Through our partnership with Bootstrap, we are offering professional development on their data science curriculum. Designed to be integrated into a variety of middle and high school courses, students form their own questions about the world around them, analyze data using multiple methods, and write a research paper about their findings.
Calling all WeTeach_CS partners and educators in cybersecurity and computer science! We need your expertise to help define the knowledge and skills taught in Texas high school and middle school cybersecurity and computer science courses.
New to teaching Cybersecurity? Join WeTeach_CS for our last live 2020 session of Cybersecurity Basics to increase your knowledge of the TEKS and Cybersecurity concepts. This is offered at no cost but you must register.
As we wrap up 2020 this month and head into 2021, we’d like to highlight the numerous virtual events we will be holding in the winter and spring. Space on some training sessions is limited, so sign up now!
Presentation proposals for the WeTeach_CS Summit to be held June 30 - July 2, 2021, in Georgetown, TX, are now being accepted. Our current plan is to host this event in-person and are closely monitoring guidance regarding COVID-19. If we are unable to host a face-to-face Summit safely, we will transition to an online format. A final decision will be made no later than February 1, 2021. Submit your proposal today.
Computer Science Training for Counselors & Administrators participants will learn about trends and opportunities in computer science, and how your district can open doors to these opportunities for ALL of your students. Recent policy and funding changes in Texas will be discussed as well as resources for supporting your district and teachers to build a robust and diverse CS program. This session will help school teams appreciate what computer science is, what new courses involve, and how these count toward graduation and fit with the larger school program. This webinar format will be repeated with the same content four times this fall.
The Computing Educator Diversity Initiative (CEDI) is currently recruiting in-service teachers of color who will work within a community of practice as together they deepen their CS content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and equitable strategies and be supported to obtain their high school CS teacher certification. Participants will be awarded a $1,200 stipend upon completion of the program!
The annual Computer Science State Policy Forum brings together legislators, education officials, state advocates, industry, national organizations, and representatives from state executive offices committed to K-12 computer science education. This year the forum goes virtual and is having state specific convenings in addition to their main sessions.
We encourage you to register for the Texas session, which will be held on October 15th from 2:00 to 3:00 PM CST. All are welcome and the event is free.
TACC's EPIC Cyber Range pilot launched this week with 17 secondary schools throughout Texas. The cyber range is an environment where virtual machines are used to work on and learn about various tools, techniques, and systems in a secure network to simulate real-world challenges faced from hackers.This one-year pilot is now available thanks to a U.S. Department of Education grant called Lone Star STEM, which is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Education Agency, and Jobs for the Future. The partnership is designed to help schools develop and support rigorous pathways in cybersecurity and computer science that will lead to industry certifications and post-secondary success.
For the past few years, WeTeach_CS has analyzed the statewide course-taking data for all Texas high school students to produce reporting on access and participation in computer science coursework. Our newest version contains data from the 2018-2019 school year.
New to teaching Cybersecurity? Join EPIC Cybersecurity Education Specialist, Nikki Hendricks, for Cybersecurity Basics to increase your knowledge of the TEKS and Cybersecurity concepts. All sessions are offered at no cost and must be registered for individually. Each webinar is from 6-7pm CST.
With budget uncertainties looming in the 2021-2022 school year, WeTeach_CS is offering a CS1 and AP CSA curricula special. Purchase a curriculum in 2020-2021 and get the 2021-2022 subscription for free!
WeTeach_CS is holding a virtual certification prep workshop from July 27 through July 29. It will provide an overview of the educator competencies required of all teachers to become certified in Grades 8-12 Computer Science. This certification is necessary to teach courses such as Computer Science I, II or III, and AP Computer Science A. It can also be used to teach Fundamentals of Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles. Course instructors will address several competencies in depth and link attendees to additional resources that will help to prepare them to challenge the TExES CS 8-12 (241) certification test.
Is your district planning to offer Fundamentals of Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles but you're struggling to find a curriculum and resources to get your teachers prepared? Code.org curriculum, online student learning platform, and access to support from the teacher and code.org community are available to all schools year round. The University of Texas at Austin is accepting applications through June 30th for the 2020-2021 Professional Learning Program.
As advocates for educational equity, we stand today and every day in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism. We acknowledge that simply making this statement is not enough, and we must follow up with concrete actions. Follow us on Twitter (@WeTeachCS) to stay connected with our progress toward building initiatives targeted at promoting diversity.
The WeTeach_CS team at UT Austin’s TACC is excited to announce the launch of our EPIC Cyber Range (ECR) for the 2020-2021 school year. The EPIC Cyber Range will be a resource for Texas schools that are offering courses in the Cybersecurity Program of Study. The EPIC Cyber Range will be a web-accessible portal for students to practice their cybersecurity skills using virtual machines in a safe and secure environment. The ECR will be available as a pilot version for FREE to 20 Texas schools during the 2020-2021 school year. Schools must apply to participate in the pilot by completing this form no later than June 29, 2020.
Given the unknowns, The University of Texas at Austin is restructuring the CS Discoveries and CS Principles workshops to a virtual online experience during the same weeks: July 13-17, 2020 and July 20-24. Our intention is to offer follow-up school-year sessions that will include virtual and in-person options.
It is with heavy hearts we must announce the cancellation of all WeTeach_CS in-person professional development slated to occur this June. This includes the 2020 WeTeach_CS Summit, scheduled for June 22-24, 2020 at the Georgetown Sheraton. In light of the spread of COVID-19 and the uncertainties presented by this extraordinary pandemic, we cannot move forward with any confidence that such a gathering would be safe or permissible at that time. However, we are converting several of our in-person workshops to virtual learning opportunities.
The WeTeach_CS team would like to offer a huge THANK YOU to the classroom teachers and administrators who are working overtime to support K-12 students and families who are no longer attending school in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Find online teaching resources in this newsletter including information on: WeTeach_CS AP® CS A Curriculum, WeTeach_CS for HS Curriculum, the WeTeach_CS YouTube channel, and the Foundations of CS for Teachers and Students online course.
WeTeach_CS is thrilled to announce our 2020 WeTeach_CS Summit keynote speakers. The speakers will present on topics such as engaging women in the field of computer science, integrating computer science across other subjects, and building bridges between artificial intelligence(AI) and social good.
