Computer Science Institute

Join St. Anne's-Belfield School on July 22 & 23 for a free, immersive workshop aiming to prepare educators to teach tech.

In 2016, Virginia became the first state to add computer science to its core academic requirements for elementary, middle, and high school. What does this mean for your teaching?

Through the study of computer science, students hone their design thinking, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills in ways that can be applied to solving real world problems in each and every discipline. In today’s tech-savvy world, students must have a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of computing so they are empowered to take control of how tech will affect their lives, their culture, and their future.

The Computer Science (CS) Institute will provide you with an opportunity to learn and get hands on with new computer science skills and tools. After completing the free two-day workshop, you will come away with a lesson plan infused with computer science to try out in your classroom as well as a community of educators who can provide support and guidance for your journey into computer science integration. Space is limited - register today!

Register

Agenda

Day 1: Learn-a-Thon
The first day of the CS Institute will be an introduction to all things computer science! You’ll learn first-hand from students what they find so compelling and meaningful about computer science and how it is impacting their future. You will then have the opportunity to participate in three workshops during the day featuring a wide variety of CS skills and tools.

9:00 - 10:45 a.m.: Student panel & student-led CS Unplugged activities
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Workshop 1
12:15 - 1:15 p.m.: Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.: Workshop 2
2:45 - 3:45 p.m.: Workshop 3

Day 2: Design-a-Thon
Whether you are integrating CS into an existing lesson plan, creating a new lesson or remixing someone else’s lesson, you will find support and guidance from mentors who have been there and done that. In the morning, we'll explore strategies for teaching computer science in ways that reach all students. In the afternoon, we will split into elementary, middle and high school cohorts to work together to design CS-infused lessons.

9:00 - 11:15 a.m.: Inclusive CS
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Cohort introductions (elementary, middle and high school)
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Lunch
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Cohort working groups design & share CS-infused lessons
3:15 - 3:45 p.m.: Share out & Certificates of completion!

Objectives

Get hands on with at least two different computer science skills or tools
Learn about computer science integration projects in a variety of subject areas
Leave with a lesson plan that incorporates CS that you can try out this year
Connect and build a community of practice that includes educators across the spectrum plus tech professionals and computer science tool providers

Quick Facts

Teacher & Student Impact

Teachers report that integrating computer science into project-based learning:

Offers a new way to assess their students’ knowledge
Encourages students to problem solve and collaborate on solutions
Empowers students to share their learning with others

Students report that creating tech through computer science offers them:

A creative outlet for sharing their knowledge
The opportunity to overcome stereotypes that they had about coding and computer science
A learning challenge that is fun, engaging, and relevant to their life experiences

FAQs

Is this event for me?

What should I bring?

What computer science concepts, practices, skills, and tools will be covered?

The K - 12 Computer Science Framework and Mozilla’s Web Literacy Map will be our guide for concepts, practices and skills. We plan to have workshops that incorporate tools like Mozilla Thimble, Hummingbird Robotics, Processing, code.org, Scratch, EarSketch, and so much more. If you have a computer science tool and/or integration project to share, we’d love to hear about it! Please contact Kim Wilkens.

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