Generative AI for Programming Education

Situating our response to generative AI in disciplinary identity

About

While my CV highlights my academic products, it doesn’t explain how I approach my work. I want to share with you how I work not only so that we can collaborate in a more thoughtful way, but also so that you can hold me accountable when I fall short of who I want to be. How I teach is deeply shaped by who I am, so I hope this document helps you get to know me so that we learn better together.

Why should we learn in school? Education is not only about learning skills, but also discovering our professional voice and approach to navigating the world. I see my academic work as creative work: expressions of who I am and who I want to be. The efforts, actions, and choices we make today—repeated over weeks, months, and years—determines what we and our world will be in the future.

Why should we do good work? Our work is our art: it’s the mark we leave behind on the world. I want to work with people who are serious about their art! I prefer setting ambitious goals even if mistakes occur along the way because it’s the best way to learn not only about our work but also about ourselves. Self-reflection and critical conversations about our work are key to improving ourselves.

Why should we not give up? While human existence can feel bleak, meaningless, and out of balance with the natural world, there is beauty in living because we have the chance to struggle—to make a better world. I am rarely ever angry or disappointed in individual people, but rather in the systems that produce them. I tend to focus on the actions we can take to change our social conditions.

Learning is about improving ourselves to help others. Learning isn’t just about helping ourselves, but also about how we can help others. I want my communities to care for each other, and that includes the community of people in our classrooms. I trust people who consistently take deliberate action to improve themselves, honor commitments to others, and go out of their way to provide help.