CSinPA: August 2021
CELEBRATIONS & SHOUT-OUTS
CSinPA community, thank you all for helping us recruit for our National Autism Conference (NAC) student camp, taking place August 2-5.
- 14 teens participating in the NAC Build | Fly | Drone camp
We wish everyone could join our camp Zoom sessions to witness the excitement as they build, and program their own drones. Hopefully we'll be able to share some anecdotes in our next newsletter!
Way to go, 2021 CSTA conference presenters:
- Brad Ankey and Sarah Rizzi, Allegheny Intermediate Unit
- Patricia Binkley and Kammas Kersch, Chester County Intermediate Unit
We are proud of these folks for presenting at the 2021 CSTA annual conference in July. Thanks for representing Pennsylvania and sharing your CS knowledge with others!
Welcome, 7-12 CS peer-tutors:
- Michael Lee
- Thomas Lodini
- Tamar McPherson
- Gregory Sovek
- Jeffrey Wile
These teachers are among the first in PA to pass the 7-12 CS certification exam (Praxis) and have graciously offered to help other teachers preparing for the exam. Click here for more information about the peer tutoring program.
We love learning about what’s going on with your efforts to expand CS in your community.
Tag tweets with #CSinPA or email us at csforall@pattan.net.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
7-12 CS Certification Exam Preparation Pathway
Registration is open for the August-January cohort of our self-paced "test prep" online course. Click here to learn more!
- New for 2021-22 cohorts: Peer tutoring (virtual sessions) Click here for more information.
Additional 7-12 certification and exam supports:
- Study materials are available in the CSinPA Schoology course.
- Full reimbursement is available for exam registration and certification filing fees (see details in the 7-12 Updates doc)
- Use this Google Form to tell us your plans for the exam and certification, and if needed, request reimbursement. The form allows for multiple submissions.
K-8 Pathway
Available locally through intermediate unit partners, our CSinPA K-8 Pathway is open to ALL K-8 educators across Pennsylvania. To request more information, submit this brief form.
Act 45 Program for Administrators: Leading the Charge
We're excited to invite administrators to participate in our all new, 35-hour Act 45 program, Leading the Charge. Educational leaders face a unique challenge in building CS programs that are comprehensive, inclusive, and strategically-aligned. This program is designed to meet this challenge by providing participants with a foundational understanding of CS and a framework for increasing or expanding CS education. Leading the Charge runs from October 2021 through June 2022. Registration will open soon on the PaTTAN website.
2019-20 PASMART TARGETED GRANTS
The 2019-20 Targeted Grant program is now officially over.
Participating LEAs, we are so grateful for your hard work over the past year and a half, and are very interested to learn more about your experience.
If you are an educator or administrator in a school/district that received a 2019-20 PAsmart Targeted Grant, we want your feedback! Please click here to take a brief survey about your PAsmart experience.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES
CSinPA monthly meet-ups return in September
Registration will open soon, but go ahead and mark your calendar now for our fall meet-ups.
- 9/15
- 10/27
- 11/17
- 12/15
Monthly meet-ups take place 3:00-4:00 pm in Zoom and are open to anyone interested in CS education in Pennsylvania. Each month, we facilitate small-group discussion around a central theme or topic.
How does you phone send emojis? (PBS - Physics Girl)
Learn how in this fun, six-minute video from the PBS program, Physics Girl. While you're there, why not check out more of the great resources from Pennsylvania PBS?
For more resources and opportunities:
- Explore our Opportunities, Resources, & Current Events shared Doc.
- Join the CSinPA Schoology course.
Here's something we're really excited about this month:
PAsmart Focus Groups
PDE is hosting focus group sessions to receive feedback about the PAsmart Targeted program.
PAsmart Focus groups are open to educators and administrators in schools/districts that participated in the 2018-19 or the 2019-20 PAsmart Targeted Grant program.
As a token of our appreciation, all educators that participate in a focus group will be entered into a special drawing for a class set of micro:Bit.