Another CS Education Week is in the books!
We hope you’ll continue to celebrate CS education in your classroom year-round! Join CSTA for CSTA 2023 Virtual Conference, set for July 11-13, 2023. CSTA+ members now have the opportunity to access the event at the lowest price. Don’t miss your chance to register for the 2023 conference at the lowest rate by becoming a CSTA+ member today! Join now or head to your CSTA member dashboard to upgrade.
And mark your calendars to join us for CSEdWeek 2023, set for Dec. 4-10, 2023!
Great video to share with students
This is a great video to watch and to share with students on how computer science is changing our world and the numerous career opportunities that are available for all students to pursue.
SAVE THE DATE!!
IOWA CS PD WEEK 2023: JUNE 12 - 16 at UNI
Iowa's AEAs are proud to partner with the Iowa Department of Education and NewBoCo to host the 2023 Iowa CS PD Week June 12 through June 16 on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA. PreK-12 programs and registration will be shared by Spring 2023.
Any computer science educator who is interested in attending is invited to complete the interest survey that will help shape the events for the week. Let us know what you would like to learn more about!
Try a Finch Robot, Free!
Borrow a Finch Robot 2.0 from BirdBrain Technologies for 60 days, and learn how it can be used to facilitate deep and joyful learning in your Computer Science classroom. Finches can be programmed in Python & Java, as well as several block- and icon-based environments. Try one today!
Scholarships for Teachers
UNI grant to fund Secondary CS Endorsement
The National Science Foundation has awarded the Computer Science Education program at the University of Northern Iowa a new grant under the NSF CSForAll: RPP program. This grant, totaling nearly $1,000,000 from 2023-2025 will help the program scale up its earlier research work to provide access to coursework leading towards CS Endorsement #278 to teachers in all corners of the state of Iowa.
The program will consist of two cohorts of teachers:
- Cohort A will focus on teachers from three of the state’s AEAs – Central Rivers, Grant Wood, and Northwest. This cohort will provide the five-course sequence from June 2023-December 2024. Teachers in the program will take online coursework through UNI and participate in “monthly” face-to-face Communities of Practice (COPs) facilitated at the partner AEAs. Approximately 25 teachers from each AEA will be awarded scholarships for free tuition for the entire program while additional teachers may participate for a significantly reduced tuition of less than $300 per course.
- Cohort B (June 2024-December 2025) will expand to hopefully partner with the remaining six AEAS providing the same benefits of free and reduced tuition to all teachers involved.
Teachers interested in receiving additional information about the program as more details are released can register their interest by completing the following form:
Cybersecurity Certification:
The National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy (NCTA) is a 12-credit hour graduate certificate for high school teachers. Supported by a new grant from NCAE-C, California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) recently joins NCTA, to train another cohort of 35 high school teachers for the certificate. With grant funding, Sacramento State has funds to provide full-ride tuition scholarships to 35 qualified high school educators.
The coursework will include “Foundations in Cybersecurity”, “Introduction to Digital Forensics”, “Methods for Teaching Cybersecurity”, and “Cybersecurity Practicum”. The Sacramento State cohort will start in Summer 2023.
An information session on Jan 9, 2023 will provide more information about the virtual program, the scholarship, and its application requirements. If you are interested, please register for the information session here:
NCTA information session registration
CSTA / Infosys Foundation USA Computer Science Teaching Excellence Award
The CS Teaching Excellence Awards are designed to recognize outstanding teaching by K–12 computer science teachers. Winners excel in inspiring students to explore the computer science field, engaging students in learning rigorous standards-aligned computer science content, and broadening the participation of underrepresented students in computing. CSTA will select at least three K-5 CS teachers and three 6-8 teachers of the fifteen national winners. These awards were made possible by a grant from Infosys Foundation USA.
This year, the program has been expanded to recognize over 48 teachers!
- 15 national winners
- 5 national honorable mentions
- 28 regional winners from the following areas:
- New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
- Four Corners: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
- CSTA Arizona
- CSTA Indiana
- CSTA Iowa
- CSTA Miami
- CSTA South Carolina
- CSTA Wyoming
Know an outstanding Computer Science teacher? Nominate them to apply today.
Student Scholarships Available
CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize
CSTA has opened applications for the 2022–2023 Cutler-Bell Prize, which looks to recognize up to four high school senior students residing in the US for their projects in CS. Winners will receive a $10,000 prize to go to their college/university of choice.
- Applications are due by Jan. 27, 2023. Share the application with your students.
Upcoming Keystone Workshops:
Beyond Code.org, what is next? If you're looking for some ideas on how to incorporate robotics into your course, we have the workshop for you! Get some hands-on learning to go back and use with students. Do you have a particular request for us to explore that day? If so, complete this Google form to let us know!
Physical Computing with Robotics in K-5
Mar. 28, 9:00 - 3:00, Elkader
Physical Computing with Robotics in MS (6-8)
Mar. 7, 9:00 - 3:00, Elkader
CSTA Iowa Virtual Meetups
Jan. 19, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Join other CSTA Iowa Members for a virtual meetup via Zoom on Jan.19 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. This meeting will be sharing ITEC resources you can use in your classroom immediately!
Computer Science Grant Opportunities
Iowa Department of Education grant opportunities available:
- Computer Science Professional Development Incentive Fund (CSPDIF) - application deadline has passed. Stay tuned on this opportunity next fall.
- Computer Science Incentive Fund - Endorsement Fund. The grant application is open until May 31, 2023. This application is for Computer Science and 5-12 CTE Information Technology endorsements ONLY. Reimbursement funding may cover tuition (up to maximum of $705/credit), textbooks (up to $300), and associated fees. Mileage, stipends, and/or sub fees are NOT permitted. Reimbursement funds go to the district, not the teacher(s). All tuition expenses must be paid prior to June 30, 2023.
- Computer Science SCRIPT workshop and ongoing support: Districts/schools may use funding not only for their initial SCRIPT workshop but also for additional SCRIPT support from their local AEA. Applicants will be awarded funding on a rolling basis until funding runs out. Stipends are only allowed for off-contract work. Maximum sub pay amount is $150/day, based on the school’s regular rate. Maximum stipend amount is $20/hour or $160/day, based on the school’s regular rate. Administrator stipends will be covered as permitted by their contract.
- Curriculum & Professional Development Grant: This grant is for specific curriculum and professional development outlined on the website. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis until funds have been exhausted.
More information can be found on the Dept. of Education's Computer Science grant site, the grant overview document, and on Iowagrants.gov.
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
Looking for curriculum options? These resource documents were just released from the Iowa AEA consultants. They provide a curated list of options for various grade levels.
K-2 Computer Science Curriculum Resource List
3-5 Computer Science Curriculum Resource List
Middle School Computer Science Curriculum Resource List
High School Computer Science Courses
Computer Science Clubs/Competitions
Connect with Other Computer Science Teachers
Facebook Group: Iowa Computer Science Teachers
#CSforIA
Learn about the Standards
Iowa's voluntary computer science standards are the CSTA K-12 Standards, developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association. These standards are arranged in grade bands, with expectations at the K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12 level.
Keystone AEA Contacts:
