Integrated Computer Science Programs

The Introducing Computing and Technology through Discrete Mathematics (ICAT in DM) is a collaboration between the  Discrete Math Project  (DMP), housed at San Diego State University, the California Math Project at UC San Diego, and Sweetwater Union High School District. This project addresses two urgent problems in the teaching and learning of mathematics, and specifically within the Discrete Math Project's course: (1) the need for Computer Science (CS) concepts to closely connect to the discrete math course content and (2) the need for math teacher professional learning around CS concepts relevant to the discipline of mathematics. The educators involved this project will be able to prepare students for careers as diverse as bioinformatics, logistics, cryptography, operations research and cybersecurity, all of which can open professional paths leading to economic prosperity. 

The California Writing Project’s Composing and Computing Collaborative (CCC) is a statewide initiative designed for CWP teachers to come together in a supportive learning community and pursue their own questions of interest as they explore the numerous ways that computing intersects with the teaching of writing. “Computing” isn’t just typing behind a computer screen or writing code- it helps to tell a story, emphasizes persistence in problem solving, and is a skill that teaches students how to create. Just like writing, computing involves creating, connecting ideas, deconstructing, refining and revising one’s thinking, and communicating effectively to an audience (“user”). And, like writing, computing can promote collaboration and inclusivity; it is an essential skill needed for students to become informed and engaged citizens of tomorrow.  It would be hard to overestimate the impact technology has on our- and our students’- lives. How we communicate, organize our work and time, and understand the world around us-  all of this is negotiated through computers, programming systems, and digital tools. And, as technology becomes increasingly sophisticated to meet perceived human “needs”, it’s become clear that we have a responsibility as educators to think about the ways we can harness the power of this technology to amplify student learning. This two-year inquiry will culminate with CWP teachers sharing their findings with the larger writing project community and beyond. 

This project leverages an existing partnership between the UCLA Science Project and the Los Angeles Unified School District to establish a vertical community of practice for grades 3-8 to integrate computational thinking for equity practices and computer science principles into existing or new curricula. Through this community, we hope to increase teacher efficacy around computing, computational thinking practices and approaches to foster inclusive computer science learning in classroom spaces. 

The Phenomenon to Model (Ph2M) initiative aims to assist secondary school science instructors in incorporating computational thinking into their science curriculum. AT the San fernando Valley Science Project @ CSU Northridge, we are collaborating with the Los Angeles Unified School District Local District North (LAUSD North) to introduce integrated CS-Science activities to educators and offer support in implementing them. The central goal of the Ph2M project is to provide educational materials that encourage students to investigate scientific phenomena, ultimately leading to the creation of a mathematical or computational model of these phenomena. Students will use tools like Google Sheets, SAGE Modeller, Scratch, and Python in building their models. Once the models are constructed, students will be able to run tests to see how closely their model matches observations. Through professional development activities, we will aid science teachers in integrating computer science (CS) principles and practices to enhance their modeling work with useful technology tools. This approach has the potential to enhance students' comprehension of both science and the Computer Science Concepts and Practices as described in the CA Computer Science Standards for K12 Students. For more information see the Ph2M website. 

Fellows in this program explore how education in computer science and geography concepts and skills can be integrated in highly engaging and relevant lessons across a range of subject areas and at any grade level. Monthly webinars focus on learning related to geospatial technologies, geographic thinking, and alignment of our project with the priorities of schools, teachers, and students throughout the state. Fellows invest time in designing and piloting lessons and learning experiences to meet the needs of their own students. They set their own project goals and work independently or in small groups, but they are also supported by a community of practice, which is a vehicle for sharing ideas, resources, and support among all of the participating teachers.  The products created by this group and the knowledge gained through the piloting experiences will be shared with other educators around the state (and beyond) through conference presentations and published articles beginning in 2025. More info on the project is available on the California Geographic Alliance website.

The California Arts Project (TCAP) statewide Arts & Computer Science Integration Leadership professional learning program for TK – 12 arts educators (dance, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts) is focused on two overarching goals:

· advancing arts educators’ expertise and capacities to authentically integrate the CA Computer Science Standards within their teaching contexts, and

· advancing leadership capacity statewide within the five arts disciplines educational communities (dance, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts) and their teaching contexts (elementary, secondary, and career technical – arts, media, and entertainment).

The Computer Science for Climate Action program is a partnership between the San Diego Science Project (SDSP) at UC San Diego, Rudy Escobar STEM and Computer Science Coordinator from Stanislaus County Office of Education, Dr. Jessica Bean, leader of the UC Berkeley Understanding Global Change (UGC), and the FieldScope Projects.  In this program, teachers work with SoCal Heat Hub researchers at the Scripps institution of Oceanography at UCSD to integrate CS activities into climate-based curriculum efforts.  Teachers support students with using physical computing devices, known as micro:bits, that will allow them to collect and analyze their own temperature, sunlight, humidity, and air quality data. In this project, teachers will learn how to teach students to connect the micro:bit to various sensors and program it to measure and record climate-related environmental data that will then be shared using radio, bluetooth, and IoT, and then uploaded and analyzed in the FieldScope community and citizen science platform. 

 The UCI Science project partners with Orange County teachers and teacher leaders to explore effective ways to integrate computational thinking and computer science into various content areas. This collaboration focuses on developing best practices and strategies that empower students' problem-solving abilities across the curriculum.