Having lived far from our beautiful San Diego (and Southern California in general), I’ve often felt the shift to autumn to have the greatest effect on the weather and on my own outlook. It’s the season of my birth, which always brings reflection on changes in professional, relational, and personal conditions; and those changes seem to get deeper with each passing year! Leaves turning and falling and the start of hockey season (in the Northeast), permanent cloud banks rolling in (in the Northwest), and first frost coming early (in Europe) mark the wobble of our precious blue satellite. The change of season marks shifts in our school time too! The rush of the opening has passed; class norms established; class roster changes have settled; and autumn brings a steady pace of students learning alongside each other (and us!).
We’ll be marking our shift from summer to autumn from a computer science (CS) perspective as well in this issue, with many quality learning opportunities through a special partnership with our Region 7 friends and others. We are looking forward to this year’s first in-person gathering of our local Computer Science Teachers Association chapter this month. Further, we’ll mull over some turbulent shifts in the CS field affecting general education that we’ve been experiencing this year.
If you’d like more up-to-the-minute CS news and events, follow @MarkLantsberger on X (formerly Twitter) where I share all things computer science in San Diego County 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.
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SDCOE Computer Science Coordinator
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We’re kicking into the fall with our Region 7 partners (San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, and Orange counties) and offering our first spate of professional learning under the 2023 Educator Workforce Investment Grant Program. Why would you care what grant this comes from? Because, by engaging in select three-hour sessions, you can earn a stipend of $125, that’s why! See the autumn offerings below. If those dates don’t work out for you, don’t worry! We have more in the planning stages as well as this upcoming winter and spring. |
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Getting Ready for Computer Science Education Week direct a |
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Did you know that Computer Science Education week is Dec. 4 to 10? Are you an elementary teacher who sees exciting things happening with CS but have no experience and aren’t certain where to start? Not to worry! You don’t have to be a programmer to start teaching CS! This three-hour introduction will help you understand why computer science is so important, step you through the process of planning an Hour of Code activity in celebration of Computer Science Education Week, and get you familiar with how you can continue with your students afterwards! You’ll also have time to get ready and plan activities for this wonderful experience with your students. A $125 stipend is available. Opportunities available in:
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Save the Date for Education Leaders in CS |
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Education Leaders in CS is coming to Riverside as the first installment of the Winter of CS 2023. This three-hour offering is designed for administrators of all levels as well as teacher leaders who are curious about how they can bring CS into their school systems in an equitable manner. Hosted at the Murrietta office of Riverside County Office of Education on Dec. 6. Save the date! Registration information will be available soon. Follow @MarkLantsberger on X (formerly known as Twitter) for the latest information.
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Computer Science Professional Network for Elementary TOSAs begins Oct. 26 |
SDCOE has launched a 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 arts, English, and general TOSAs as well as any others who support elementary educators in implementing CS and/or instructional coaching. 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. Most importantly, have a space to share with people who are experiencing similar things as you. Meetings will be virtual. First gathering of the year will be Oct. 26 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Register today! If you are a district administrator or a classroom teacher, please consider forwarding this invitation to anyone in your organization who may be interested.
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Get Your District Engaged with CS through SCRIPT |
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Is your district considering beginning or expanding the CS instruction being offered? That’s a big question for administrators. What do we want for our students in offering CS? What structures do we already have in place? What specialized needs does this type of instruction require? Do we have the capacity to do this? SDCOE can help you find your answers to these questions!
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 and it includes support for a full year! Email your inquiries to Mark Lantsberger to start thinking about how to assemble your team. |
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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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This section contains information about CS community groups and their gatherings. Share an upcoming event or happening with Bit Blast! by filling out this Google form.
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Computer Science Teachers Association — San Diego (CSTASD) fall event is just around the corner |
Hey CSTASD members! Come join and network with fellow computer science teachers from around San Diego County. We are looking forward to another great year of learning, sharing, and collaborating with CS educators and partners! It’s happening Thursday, Oct. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Register via Eventbrite.
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Aspirations in Computing Awards Applications Are Open |
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CS teachers and counselors: Invite women, genderqueer, and non-binary technologists in grades 9-12 to apply for the National Council of Women in Technology Aspirations in Computing High School Award to be recognized for all that they do (or want to do!) in tech. Application window is open until Nov. 6. Find details at the council's website.
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A change of season is a great time to gain some insights into things around us that are changing. Artificial intelligence (AI) was a major disruptor for teachers this spring, and we thought some retrospective guided reading would be appropriate here.
Here’s a nice glimpse into the reality of a student (post-graduate level) regarding using AI. I personally have had many conversations and fielded numerous questions about AI use in the classroom. Sometimes these conversations with teachers are predicated on fear. So I’m offering a good chance to “take a breath” with this blog post about strengths teachers bring to the learning process versus an AI agent. Please note many of these intersect with the 21st Century Skills (six C’s). |
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CDE Presents
Artificial Intelligence
Learning with AI, Learning about AI
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Oct. 11 — Safety: Data Collection and User Privacy
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Oct. 23 — AI Prompting and AI Errors
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Many districts found themselves underprepared when ChatGPT arrived on the scene this spring. Some made rather reactionary responses and understandably so. Here’s a nice retrospective on how many districts, nationwide, are making shifts from their initial positions. As systems make these pivots to embrace AI in a myriad of ways one difficult question arises as it does with any new technology: How do we ensure we integrate use of this in an equitable manner for all students? Interesting how we’re still asking the same question once asked about SmartBoards, e-Textbooks, and calculators. Happily, there are groups in California that have been thinking about this for some time and can offer some advice. And our statewide computer science coordinator, Kat Goyette, is offering official California Department of Education guidance on the subject — see the webinar series above. If you’ve not met Kat, she’s fantastically enthusiastic and always has all students in mind and close to her heart. You can register for her second session here. Sorry, we missed the first one due to publishing dates. Finally, to finish off your retrospective journey, you may be thinking, “Golly. How pervasive is this technology?” Well, here’s a pretty nice listing of current AI tools which have been released (or refined) in 2023. Remember, it’s only October!
With all these changes blowing around like an autumn breeze, it’s worthwhile (especially in our space) to be well aware of what is available out there, how we might use it, how students might use it (whether we like it or not), and what’s the right balance to prepare students for a future world which will certainly embrace these technologies.
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BitBlast! encourages teachers and leaders to avail themselves of the offerings we have in the Deep Learning section this month. It’s not every day we get a stipend for our learning and we should take advantage of it! Let’s be thankful for the opportunities we have and mindful of our own continued growth as educators. If we need to model adult learning for our students (and we do), we need to be firmly comfortable in that learning position.
BitBlast! returns in January, but our staff is here and ready to serve if you have a need. Check for our contacts in The Run Button above. Be well.
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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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