CS@SMC
CS News & Opportunities
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Farewell, but not Goodbye
My tenure at SMCOE is up, but the work goes on. I have so enjoyed working with everyone over the last two and a half years on our journey to #CSforAll. If I can only leave you with one idea, it is the first principle from the California CS Strategic Implementation Plan:
"Every student and every teacher is capable of learning computer science. "
So go to your local CSTA chapter meetings, keep up with the CSEd Reading Group, make new friends on the Who's Who, contribute to Make CS Count, and join the CSforCA Slack. For all other CS enquiries, email the new boss, Jared Prolo jprolo@smcoe.org.
❤️Dr. Em
Harvard's Getting Unstuck with Scratch 2020 will be hosted from Monday, July 6 to Friday, July 17, with 10 days of daily programming prompts via email. To join Getting Unstuck this summer, please sign up at https://gettingunstuck.gse.harvard.edu/signup.html.
Join us virtually on July 28th for a day of award-winning free professional development for K-12 teachers! This workshop is ideal for teachers from all disciplines who are ready to get started bringing computer programming into their classrooms. Tuesday, July 28th, 7AM-12PM PDT Register
Popfizz Computer Science is an online education platform for students and teachers. We have curriculum for grades 6-12 and Professional Development courses built into our modern online platform. We offer physical computing courses including Raspberry Pi and Microbit as well as Introduction to CS with Python, APCSA and APCSP. Our summer PD courses are offered in two settings, Self Paced and 5-Day coding bootcamps with live mentoring.
How has the Covid-19 emergency affected CS Education?
Assemblymember Luz Rivas' Summer of CS Keynote
Become a CodeCombat Online Instructor
CodeCombat are currently looking for qualified teachers to teach coding classes over the summer. If you are interested, or would just like to find out more, click here.
National K-12 CS Teacher Survey
If you teach K-12 computer science, we need your voice!
We invite you to participate in this national survey, which will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. Responses are confidential and optional.
As thanks for your time, the first 3,000 teachers who complete the survey will receive their choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a $10 discount on CSTA Annual Conference registration fees. All participants will be entered in a raffle for one of five $100 Amazon gift cards.
Please encourage other CS teachers to also complete the survey, and if you have any questions please contact research@kaporcenter.org or membership@csteachers.org. Many thanks again for contributing vital insights to improving K-12 computer science education!
With appreciation,
CSTA and Kapor Center
A free Stanford-developed curriculum that can be taught as a standalone course or embedded in a course. Suitable for grades 9-12. The course addresses the Data and Analysis & Algorithms and Programming concepts in the CSTA Teaching Framework. The course has been approved for “g” credit in California schools
For Computer Science and Math Teachers who have knowledge of symbolic manipulation as taught in Algebra and comfort with sets, relations, and functions.
Central Timezone: June 22 - June 26, 2020
Eastern Timezone: June 29 – July 3, 2020
Eastern Timezone: July 6 - July 10, 2020
Pacific Timezone: July 20 – July 24, 2020
The tuition for the course is $750. Wherever support is not available through the school district, we are offering a limited number of tuition scholarships.
Deadline June 15
Create and Learn is recruiting instructors to meet Increased demand for online coding classes.
Free CS Courses for Teachers
Beth Simon (Professor, UCSD) is making her online courses for TEACHERS available for free March 16-April 16.
The classes are:
Teaching Impacts of Computing
Teaching Computational Thinking and Block-Based Programming
Teaching Java (with CS Awesome)
These courses may count toward a supplementary authorization in computer science. Request access here.
Watch Assemblymember Luz Rivas preside at February's legislative session on CSEd. (starts at 24:40)
CSTA Standards for CS Teaching
What does it take to teach CS? CSTA has a guide to content knowledge and skills.
Job Board! The following organizations are hiring:
BootUp: Professional Development Facilitators and District Implementation Director(s)
UCLA Center X Computer Science Equity Project: Associate Director Job Req#31925
Create&Learn: Curriculum Designer & Professional Development Lead
A hands-on workshop on the Bootstrap: Algebra approach for integrating computing content into a math curriculum. Feb 18-20 8:30-4:00 @KCI $600/person
Ignited
Ignited is a Bay Area non-profit partnering with companies and university labs, like Silicon Valley Bank, Synopsys, and Amazon, to provide K-16 Educators of all subjects with full-time, 7- or 8-week summer fellowships that focus on bringing modern and engaging real-world examples to the classroom! Teachers earn $9,000 for completing our professional development program and designing/implementing engaging curriculum to transfer their hands-on summer experience back to the classroom. Applications are now open, and positions begin to be filled in March. Application information can be found here: http://www.igniteducation.org/apply/. Learn more about the application process here: https://join.igniteducation.org/applicants/application-process.
Webinar Recording from Rob van Nood, Ed Tech Specialist at Catlin Gabel School, OR
Know a middle school girl? Live in the Bay Area? Girls+Data is hosting our Intro to Data Visualization workshop at @ThoughtSpot on 2/1 in Sunnyvale, CA
Add a Climate Clock to your website and show how computing is part of the solution to the world's problems.
#ProfessionalLearningGoals
Here's a New Year's Resolution for you: Sign up for the 21-day Scratch Getting Unstuck Challenge: one challenge in your email every day January 1-21. It's not too late to join!
StreetCode
StreetCode is hiring part-time CS instructors.
Computer Science Education Week is Dec 9-15
Join the Hour of Code: Heroes Challenge and your class could win a prize!
