oBama uRGeD to InCLuDe
ComPuteR sCIenCe
In K– 12 math anD sCIenCe
eDuCatIon
acM has issued a set of
recommendations to the obama
administration, supporting its
goal of making mathematics and
science education a national
priority at the K– 12 level and
urging it to include computer
science as an integral part
of the nation’s education
system. “computing education
benefits all students, not just
those interested in pursuing
computer science or information
technology careers,” notes
bobby Schnabel, chair
of acM’s education
Policy committee.
“to meet the nation’s
educational and
professional needs in
the face of insufficient numbers
of undergraduates majoring in
computer science, we need to
work harder to increase interest
at the K– 12 level, and to expand
the pipeline supplying the
necessary work force for an
information-based economy.”
among acM’s recommendations
are to consider “computer science
as one of the core courses
students need to develop critical
21st century skills as part of any
SteM education initiative,”
strengthen efforts to introduce
students to computer science in
middle school as middle school
curriculum is very influential in
determining children’s future
interests, and “expand efforts
to increase the number of
females and underrepresented
minorities” in SteM education.
The expert and syndicat-
ed blogs do several things
for Communications’ online readers: they provide valuable content; generate
discussion; and encourage communication.
sIGCse a WaRD WInneRs
at SigcSe 2009, eugene Spafford,
executive director of ceRiaS at
Purdue University, received the
2009 abacus award from Upsilon
Pi epsilon for his sustained
commitment to students in
computing. also, Michael J.
clancy, a senior lecturer at
the University of california at
berkeley, won the Lifetime Service
to computer Science education
community award and elliot b.
Koffman, a professor of computer
and information sciences at
temple University, won the
outstanding contribution to
computer Science award.
10 CommunICatIons of the aCm | feBRuaRY 2009 | vol. 52 | No. 2