Teacher Capacity and Development
Professional Development Plans
Few school initiatives can be successful without communication, justification, training opportunities, funding, and time, all of which serve to build teacher capacity. The East Union Elementary Computer Science Team, between the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2022, has created opportunities for all teachers to participate in professional development that has broadened understanding of the need for Computer Science instruction and learning in Iowa schools. The embedded document briefly summarizes the professional learning that is taking place at East Union.
This page also contains links to a variety of professional development offerings. Educators can participate in learning opportunities at almost any time, thanks to technology that has its roots in Computer Science!
Computer Science in the Elementary Classroom
EDMA 269
Online Course Description:
"Our society’s increased dependence on technology is generating a need for highly qualified individuals who have the skills to support and create that technology. Thus, it is never too early to introduce the fundamentals of computer science to elementary school students—and this course will help you do just that.
In this course, you’ll learn strategies for preparing children to meet the needs of our modern society, starting with the basics of computational thinking in lower elementary and moving into beginning programming in upper elementary. You’ll review a variety of resources and choose those that will work best in your classroom setting given your access to technology. In addition, you’ll learn the long-term benefits of teaching student’s computer science skills and how to be good digital citizens."
Embedded Professional Development
Description:
A Google Classroom has been created especially for teachers who are looking for practical ways to integrate Computer Science education with Core subject areas. Teachers are welcome to contact members of the Computer Science Team to provide feedback or make requests:
Emily Cummings, Sandra Donner, Joan Gordon,
Robin McNutt, Marcus Patten, Susan Stover
Whittier Elementary School in Clinton, Iowa graciously shared this presentation with CSE Network Schools on April 10, 2021. This slide show could be used as a model for in-house professional development. We wish to thank our colleagues from Whittier for providing this model:
Ms. Sarah Shepherd
Mr. Brian Kenney
Code.org: Free PD!
More Information:
"You don't have to be a software developer to teach computer science.
More than one million teachers have brought CS to their students using Code.org. Code.org makes it easy, no matter your background."
Tynker.com: Free PD!
More Information:
"Tynker’s PD sessions are a great opportunity for you to explore how to incorporate Tynker into your curriculum. Topics include everything from coding with Tynker Blocks and text-based languages, pedagogical best practices, physical computing, game design, and much more. In addition, if the live session doesn’t fit into your schedule, all webinars are available on-demand."
Bootuppd.org: Free PD!
More Information:
"Through long-term professional development, BootUp trains teachers to empower their students as they become creators, collaborators, communicators, logical thinkers, and real-world problem-solvers.
Our professional development facilitators prepare teachers to become confident and effective mentors by teaching computer science and computational thinking concepts, sharing pedagogical content knowledge, and supporting professional learning communities."
Bootuppd.org: Scratch and Scratch Jr.
More Information:
"Young coders create a variety of fun and engaging projects while learning the foundation of coding concepts and practices using a simplified, block-based coding platform."
This site includes a comprehensive set of lesson plans for K-2 and 3-5 students. Teachers have access to videos and additional information that will help guide instruction and learning for Computer Science concepts and applications.
Nebraska also offers great learning opportunities through NETA. Click here for more information:
Become a member of the Computer Science Teachers Association. Professional learning is available in a variety of formats. Click here to join an Iowa chapter:
The AEA Learning System offers self-paced Computer Science modules. Click to log in, and search using "Computer Science."
Keystone Area Education Agency offers Micro-credential Computer Science coursework: "Micro-credentials are just in time, asynchronous, small chunks of professional learning experiences that will demonstrate proficiency in a specific skill. Our vision is to promote learning so educators can apply their learnings in their practice, collect evidence, and demonstrate their competence." Click here to explore Keystone AEA's offerings.
The AEA Learning System also offers Computer Science Micro-credential Computer Science coursework: "Micro-credentials are just in time, asynchronous, small chunks of professional learning experiences that will allow you to demonstrate proficiency in a specific skill. Each micro-credential on this list takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete. To earn a licensure renewal credit, you will need to select 5 micro-credentials to complete. Go through the steps outlined on the syllabus and submit your evidence of learning through the Google form linked at the bottom of each syllabus. You can earn $60 per completed micro-credential up to a maximum of $300 (5 micro-credentials)."
