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July 2, 2020

CSTA News

Less Than One Week to Left to Register for CSTA 2020! CSTA If you haven’t registered to join us for the first-ever CSTA Virtual Conference, time is running out! Registration for the event closes on Wednesday, July 8! Don’t miss out on your opportunity to access more than 100 sessions and hear keynotes from Hello Ruby author Linda Liukas, Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi, and Professor of African American Studies and author of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Ruha Benjamin. Secure your spot! READ MORE

Top 20 reasons to attend CSTA 2020 CSTA We started brainstorming this blog post way before we made the pivot to a virtual format due to COVID-19. Once we revisited it, we realized that many of these reasons were still the same — minus free coffee, that is. If you're already registered, we cannot wait to see if you there! If not, we hope these reasons will convince to join us our first virtual conference! READ MORE

Showing Up For LGBTQ+ Students in CS CSTA How are we showing up for our LGBTQ+ youth, and in particular our BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth, to not only create safe, inclusive spaces for them, but to also encourage them to consider computer science as a way in which they can express, advocate, and amplify themselves and their lived experiences? READ MORE

HEADLINES FROM THE FIELD

Amazon supports computer science education across the US Chain Store Age The Amazon Future Engineer program is taking a variety of steps to help elementary schoolers and high school graduates pursue their computer science dreams. Amazon Future Engineer is funding computer science education and teacher professional development for every elementary school in the Dallas Independent School District in Texas and Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland. In total, 286 elementary schools and roughly 130,000 students will be impacted. READ MORE

PRODUCT SHOWCASE Calling All Middle-Grade Coders! Introducing Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook, a brand-new addition to the middle-grade series that has millions of copies in print. To learn more about this invaluable resource, click here for a sample chapter, standards alignment, 50% off your order, and more! LEARN MORE

Can teachers really do their jobs in masks? Education Week There's a lot of uncertainty about how schools will eventually return to in-person instruction. But in many places, teachers will likely be encouraged — or required — to wear masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that all school employees wear cloth face coverings, and many school and district leaders are incorporating that guidance into their reopening plans. Some states, including California and Texas, are providing millions of masks for teachers in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 when school buildings reopen. READ MORE

KinderLab bundles curriculum for teaching screen-free robotics remotely THE Journal An education technology company that produces a robot for use by early learners has developed resources to help teachers prepare for fall classes that could be held remotely. KinderLab Robotics is the maker of KIBO, a robot that can be programmed by young students without the use of a screen and with the use of wooden blocks. READ MORE

Underrepresented students in STEM are getting a boost from this new education initiative citybizlist Through a new initiative prompted by a Howard University connection, California-based iD Tech and Salesforce are offering full scholarships to 150 D.C. students from groups underrepresented in STEM who are looking to attend a virtual tech camp this summer. Founded by mother-daughter duo Kathryn Ingram-Cauchi and Alexa Ingram-Cauchi in 1999, iD Tech promotes STEM education by providing computer tech camps and experiences to children ages 7 through 19. Ylka van Bemmel Reiss, the company's director of social impact, told Technical.ly that last year, 50,000 students attended programs across 170 locations. READ MORE

Ontario schools will now teach first graders financial literacy and coding to better prepare students for jobs of the future CNN Coding and financial literacy will now be required learning for elementary school students in Ontario. The new curriculum, announced by the Ontario government, was created with help from parents, math educators, academics and math education experts over the course of two years. It is "designed to reverse a decade of declining math scores," according to a statement issued by the government. It will go into effect this September, for grades 1-8. READ MORE

In-person classes, online learning or a mix? Reopening schools will bring new struggles NBC News With the next academic year less than three months away, and no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic, school districts face a daunting decision: Reopen the schools they shuttered, or continue to teach students remotely? Educators across the United States are weighing their options, taking into account the quality of the education they can offer, the need for children to socialize and keeping safety in mind above all else. READ MORE

How student-teacher relationships can prevent a lost school year District Administration Magazine The coronavirus pandemic and online learning have shown that all schools should become 1-to-1 — not just with computers, but also for cementing student-teacher relationships, one advocate says. "Those staff-student connections should become the norm," says Jonah Edelman, founder & CEO of Stand for Children, a nonprofit focused on equity in education. "It absolutely needs to become the norm during the pandemic to prevent a huge number of students from dropping off the map." READ MORE

Are students' information literacy skills up to par? eSchool News U.S. eighth-graders scored above the international average for computer and information literacy, but they also struggle with some key 21st-century employability skills, according to an international study. The International Computer and Information Literacy Study measures eighth-graders' ability to use computers to investigate, create, participate and communicate at home, at school, in their future workplace and in their communities. The 2018 study's results were released in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics, marking the first time that U.S. ICILS data are available READ MORE

AC Boys and Girls Club announces plan for STEAM workforce development program Press of Atlantic City From designing a logo and website for a neighborhood business to developing and coding the technology of the future, the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club is rolling out a new STEAM Lab program this summer to prepare the city's youth for careers beyond hospitality. "What COVID has done for all of us, specifically at the Boys and Girls Club, is recognize the need for a diversified work opportunity," said Mia Williams, the STEAM Lab director for the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club. READ MORE

MULTIBRIEFS EXCLUSIVE K-12 learning is poised for a more tailored approach Bambi Majumdar It is summer and time for children to relax. Parents this year are finding it hard to relax, though. They cannot help but worry about the COVID-19 risks awaiting their kids in the fall if schools decide to reopen and resume in-person learning. A Morning Consult survey states that a vast majority of parents in the U.S. want schools to be ready to shift to online learning by the fall. K-12 school districts can do this by equipping themselves with better technologies and focusing on robust blended learning for all children. READ MORE

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