September 2024 Newsletter

Thank you all for joining us as we kick off the 2024-2025 school year! The CSinPA newsletter is your monthly digest for all things CS Education. And for day-to-day information, resources, and conversation, please join us on our Community of Practice.

This September newsletter is our most jam-packed yet! It's filled with resources, opportunities, professional learning, and celebrations. Let's get this year off to a great start!

The CSinPA team hosted their annual computer science camp at the National Autism Conference, offering campers a week-long hands-on experience called “Code Carnival! Where Computer Science Takes a Ride!”

Campers explored computer science fundamentals through a mix of unplugged and plugged activities, including creating a pedometer device, a mobile application, and interactive games. They also met with the Hershey Park App Development team, gaining insights into how computer science is applied in amusement parks. The field experience provided opportunities for socializing, exploring the venue, and making connections to their projects for the final showcase. On the last day, campers presented their projects to conference attendees, sharing their goals, challenges, successes, and potential next steps. This immersive, project-based learning experience offered participants valuable insights into computer science and potential future career paths.

Tim Brennan, a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) at Norristown SD attended the Experience Programming in Quorum (EPIQ 2024) professional development at the Washington State School for the Blind to build his capacity to support students in CS learning using Quorum, a born-accessible,open-source programming language.

Earlier this summer, the CSinPA team at PaTTAN and members of the TACTICS team also participated in professional learning on Quorum and are excited to share opportunities with the broader CSinPA community this year. Stay tuned!

A heartfelt thank you to all the CSTA Chapter leaders who played a vital role in facilitating the CSinPA book events this June. We had the pleasure of hosting 50 educators from 35 school districts, who engaged in meaningful discussions on expanding Computer Science education through the use of these books. This event also provided educators the opportunity to network with the CSinPA team, CSTA Chapter Leaders, and connect with their regional CSTA chapters.

Here is a list of the books featured at the event, now available in our CSinPA library. We are currently developing additional resources and activities to help you engage learners in Computer Science using these books. Stay tuned for more updates!

Over the next few months, the CSTA Susquehanna Valley Chapter will host a series of six engaging professional learning opportunities centered on using Micro:bit in the classroom. Participants will receive an introductory overview of the Micro:bit, followed by breakout discussions that encourage collaboration based on grade bands. Additionally, there will be sessions on how Micro:bit can be utilized for data collection and industry representatives will be invited to share their insights. Stay tuned for specific dates and further details!

Sign up by September 16th to claim your spot in our third annual virtual book club. Participants will receive a FREE copy of the book with sign-up.

Beginning October 2nd, we'll meet every other week for an hour of guided discussion on a section of the novel, Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet, by Claire L. Evans. Act 48 credit is available.

This Pathway is open to Pennsylvania 7-12 educators who are teaching or will soon be teaching Computer Science courses. The course is specifically crafted to assist educators in the field, providing valuable insights into implementing successful approaches in a CS classroom. With a focus on inclusion, the program actively seeks to draw in and support the retention of students who are usually underrepresented in the realm of CS. Participants who complete all the pathway, will receive a stipend of $300. For additional details about the pathway and to access the interest form, please refer to this SMORE.

Over the next few months, the CSTA Susquehanna Valley Chapter will host a series of six engaging professional learning opportunities centered on using Micro:bit in the classroom. Participants will receive an introductory overview of the Micro:bit, followed by breakout discussions that encourage collaboration based on grade bands. Additionally, there will be sessions on how Micro:bit can be utilized for data collection, and industry representatives will be invited to share their insights. Stay tuned for specific dates and further details!

The SCRIPT - the Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool - is a framework to guide teams of district administrators, school leaders, and educators through a series of collaborative visioning, self-assessment and goal-setting exercises to create or expand upon a computer science education implementation plan for their students (CSforALL). For districts who have attended a SCRIPT workshop, we encourage you to attend an Annual SCRIPT workshop. The Annual SCRIPT Workshop will walk you through an in-depth review of the comprehensive plan that was created in the original SCRIPT workshop and support the planning process for the year ahead.

PaTTAN will be hosting Statewide SCRIPT workshops! Any LEA interested in attending either of our SCRIPT workshops are encouraged to complete the interest form by September 30th. Due to our virtual setting, we have a limited amount of seats available for LEAs. The full SCRIPT team will be required to attend the workshop (detailed in the interest form).

