CS10K:CS1C@OC-Building a Local Area Network of Computer Science Teachers
PI: Debra J. Richardson, University of California, Irvine, School of Informatics
Co-PIs:
Rebecca Black, University of California, Irvine, School of Informatics
Elizabeth A. Simon, University of California, San Diego
Elizabeth A. van Es, University of California, Irvine, School of Education
Mark Warschauer, University of California, Irvine, School of Education
Funder: National Science Foundation
Duration: 2016-2019
Project Website: http://sites.uci.edu/cs1c/
Summary: The University of California, Irvine (UCI) has undertaken a project, called CS1C@OC, to provide in-service teachers in Orange County with a program of study that satisfies California’s new teacher certification pathway in CS. Despite the demonstrated need for students to learn foundational computer science skills, few K-12 students have access to rigorous CS courses. CS remains privileged knowledge, and improving access to this knowledge is one of the major economic security and social justice issues of the 21st century. The CS community has struggled to overcome issues of access and equity, and some enormous strides have come in teaching tools, pedagogies, and standards. But none of these accomplishments can be broadly implemented or sustainable without teaching certification pathways for CS teachers and teacher preparation programs to prepare teachers in computing, especially those teaching in underserved communities. CS1C@OC developed such a pathway.
CS1C@0C aimed to
CS1C@OC recruited 100 secondary school teachers largely from low-income communities, with preference given to teachers who, along with their school, made a commitment to teach Exploring Computer Science (ECS) and/or Computer Science Principles (CSP). UCI provided summer courses in CS principles and pedagogy that satisfy the requirements for the CS supplementary authorization while emphasizing CS instructional approaches that have proven successful with females and students from low-income, underrepresented communities. It also developed a hybrid professional learning community for participating teachers so they can share information and experiences, continue to learn from each other, and have further opportunities to develop themselves both personally and professionally throughout the school year.
The project evaluated the impact on teacher learning and development as well as the impact on student learning and attitude changes.
Co-PIs:
Rebecca Black, University of California, Irvine, School of Informatics
Elizabeth A. Simon, University of California, San Diego
Elizabeth A. van Es, University of California, Irvine, School of Education
Mark Warschauer, University of California, Irvine, School of Education
Funder: National Science Foundation
Duration: 2016-2019
Project Website: http://sites.uci.edu/cs1c/
Summary: The University of California, Irvine (UCI) has undertaken a project, called CS1C@OC, to provide in-service teachers in Orange County with a program of study that satisfies California’s new teacher certification pathway in CS. Despite the demonstrated need for students to learn foundational computer science skills, few K-12 students have access to rigorous CS courses. CS remains privileged knowledge, and improving access to this knowledge is one of the major economic security and social justice issues of the 21st century. The CS community has struggled to overcome issues of access and equity, and some enormous strides have come in teaching tools, pedagogies, and standards. But none of these accomplishments can be broadly implemented or sustainable without teaching certification pathways for CS teachers and teacher preparation programs to prepare teachers in computing, especially those teaching in underserved communities. CS1C@OC developed such a pathway.
CS1C@0C aimed to
- increase in-service teachers’ CS content knowledge and their competence and confidence in evidence-based pedagogical practices for teaching computer science to diverse learners;
- increase diverse students’ knowledge and skills in computational thinking and computer science principles and their interest in taking more CS courses; and
- increase the capacity of Orange County schools to provide CS courses.
CS1C@OC recruited 100 secondary school teachers largely from low-income communities, with preference given to teachers who, along with their school, made a commitment to teach Exploring Computer Science (ECS) and/or Computer Science Principles (CSP). UCI provided summer courses in CS principles and pedagogy that satisfy the requirements for the CS supplementary authorization while emphasizing CS instructional approaches that have proven successful with females and students from low-income, underrepresented communities. It also developed a hybrid professional learning community for participating teachers so they can share information and experiences, continue to learn from each other, and have further opportunities to develop themselves both personally and professionally throughout the school year.
The project evaluated the impact on teacher learning and development as well as the impact on student learning and attitude changes.
