2019-2020

Our district contracted BootUp Professional Development to provide training to our CS team members about computer science and how to integrate it into their classrooms. Members of our CS team attended the Computer Science is Elementary Institute, Iowa Technology and Education Connection (ITEC), the Future Ready Iowa Summit, and visited Loess Hills Computer Programming Elementary School. There were plans to send members of our computer science teams to CSTA in Virginia, but the trip was canceled due to Covid.

2020-2021

Our district looked very different this year. All classes were part of a "pod" concept. Class sizes were smaller and students often stayed with the same teacher for most of their day. Professional Development was not offered and computer science instruction was limited.

2021-2022

This year we were able to send a few team members to the Future Ready Iowa Summit in September. In December, members of our leadership team had the opportunity to attend the SCRIPT Workshop from CSforALL in Pocahontas. Our leadership team has also been in contact with BootUp PD to organize another week of professional development for our new team members and to refresh our understanding of computer science to current team members. Our AEA representative Julie Graber has been very helpful as we navigate our next steps.

In the spring of 2022 we applied for the Computer Science Curriculum and Professional Development Grant that would allow us to purchase a computer science curriculum (CoderZ) and receive training from NewBoCo (Code.og) and CoderZ. We will continue to offer on-going professional development for all elementary teachers. Teachers would be trained in computer science and have CS team members model computer science instruction in their classrooms. The CS team will continue to meet monthly to discuss, plan, and reflect on their practice.