-> 39 San Mateo County public schools registered their Hour of Code (updated Jan 6)
â—Ź Connect with a group of districts leading similar efforts to promote equitable computer science at scale
â—Ź Amplify existing work happening in your district within a national dialogue on CSed
â—Ź Contribute to field-building research on K12 CSed
â—Ź Generate lessons learned and promising practices to inform the national conversation on CSforALL in K12
Apply by December 15th
San Mateo County Board of Education and San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Endorse December 9-15, 2019, as Computer Science Education Week: Hour of Code:
"Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved that the San Mateo County Board of Education and County Superintendent of Schools endorse December 9-15, 2019, as Computer Science Education Week: Hour of Code in San Mateo County; and
Be It Further Resolved that the San Mateo County Board of Education and County Superintendent of Schools encourage schools, educators, parents, and policymakers to participate in Computer Science Education Week and create opportunities for youth to participate in Hour of Code activities; and
Be It Further Resolved that the San Mateo County Board of Education and County Superintendent of Schools support the development of initiatives and partnerships to bring computer science education to every child in San Mateo County."
Library Coding Club
2-3pm every Sunday at the Redwood City Library. All learners welcome; volunteers always needed. Contact Andrew.
A podcast series focused on the best teaching practices for computer science, from Duke University.
Burlingame FIRST Robotics Judges Needed
BHS robotics team is hosting a FTC Qualifying Robotics Tournament on Sunday November 24th at Burlingame High School from 8am until about 6pm. As a judge, you don't need any technical expertise, and you get to talk to students from different teams and hear about how these young people are making a difference in their communities and spreading STEM. It is an all day slot from 8 to 6...but it is really fun and rewarding and only requires a short online training.
Contact Christina Wade
CS Digest November 2019
csdigest-11-19.pdfThe high school students of the Bay Area Youth Computer Science Council are hosting a free kids' hackathon at the Belmont Library on Novmember 30th. Please help advertise so it's well attended!
Scratchathon.pdfScratchathon Spanish Ver..pdf
CSforALL
We're attending the 2019 #CSforALLSummit! With hundreds of thought leaders, community members, commitment makers, and organizations we gather for three days to discuss System Change! Follow: #CSforALLSummit & #CSforALL. Livestream here: https://www.live.csforall.org
Computer Science Steering Committee Convenes
The CSSC held their first meeting on October 2 to begin the year-long process of writing a Strategic Implementation Plan for Computer Science in San Mateo County. Pictured left to right: Top row: Melissa Hero, Robert Wachtel Pronovost, Christy Novack, Trevor Leach, Ann Greyson, Mark Miller; Bottom row: Aleata Hubbard Cheuoua, Carl Shan, Mariana Hernandez; Not pictured: Quinn Burke, Sandra Velásquez, Bradley Ostrander
CS Digest October 2019
csdigest-10-19.pdfThe position of CA CS Coordinator has been posted! (Even though it is listed as Educational Programs Consultant, I have confirmation from the state that this is the same position.) Please encourage as many people as possible to apply so there is a diverse field of candidates to choose from.
Remember, women, we are more likely to exclude ourselves from jobs because we don't feel we meet all the requirements. Stay strong and apply anyway by Sept 24!
Join us September 21, 9:00-12:00 for a free training from Piper, the build-your-own computer kit based on Raspberry Pi. Grades 3-8, space limited.
After the event, classroom sets of Pipers will be available to borrow for free from our STEAM Lending Library.
CS Equity Guide
Printed editions of the CS Equity Guide are here! Let me know if you want one or more and I can reserve them for pickup or pony.
CSTA-SV
The Silicon Valley Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association met on September 9 to learn about the new Beauty and Joy of Computing Middle School Curriculum from Dan Garcia of UC Berkeley. He uses Snap! and gentle pacing to introduce Functional Programming through text processing, graphics and games.
CS Digest September 2019
csdigest-9-19.pdfThe issue of CS PD (and funding for it) comes before the US House, sponsored by Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Tom Reed (NY-23).
8/19 Editorial in the Mercury News by our own Assemblyman Marc Berman
$2000 stipend & free travel. Apply by August 5.
Good luck to everyone who applied!
The Bay Area Youth Computer Science Council is recruiting new members in grades 9-12. They are also seeking a fiscal agent that is a registered charity to accept and disburse funds.
More mentors are needed for Hack the Future in Sunnyvale June 22.
It went great! Well done, everyone, especially Supriya and Jessica, rocking the Scratch table for the Youth Council!
Two months before the July deadline, the State Board of Education has adopted an amended version of the California Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan.
Governor Newsom's new budget includes $1M for a State CS Coordinator.
ACCESS has released a #CSforCA Equity Guide.
Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College is holding two week-long CS workshops: June 17 - 21 and July 29 - Aug 2.
Sacramento County Office of Ed brings us a week of free PD for teachers, strategic planning workshops for administrators, and even guidance for counselors! June 17-21
(Thanks, Christy!)
How did Computer Science help to produce that first ever photograph of a supermassive black hole currently rocking the internet?
Computer Science has moved up from a mere "G" elective in the A-G system. It now counts as a third laboratory science, or "D".
Get your Supplemental Authorization in CS in 12 months online from UC Riverside.
The San Mateo County School Board & Superintendent have passed joint resolution 18-55 endorsing Computer Science Education Week and supporting the creation of a Computer Science Steering Committee.
It's here! The state has released its draft recommendations about the who, how, and when of standards implementation. Update: Still not adopted. Any day now...
Four years ago, Assembly Bill 1539 called for the development of CA CS Standards. We have now achieved approval by the State Board of Education.