October 2024 Newsletter

The 2024-2025 school year is off to a great start. This month's CSinPA newsletter is packed with important information, resources, and opportunities. And for even more from the world of CS, please join us on our Community of Practice.

The Resources and Opportunities section of this month's newsletter is absolutely packed with information about awards, grants, and contests. Make sure you check it out!

Our first CSinPA pop-up practice is LIVE! Pop-Up Practices are quick videos that can help level up your CS education program. For our first pop-up practice, we will discuss how to build your team to create a K-12 CS Plan! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohBfejR8wJM

Shout out to our friends at Penn State for hosting The Global Impact Forum - Accelerating AI for Good! This was the inaugural year for the 4-day conference. It was a great opportunity for networking and learning about the role of AI in education, industry, and our lives. We look forward to seeing TGIF grow in the coming years! https://gsv.psu.edu/

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!

Registration for Cohort 4 is open now!

More information, including registration, check out the Smore.

We’re reopening the following courses in our Micro-credential Program. Registration will open on October 15th.

• CSinPA: Why, What and How? (2-hour)

• AI in the Classroom: Introduction (2-hour)

• AI in the Classroom: Integrating AI to Support Student Learning (4- hour)

• Cybersecurity in the K-8 classroom: Introduction (2-hour)

• Using Music to Engage Students in CS Learning (4-hour)

• Empowering all students in CS Learning through a Behavioral approach (4-hour)

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 CSTA Susquehanna Valley Chapter is organizing an engaging 6-part series on physical computing using Micro:bits. This series will highlight how these incredible devices can stand alone as powerful tech tools or serve as extensions to gather data. We aim to equip educators with knowledge to integrate these resources into various subjects effectively. Join us for sessions that inspire creativity and foster innovation!

All participants who attend at least one session will receive a complimentary Micro:bit. If you attend five out of the six sessions, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a classroom set of Micro:bits, sponsored by PaTTAN’s CSinPA team.

All sessions will take place virtually on Zoom at 7:30 PM EST. After registering, you will receive a Zoom link at the email address provided. Please refer to this smore for more information and registration.

Penn State Harrisburg has a new offering you may be interested in!

Teaching Computer Science with Generative AI - October 16, 2024

Please use this form to register if you are interested in attending the PD Workshop at Penn State Harrisburg. There is a $250 stipend for teachers who teach computer science courses. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jeremy Blum jjb24@psu.edu

Sign up by October 11th to claim your spot in our professional learning book club! Participants will receive a FREE copy of the book with sign-up.

On October 14th at 5:00 PM, we will be hosting an hour of guided discussion by the author on a section of the book, "Reaching and Teaching Neurodivergent Learner in STEM: Strategies for Embracing Uniquely Talented Problem Solvers” by Jodi Asbell-Clarke.

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 pathways, will receive a stipend of $300. For additional details about the pathway and to access the interest form, please refer to this SMORE.

Are you a teacher planning or interested in teaching AP Computer Science Principles or a Computer Science A teacher currently. AP has an opportunity for you. AP is offering live and online Summer Institutes to help you explore the AP Computer Science Principles course and exam. Would you be interested in attending one of these institutes?Please fill out this form if interested.

The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), the Kapor Foundation, and the Alliance for Identity Inclusive Computing Education (AiiCE) are conducting a survey of PreK-12 computer science (CS) teachers in the United States.

Anyone teaching K-12 CS, regardless of grade or structure (stand-alone class versus integrated), is eligible to participate in CSTA’s bi-annual survey.

Responses are confidential.

The first 4,000 teachers who complete the survey will receive their choice of a $10 gift card (options: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Dunkin). All participants will be entered in a raffle for one of five $200 gift cards.

Please respond to the survey by October 23.

The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C) is a statewide event that provides educational technology programming with over 200 sessions focused on both curriculum and administration. In 2019, PETE&C began giving awards to recognize outstanding contributors in the field of Education Technology.

There are three distinct awards available:

• TECHNOLOGY STUDENT OF THE YEAR

• TECHNOLOGY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

• TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

We encourage you to nominate someone or even consider self nominating for the 2025 PETE&C awards.

Important Links and Dates:

1. pete&c dream awards

2. PETE&C Awards 2025 Nomination Form

3. Nominations due: November 1, 2024

Nominations are now being accepted for the Presidential Awards for Excellence

in Mathematics and Science Teaching. CS teachers are eligible for this award in both K-6 and 7-12 settings.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching. The President may recognize a total of 110 exemplary teachers each year.

Award winners receive:

1. A certificate signed by the President of the United States.

2. An all-expenses paid trip to a recognition event, which includes an award ceremony

3. A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

4. An opportunity to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation.

Important Links and Dates:

1. K-6 PAEMST Nomination

2. 7-12 PAEMST Nomination

3. Applications open: Tuesday October 1, 2024

4. Applications close: Thursday, February 6, 2025

We’re thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for school districts in Pennsylvania to apply for the CITES (Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems) grant. This grant provides high-quality technical assistance at no cost and offers districts the chance to become leaders in building inclusive technology ecosystems for all students, particularly those with disabilities.

CITES Application Form

Application deadline: October 30, 2024

We are thrilled to announce the return of the annual InfyMakers Awards. This year's theme, "Making A Difference" aims to identify and celebrate projects that empower students to become creative and collaborative problem-solvers. They're looking for educators who are inspiring their students to tackle real-world challenges, both in their local communities and on a global scale.

Ten winning educators will receive a $10,000 grant and the opportunity to participate in the Making CS Inclusive Cohort, a professional learning experience facilitated by Digital Promise from January to August 2025. The grant is flexible and can be used for materials, projects, research, community engagement and more.

The contest begins on September 24, 2024 and ends at 5:00 pm PT on November 7th, 2024.

Apply Here

A Computer Science Contest for All Your Students

The American Computer Science League (ACSL) is a computer science contest and a programming contest. Divisions are available for students with coding experience, for students with little coding experience and for students with no coding experience. There are two divisions with no coding required: Classroom (any grade) and Elementary (grades 3–6).

While the other contests are a one-time programming competition for your very best students, ACSL is a contest for all your students. Schools compete as a team so all students can participate. The questions in each division are geared to the experience level of the student. Schools can have teams in multiple divisions.

Details concerning the contest can be found at www.acsl.org.

Registration can be found here

Questions can be sent to info@acsl.org.

NCWIT is pleased to announce that the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) High School Award is now accepting high school students' applications through October 29, 2024!

The AiC High School Award honors 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, and non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions.

The AiC High School Award is different because it uplifts and encourages technologists at all stages of their tech journeys to recognize their aspirations in computing and encourage them to continue learning computer science. Please encourage all of your eligible students to apply. There are award designations for ALL levels of technical ability, including students with little to no experience.

As you saw in our Spotlight, the CSinPA team just released our first Pop Up Practices video. Make sure you watch for more. We will be publishing new content every Monday! This month, you will see Pop Up Practices videos showcasing TACTICS, Cybersecurity, AI, and more! Find new releases every Monday on our Community of Practice.

Access previous editions of the CSinPA newsletter.

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