Happy September! Now that we’re past the grand beginnings of the first week of school, many of us find ourselves settling into routines and the “normal” time of the school year. However, I’d invite you to consider that the year is still new! It’s a great chance to reconnect with the new people you’ve found in your life: your students. Recall the intention of being welcoming in that first week. Now that we’re settling in, this is the time to get to know your students more deeply. Their behaviors, ways of being, and needs are a wonderful puzzle that can be joyous as well as occasionally perplexing. Valuing our multi-faceted youngsters for all they are as people helps us to connect and understand them better. Solve the puzzles to empower them to deeper thinking and real learning. This is not a sprint! The academic year has lots of space for puzzle solving. Students often are puzzling through themselves. Don’t they deserve a little help?
There are other new people in our lives. You likely have some unfamiliar peers in your building who joined over the summer or maybe just last week. Whether they are recently credentialed or a 20-year veteran, take some time to recall how you felt in your first days at a new site. I invite you to take that same welcoming stance with your new colleagues. Kindness and care cost nothing but a bit of your time; however, they can mean the world to those who receive them. Check in with those around you. Learn about each other to help connect in your professional realm. This is not a solo sport! The whole team contributes to the experiences our students have and the impressions they’ll keep for a lifetime.
We’ve lots to share in this issue. Find ways to get up to date in the OS Upgrades section. Check out professional opportunities in the Deep Learning section. You can find links to our local CS Ed community in The Net section or connect with soft skills by reading some of the articles in the Input section.
If you’d like more up-to-the-minute computer science (CS) news and events, follow @MarkLantsberger, where I share all things CS in San Diego for TK-12 educators. You can also find more information on the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) computer science webpage. More direct inquiries can be made to Mark Lantsberger or Maria Hynes. If you have comments or suggestions for future issues, please fill out this Google form.
Know someone who might enjoy what you’re reading? Please share this link so others can sign up for future issues of Bit Blast!.
SDCOE Computer Science Coordinator
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Staying Up-to-Date on the Latest Research |
The Computer Science Education Reading Group meets weekly via Zoom and is curated by Dr. Emily Thompforde at the California Department of Education. You’ll find an opportunity for robust conversations based around pertinent articles in our field. Articles are posted well in advance of the meeting week so you’ll have time to peruse. The group meets on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, so you can pick the day that suits you best! Sign-up and find information for the CS Ed group.
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Share and Collaborate with Educators from Across California |
If you haven’t joined already, be sure to check out the California Educators Together website. This is the latest phase of the California Educators Community of Practice and has various content groups of interest you can join. The Computer Science Statewide group is open to classroom teachers, grade-level cohorts, content coordinators, and instructional leaders to exchange ideas and resources focused on topics related to this unique subject-area. An account must be created; then select Groups, Computer Science, and Join! You can help contribute resources to this group as well as find useful ones.
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SDCOE Planning for CS Professional Network for Elementary TOSAs |
SDCOE is planning to launch a new professional network specifically designed for elementary teachers on special assignment (TOSAs) to further engage with CS. STEM, STEAM, math, and science TOSAs are invited, but a warm welcome awaits for visual and performing arts, English language arts, and general TOSAs as well any others who support elementary educators in implementing CS! The network goal is to expand understanding and implementation capacity around the California Computer Science Standards, learn from each other about successful (and challenging) practices, and explore/play with interesting technologies and ideas.
The kickoff for the network is planned for the fall. If you are a district administrator or a classroom teacher, please consider forwarding this invitation to anyone in your organization who may be interested. Add your information to the interest survey to be notified first when the network begins.
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SCRIPT has Arrived in San Diego County |
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Does the implementation of CS in your district feel haphazard sometimes? Do you wish you and your leadership team had some time to really think through making CS a priority? Wouldn’t it be great to have real pathways for students to follow in CS? Do you ever wonder if there is somebody who can help facilitate some future visioning and planning?
The Strategic CSforALL Resource and Implementation Planning Tool, a.k.a. the SCRIPT, is a framework to guide teams of district administrators, school leaders, and educators through a series of collaborative visioning, self-assessment, and goal-setting exercises to create or expand upon a computer science education implementation plan for their students.
SDCOE can facilitate a multi-day visioning workshop using the SCRIPT when you’re ready, which includes support for a full year! Email your inquiries to Mark Lantsberger to start learning about how to assemble your team.
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New Tool to Develop Your Daily Teaching Practice |
As a CS teacher, you're constantly looking for ways to improve your practice but have limited time to do so. Plus, it can be challenging to align your own learning with current research in CS pedagogy. The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) offers a tool to help guide your professional learning progression. Even if you’re not currently a CSTA member, you can access these standards to consider your growth strategies. CSTA+ members also have a new way to gain knowledge and skills through an online PD course pilot program. Check it out!
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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 it in this Google form for possible inclusion in a future edition of Bit Blast!.
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BitBlast! Welcomes Sara Matthews to the Team
BitBlast! would like to welcome a new hero to our office. We’re so excited to have Sara Matthews, M.Ed., join our CS team here at SDCOE. Sara works in SDCOE Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS), where she has a new role as a computer science resource teacher.
At JCCS for the past 15 years, Sara has been a teacher, instructional leader, mentor, and enthusiastic life-long learner. She has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the STEAM initiative at JCCS and is committed to SDCOE’s mission to inspire and lead innovation in education for all of our students.
Sara will continue to work closely with our JCCS system but will also be pitching in with other endeavors across the county. She brings an enthusiasm and passion for learning, which are infectious and we know that once you meet her, you’ll think she’s a hero just like we do!
Welcome aboard, Sara!
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Updated Coding Rooms Template for CSAwesome
CSAwesome teachers, the folks at Coding Rooms, have updated the CSAwesome template on their platform and it now includes all of the sections missing in last school year's template. Enjoy the entire curriculum with the power of Coding Rooms. Create your own copy of the template now, even on the free version of Coding Rooms! Just log in and get started.
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Printable Classroom Posters Available |
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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.
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CSTA San Diego Returns to In-Person Gatherings |
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Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) - San Diego chapter is resuming in-person gatherings this year! The first meeting will be Oct. 20 at Stone Brewery in Point Loma. See the association webpage for more details. If you’re not already a member, it’s super easy to join and you can find details on the same page.
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What’s SEL Got To Do With It? |
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This month BitBlast! is featuring some articles about social and emotional learning (SEL), student well-being, and other similar connections.
You’ve certainly heard the term before, but maybe haven’t had a chance to be curious or thought the idea didn’t fit with CS. As we’re starting the new school year, it may be helpful to find intersections between similar terms such as social and emotional learning, 21st-century skills, and soft skills. While certainly not exactly the same, much of the overall messaging has similarity.
While these articles are far from definitive or exhaustive, they do offer some space for individual reflection on our own practices. Happy reading!
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For me, September and early October have always been great times of hope and promise as I grew to understand my students more fully. They are different every year and as we gain experience in our practice I think you’ll find this fact is a source of constant rejuvenation. Same with our teacher peers! Summer experiences, growth, and recharging do change people. A colleague you didn’t connect with before may have some new insight to offer. Maybe they’ve changed over the summer and maybe you have, too.
BitBlast! returns in November in preparation for CSEd Week in December! See you then.
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If you have any questions or comments about the Bit Blast! newsletter, please contact Mark Lantsberger.
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Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at SDCOE and in our districts across the county. |
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