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education is pleased to announce the seventh annual Pennsylvania Computer Science For All (CSforAllPA) Summit will be held December 11-12, 2024 at PaTTAN Harrisburg and online.

In conjunction with the 2024 CSforAllPA Summit the CSinPA team would like to recognize outstanding K-12 computer science (CS) educators for their efforts to expand CS learning for all with the CS Exemplary Educator Award. Apply here for the award or nominate an educator here.

Your voice matters, and we want to ensure that our upcoming summit reflects your interests and aspirations. Your valuable input will play a pivotal role in shaping the agenda and content of the event. To make sure that we address your specific preferences and needs, we kindly invite you to complete our interest form.

Click here for more information about the 2024 CSforAllPA Summit.

In support of The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education seventh annual Pennsylvania Computer Science For All (CSforAllPA) Summit, which will be held December 11-12, 2024 at PaTTAN Central (Harrisburg) and online, we are providing a Cybersecurity Pre-Summit for K-12 Educators. This collaborative event between CSinPA and Cyber.org will be held on December 10, 2024 at PaTTAN Central (Harrisburg) and online.

To ensure the Cybersecurity Pre-Summit provides the most relevant and engaging experience for educators, we're seeking your input! Your feedback will help shape the workshops, activities, and resources offered at the Pre-Summit. Take a few minutes to fill out our short interest form.

Researchers at the University of Maine and the University of Nevada Las Vegas are seeking volunteers to participate in a research study on programming languages and tools.

Volunteers must be at least 14 years old. The experience is virtual and takes 30 - 60 minutes. All recorded data is completely confidential.

The 100% virtual 7-12 Praxis Prep pathway is open to PA 7-12 educators who are currently teaching or will soon be teaching a CS course and are planning to take the 7-12 CS Praxis exam required for certification. Registration is open for the Fall Cohort for the 7-12 Praxis Prep Pathway for the 24-25 school year until September 30. The fall cohort runs from October 1, 2024 to March 2025. Follow this link for more information and to register.

To apply for the stipend and/or reimbursement after the passing of your CS exam and adding your certification, submit the required documentation using the CSinPA 7-12 CS certification and exam survey. Select “I took the exam & completed this form already. I am re-submitting it because of the reimbursement program and/or to receive a stipend.” on the first page to navigate directly to the section 5 for reimbursement documentation and check the box also for the stipend program in this section too. This will direct you to documentation needed for the stipend program. The form allows for multiple submissions allowing you to update your status with the exam when relevant to your situation.

Our new workshop series for 2024-2025 offers expert guidance and support to help you succeed. Whether you're just starting your journey or need a final boost, these sessions will cover essential topics and provide valuable practice. Join us for four full-day workshops on key code-based concepts, earn 6 Act 48 credits per session, and benefit from flexible registration options. Expert instruction and peer collaboration will help you feel confident and prepared.

All workshops take place 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (see details below).

1. November 13, 2024: Pseudocode fundamentals (variables, operators, conditionals, methods, parameters) Registration coming soon.

2. January 22, 2025: Loops and recursion and Practice Exam review(Registration closes 1/19)

3. February 19, 2025: Arrays, 1D and 2D, and data structures (Registration closes 2/16)

4. May 21, 2025: Object-oriented programming, order of magnitude, searching and sorting and Practice Exam review (Registration closes 5/18)

Registration will open soon and all information can be found at this link.

The program for teachers preparing for the PA 7-12 CS certification exam is still available! We continue to offer the program to participants in any current or previous PaTTAN 7-12 CS professional learning program (7-12 PAsmart 1.0/2.0, CSinPA 7-12 CS Praxis Prep pathway).

The Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award is presented by the U.S. Secretary of Education to teachers in the field of cybersecurity to honor their contributions to the education of our nation’s students.

Submit your nomination by email to CyberAwards@ed.gov by September 13, 2024, at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Watch the Applicant's Webinar recording to hear past awardees share their insights on the opportunity, receive general guidance on preparing applications, and get answers to common questions. Use this Link to learn more and apply.

If you are a school or district administrator who wants to learn more about how you can support CS teachers, or teachers integrating CS into their classes, then our Leading the Charge PIL program is the perfect place to start!

Cohort 4 will be opening soon for the 2024-2025 school year

More information, including registration, will be released soon

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