Carol Pignato

Background

I studied at Brooklyn College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 2019. During my time there, I subjected myself to healthy stress by participating challenging hackathons, built everlasting connections with colleagues in STEM, and grew via accountability and taking responsibility for my work. After teaching CS at The American Museum of History for 2 years, I have taken my expertise to the public school setting at Advanced Math & Science III Charter High School in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, teaching Introductory Computer Science to 9th graders and Computational Science Applications to 10th graders. While doing so, I completed a graduate program at Brooklyn College and achieved a Master's Degree in Mathematics Education (Grades 5-9) in May 2024.

I have taken coursework in both Computer Science and Mathematics and aspire to create a culturally competent class environment to educate and share my passion for problem solving and logic with others.

What I Do

As an educator, I apply what I know and what I love to my job: tinkering with code, finding solutions, and helping others - but, most importantly, having fun while doing so!

My goal is to help students become better thinkers, and articulating what they know versus what they don't know is always the first step. Master the basics, and you can apply it anywhere you choose.

2022 - present
Advanced Math & Science III Charter High School

1. I help grant exposure for all 9th grade students to computer science in JavaScript using p5.js as we explore concepts of sequencing, selection and iteration to create interactive programs. I implemented the introductory course in the form of Scratch programming when I joined the team in 2022, and have since transformed the course to culminate in an understanding of the JavaScript programming language based on student feedback.
2. I've brought work from AMNH to the 10th graders in Southern Brooklyn to continue leading in the faciliation on how computer science plays roles in the realm of various natural sciences using the Python programming language and various visualization libraries.
3. I teach Foundational Algebra, a support algebra class to help students focus on key skills required to pass the Algebra Regents exam, while building on number sense and helping them become better problem solvers.
4. I run Web Design Club on Mondays where we explore different things we can do using HTML and CSS, culminating in whatever webpage you want to show off!

2020 - 2022
Brown Scholars Program for BridgeUP:STEM @ AMNH

1. I taught the Brown Scholars about the wonders of Data Science, and its intersection between Computer Science and Natural Science. We used datasets gathered from the museum to learn basic Python syntax, practicing data manipulation techniques and creating visualizations for six scientific unit projects throughout the school year.
2. I mentored a group of 6 brilliant interns in a year-long project dedicated to the application of their Python skills. We studied the epidemiological impact of COVID-19 on society, while learning how to implement various new computer science topics like Machine Learning and Web Design to share our findings.

Inspiration

I live by the following words:

• "Simplicity is bliss."
• "No one is better than me, and I'm not better than anyone."
• "Time waits for no one, so make the best use of it."
• "Learn what is to be taken seriously, and laugh at the rest."
• "There is never nothing to do."