This is a deeper dive into how districts offer CS and how to do it in an equitable way. This three-hour workshop is designed for school administrators representing their local education agency as a principal, school or district lead for CS, or county office of education lead for CS who are interested in learning how to scale and sustain equity-minded computer science education as part of an ongoing professional learning community. The workshop was co-developed by UCLA Center X and the CSforCA advocacy group. It should be a powerful afternoon! Consider finding a team of colleagues to join us on that day as it will offer opportunities for you all to look at your system as a whole and find ways to move CS forward to best serve all of your students. Register here.

This seven-week, Canvas-based learning will train teachers to look for and adopt inclusive practices in CS education systems. With sections on culturally responsive pedagogy, intersectionality, and teaching for neurodiverse learners, teachers will learn to challenge their own practices and the systems around them to advocate for equitable CS experiences. The course is offered through the University of Texas and 24 CPE units are available. Email mark.lantsberger@sdcoe.net to pre-reserve your spot!

This section spotlights CS educators, administrators, and organizations making a difference for their students. If you have a CS hero in your system, tell us about them using this Google form for possible inclusion in a future edition of Bit Blast!.

Two of our own San Diego County teachers have been recognized as California State Finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The PAEMST program is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Awards are given to teachers who teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Department of Defense schools, and four U.S. territories (as a group).

First up is science finalist, Marlys Williamson. Marlys is a 5th-grade teacher at Wolf Canyon Elementary in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. Marlys has been an integral part of supporting teachers at her site, district, and beyond, leading professional learning, creating Wolf Canyon’s Design Den makerspace, and mentoring student teachers from multiple teaching programs. Using science notebooks throughout her shift to the Next Generation Science Standards has been a successful strategy to support English learners. Marlys shares her passion for science and fosters curiosity by allowing her students to question and explore the amazing world around us.

Next is Khamphet Pease. Khamphet is a 6th-grade science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher at Wilson Middle School in San Diego Unified School District. At her site, she is teaching Introduction to Coding; Gateway to Technology: Design and Modeling, Automation and Robotics; and Computer Science for Innovators and Makers. Khamphet is a champion for underrepresented girls in the STEM fields. From 2014 to 2016, she mentored 16 high school girls from schools across San Diego County to design, program, and build a microlab experiment that was deployed to the International Space Station to test zero gravity.

We wish Marlys and Khamphet luck in the next phase of their PAEMST journey. Winners will be announced this summer.

The PAEMST application period for 2021 is now open. Consider nominating a 7-12 grade STEM and/or computer science teacher, or consider applying yourself.

The SDCOE Curriculum and Instruction department spent the summer developing distance learning curriculum as supplemental units for grades K-12. The best part is that every grade level has CS in it! Grades K-5 work on an integrated model and include lessons and activities from California standards for core subjects and the arts to English language development, science, history/social studies, computer science, and physical education. Grades 6-12 are thematic units with each discipline covering its content but also addressing a unifying concept or question across fields. New units continue to be developed, so check back monthly. Another fun opportunity is the CS page from the Learning at Home Bingo series, which was a partnership between SDCOE and The San Diego Union-Tribune to get low-tech or tech-free learning activities to students at the beginning of the pandemic.

How often have you wondered if your students are really doing the reading you assign to them? What if students had a way to log their thoughts about what they read AND get insights into what their classmates are thinking? Wouldn’t it be nice if, as a teacher, you could get a “confusion report” generated by your students’ responses before you start class discussions? Check out Perusall! Developed at Harvard, this free tool allows you to do all the things described and is a great help to advancing student engagement and literacy.

This section contains information about CS community groups and their gatherings. If you’d like to share an upcoming event or happening with Bit Blast!, please fill out this Google form.

TritonHacks is a hackathon for high school students from underserved communities in San Diego, organized by a group of students at UCSD. The hope is to create more opportunities for students from schools that lack access to resources in computer science and engineering. Follow this link to view the flyer.

Join one of the most active CSTA chapters in the country. This month Dr. Tasha Frankie and Allan Schougaard will be presenting around standards-based grading. It’s a great place to learn new things. Click here for the Zoom meeting.

The San Diego Union-Tribune wants to show its appreciation to the thousands of teachers and staff in San Diego County who are facing unprecedented teaching conditions and students who may have increased stress while learning remotely.

For a limited time, San Diego County students and school employees can enjoy a free, one-year digital subscription, which includes the e-edition and a digital replica of the paper's printed edition. Click here to activate your free, no-obligation digital subscription.

As we roll through winter, I’m perpetually awed by the grace and energy our teachers, leaders, and students continue to show in these challenging times. We look forward to times we can share smiles and stories in person, but until then, we continue to perfect the art of Zoom. The last few months have had some great moments, with elementary teachers trying on CSEd Week for the first time and district leaders making space to learn about our state CS standards. Exciting times are guaranteed when we all take opportunities to learn, pause, and reflect.

We have also seen a continuation of social turbulence and lots of adults who can’t seem to get along. Be mindful that the youngsters in our care see this too. Remember to lift up much more often than you push down. Lower barriers where you can, and avoid raising them. Be an inspiration to all the students in your charge. On that note, BitBlast! honors the memory of John Berray, who left us suddenly about a year ago. John was a math leader in the Grossmont Union High School District and a San Diego County Teacher of the Year. That was the role he was in when I crossed paths with him for the first time. He was an uplifting inspiration to his students and many of us recall his “You ARE a math person” motto. John inspired his students to find the “That’s rad!” moment in math work. We recognize that John was rad. We should all be rad. Be rad!

If you have any questions or comments about the Bit Blast! newsletter, please contact Mark Lantsberger.