CSinPA October 2023
Shout-outs and Celebrations
Sofía De Jesús is a 2023-24 CSTA Equity Fellow.
Sofía De Jesús (Carnegie Mellon University) is the author of Applied Computational Thinking with Python (2nd edition due out 2023), and has over 20 years of experience in education, combining time in the classroom with curriculum design and providing professional development to other educators.
The Equity Fellowship is a year-long leadership program focusing on addressing inequities in K-12 CS education.
Jigar Patel (Tuscarora IU11) and Sandra Hartman (East Stroudsburg Area SD) participated in previous CSTA Equity Fellowships.
CS career pathway: Andrew Kromer, Philadelphia Eagles
The latest episode of PaTTANpod features Andrew Kromer, a data engineer with the Philadelphia Eagles. Andrew shares his experiences with data science and CS, and ideas for broadening participation in K-12 CS. The episode is available on Youtube, iTunes, and Google Play.
Professional Learning
7-12 Praxis Prep Pathway & Reimbursement Program
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. October 31 is the deadline to register for the Fall cohort. Additional cohorts will open throughout the 2023-24 school year.
7-12 CS teachers: use this Google Form to tell us your plans for the exam and certification, and if relevant, request reimbursement. The form allows for multiple submissions allowing you to update your status with the exam.
CS Innovations - Cohort 3 Open Now
Open exclusively to IU TaC
The CS Innovations professional learning series allows TaC to explore foundational CS concepts and practices through model activities using hands-on resources that remove barriers for students with disabilities.
For more information, including registration, visit our Smore here.
Leading the Charge: Act 45/PIL Program for CS Administrators
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, please consider joining us for Cohort 3 of our PIL program Leading the Charge: CS for School Administrators.
For more information, including registration, visit our Smore here.
Opportunities and Resources
NCWIT Aspirations Award - APPLY TODAY
NCWIT is pleased to announce that the Aspirations in Computing High School Award (AiC HS Award) is now accepting high school students’ applications! Applications are due November 6th. Please help us spread the word and encourage your students to apply.
We're also excited to share that the AiC Educator Award applications are open! NCWIT wants to recognize YOU for the incredible support and encouragement you give to all of your students. We encourage you to apply for this award after you endorse a student for the AiC HS Award.
https://www.aspirations.org/award-programs/apply-for-an-award
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month:
Join us in celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October. Let's equip the next generation with skills for a secure digital future and prepare them for cybersecurity careers.
To help us understand what Cybersecurity Education looks like in Pa we ask if you could take a few minutes to answer this brief survey.
Also you can participate in our online discussions on cybersecurity-related topics and in a live discussion on October 19th, 2023, from 4:00 - 4:30 PM.
Together, let's create a safer online environment. Stay tuned for more updates and resources in October.
K-8 Music Integration Toolkit
The CSinPA Team is pleased to announce the release of our new resources for using music to support CS learning. You can find resources including:
our CS songs
complete unit plans and resources for 2 of the songs (developed along with BrightNow! During our 2022-2023 pilot program)
A crosswalk of the 2017 CSTA CS standards and the PA music standards
And, later this month, we will be opening registration for our newest K-8 Focus Module: Using Music to Engage Students with Disabilities in CS Learning. This module incorporates these resources to providepProfessional learning for educators who want to learn more about the intersection of music and CS.
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