I am in my second year teaching CS Discoveries on the Code.org platform. I teach the same course to students ranging from 6th grade to 8th grade. For those of you who are using the curriculum, you probably know where I am heading here. Welcome to Unit 3.
Continue reading
Computer Science is growing in schools. Administrators are finally realizing the importance of teaching computer science and coding in the classroom. As with all new programs, there are growing pains. Here is one resource that can help ease that soreness.
Continue reading
Books… I simply love books. Pretty much any genre, I’ll give it a go. Books about teaching can be good. Books about computer science, can also be good. Combine those two, and you get Creative Coding by Josh Caldwell… greatness.
Continue reading
Ok, so I am getting pumped about the start of next school year. Yeah, I know a bunch of you just got out of school, but here in Mississippi, we are down to a couple weeks. Yeah, teachers start back August 1st in my district. I got the opportunity to teach computer science next year… all day… Not just one class period like last year. I jumped on it. So, while looking around online for resources, I came across Olexa’s YouTube channel. Continue reading
Resistance is futile. The day of the computer program has come. Now, you have a couple of choices. You can choose to ignore that computer science should be a required course, or you can embrace it and head over to www.code.org to see how to get your kids started. Continue reading
The end has come. The week has been a long, arduous at times, and completely filled with fun. I know, some of you are probably wondering how those descriptions can go together. Well, with TeacherCon, they go together perfectly. Continue reading
Day Four
The end is near, or is it? Is it really ending, or just the beginning of something much longer?
For those who have read about the first three days, you understand that this has been a high energy experience. The folks at code.org manage to keep things running at full steam, all the time. So, how did day four look for those of us going through the CS Discoveries program here at TeacherCon Atlanta?
Wednesday… Hump Day. The day that folks at professional development or teacher conferences SHOULD really feel the drain of being out of their element… out of their own beds… their normal routines. Energy is usually down. As you can see below, that is certainly not the case at TeacherCon! Continue reading
So, today was the first FULL day of TeacherCon in Atlanta. The long term goal… to get computer science to impact as many students as possible. The short term goal… to get the 500 or so teachers here on the same page and running with the CS Discoveries curriculum. The steady flow of coffee certainly helped keep us fueled and learning.
Maybe you haven’t heard… but computer science is struggling play catch up in school. For years, technology has been advancing, but our educational institutions have not kept up with the pace. The result, we are woefully short on qualified job candidates for computer science and coding careers. The sad part… this is a field where pretty much anyone competent to code can get a job quickly, and make good money. Continue reading