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Aug. 13, 2020

CSTA News

Make Your Mark on CSTA 2021 Whether you prefer to be in front of the audience, or behind the scenes, it's your chance to help shape the 2021 CSTA Annual Conference! Apply to present: We're accepting submissions for a one-hour session, three-hour workshop, 20-minute mini-session, 45-minute Birds of a Feather discussion, or a poster session. Visit our website for more information on the process and to submit your application. All submissions are due by Nov. 8. Become a reviewer: We invite you to consider reviewing submissions for CSTA 2020! If you've attended or presented at a prior CSTA conference, have a connection to K–12 computer science, and are available between Nov. 23, and Dec. 17, consider volunteering your time! READ MORE

CSTA EVENT CALENDAR

Aug. 19 CSHS Overview & Check-in MORE INFO Aug. 26 CSTA+ Membership: An Inside Look MORE INFO Sept. 3 CSTA Engange MORE INFO

PRODUCT SHOWCASE Our Newest CoDrone Family Member Coding is more fun when it flies! Learn how to program in Blockly and Python with CoDrone Mini, Robolink's newest drone. Go at your own pace with virtual 1:1 classes, or join one of our virtual group classes. CoDrone Mini also comes with standards-aligned curriculum for use in classrooms! LEARN MORE

HEADLINES FROM THE FIELD

Teaching in an empty classroom during COVID-19: Benefits and drawbacks Education Week Should teachers work from school buildings if all their students are learning at home? At first glance, there are plenty of reasons to say yes. Teachers struggled this spring adjusting to providing instruction from their homes, without their usual teaching tools and classroom objects. Plus, roughly 10% of U.S. teachers don't have reliable internet access or digital devices at home, which forced some to teach from the parking lots of their school buildings or to shell out money for expensive computing devices. And teaching from home blurs the boundaries between work and personal life, which was exhausting and frustrating for many educators last spring. READ MORE

Most teachers concerned about in-person school; 2 in 3 want to start the year online NPR As the school year starts in many districts across the country, a new national poll of teachers from NPR/Ipsos finds overwhelming trepidation about returning to the physical classroom. Eighty-two percent of K-12 teachers say they are concerned about returning to in-person teaching this fall, and two-thirds prefer to teach primarily remotely. On the latter point, teachers are aligned with parents and the general public: Another recent NPR/Ipsos poll found two-thirds of respondents thought schools in their area should be primarily remote, including 62% of parents of children under 18. READ MORE

How to foster a welcoming environment for new teachers Teaching Channel With the beginning of the year approaching, many new teachers will find themselves in what can be an absolutely terrifying situation, not only learning to feel comfortable standing in front of students for the first time, but learning to navigate relationships with other teachers as well. New teachers will be faced with acclimating themselves and students to a world of blended and online learning. All the more reason to create a seamless transition and welcome new teachers by using four simple strategies, including tips for blended, online and in-person classes. READ MORE

Combining distance learning with interactive, hands-on STEM eSchool News One of the many challenges with distance learning is finding ways for students to engage in active and interpersonal learning experiences that increase their understanding of STEM. These types of activities are especially important because they can make abstract scientific concepts more accessible, and engage diverse learners in using engineering processes that are helpful for 21st century careers. READ MORE

Classroom management techniques that work in-person and online We Are Teachers When you watch a teacher with great classroom management techniques, it can feel like magic. The reality is, classroom management can be learned. Reading about classroom management, asking other teachers what they do, and even talking with your principal about what they have observed can help. Here are seven things to consider in your quest for classroom management excellence. And these hold true no matter how you are teaching: in person, online or in a hybrid model. READ MORE

5 ways to take STEM outside eSchool News The weather breaks. The sun is shining. Nature is in full bloom. Imagine a group of students gathering outside in a large grassy area. Their teacher is giving directions and assigning students to teams. In a virtual setting, the teacher makes a video explaining the task and students walk into their own backyards to execute the lesson on their own. We can all benefit from the environmental learning opportunities right outside our door. READ MORE

What do we know about the expansion of K-12 computer science education? The Brookings Institution Over the past decade, there has been substantial progress in increasing access to schooling for children and youth, but few are mastering the foundational skills and competencies needed for their futures. Confronted with this challenge, education systems are now increasingly strengthening existing learning models while simultaneously reorienting students for a world where technology is omnipresent. READ MORE

How early coding gives students a jumpstart District Administration Magazine Coding instruction begins in elementary school in California's Compton USD to prepare students to succeed with STEM technology in the ever-changing high-tech job market. "By the time they leave us, the opportunity gap related to brown and African American students is eliminated so they can compete," Superintendent Darin Brawley says. Grants have allowed Compton USD leaders to create an ed-tech feeder pattern that runs to high school from elementary schools, where specialized coding coaches supplement STEM instruction for the district's youngest students. READ MORE

Generation Esports: Serving high schools, middle schools and more District Administration Magazine There was a point just after the COVID-19 became very real in March that things got a bit nervy for Jason Kirby and his staff. As schools and activities got shut down, momentum slowed heading into the High School Esports League season. At a time when the HSEL typically would be putting the finishing touches on registrations for the spring, they instead were dealing with fallout from the pandemic. READ MORE

Computer Science Today   Connect with CSTA Dennis Hall, Director of Publishing, 469-420-2656 | Download media kit Hailey Golden, Senior Education Editor, 469-420-2630 | Contribute news Computer Science Teachers Association 200 E. Randolph St. Suite 200 | Chicago, IL 60601 | Contact Us Click here to unsubscribe. Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX, 75063