Cohort Activities
Cohort Objectives:
1. Educators unpack newly released CA CS Standards to ensure instruction contains CS concepts and practices, allow students to interact with computer science to build conceptual knowledge.
2. Educators actively participate as students in CS standards based, interdisciplinary lessons grounded in research-based pedagogical practices, to then design similar learning experiences for students.
3. Educators examine CS standards and interdisciplinary connections via standards appendix to build lessons integrating CS into other content areas, maximizing instructional minutes and building sustainability.
4. Educators design and deliver a minimum of two standards based, interdisciplinary lessons, and contribute their experience to shared folder via video, lesson plan, reflection, blog, images, etc. to further collaborative learning.
Content/Curricular Knowledge Building:
First day of PD will cover the breadth of California computer science standards, including all five concept areas and seven practices. This will allow both math and science educators to understand the definition of computer science and to unpack concepts and practices, using K12CS framework as a guide. Mathematics educators will then attend 3 days of PD introducing the curriculum of Bootstrap, learning to apply computer science principles to their middle school mathematics instruction. Bootstrap aligns to all seven CS practices, and standards from concept areas Computing Systems (CS), Data & Analysis (DA), and Algorithms & Programming (AP). Science educators will attend PD which introduces the curriculum Project GUTS/Code.org, to learn to apply all seven CS practices and standards from concept areas CS, DA, and AP. When mathematics and science educators meet together again for a joint PD, focus will be on ways to embed concept areas Networks & the Internet and Impacts of Computing into lessons.
Pedagogical Context:
Pedagogical strategies covered during PD align to a student-led learning environment, as educators learn to design relevant, meaningful learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies from California computer science standards appendix will be included in PD. UDL strategies celebrate variability and provide students with both voice and choice. UDL principles for instruction include: Principle I) Provide multiple means of engagement to tap individual learners’ interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn; Principle II) Provide multiple means of representation to give students various ways of acquiring, processing, and integrating information and knowledge; and Principle III) Provide multiple means of action and expression to provide students with options for navigating and demonstrating learning. UDL strategies within the standards appendix are specific to computer science content. Educators will write strategies into lesson plans and reflect during COP meetings.
