Eleven deaf and hard-of-hearing students from Seattle-area high schools participated in the Saturday Computing Experience for eight weeks in spring 2012. Richard Ladner, PI of AccessComputing, led the class along with nine volunteers, including graduate students from the Computer Science and Engineering Department and staff from Google, Isilon and Microsoft. Three graduates of the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing and AccessComputing team members, Jordan Atwood, Josiah Cheslik and Travis Smith, served as teaching assistants. The program is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Students used Scratch, a visual tool for programming that uses blocks to string together commands and produce animation shorts and games. On the final day, students demonstrated what they learned to their parents, teachers, family members, and friends. Students' projects included an animated short that demonstrated technology for a person with a mobility disability and an interactive memory game.
In 2013, the Saturday Computing Experience will start on April 6. Applications are available for Seattle-area high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more, see on the Saturday Computing Experience, see http://adhhc.cs.washington.edu/SCE.php.