Save the date for the biggest CS PD event
South Carolina has ever seen!
CSTA South Carolina is very excited to announce South Carolina's inaugural CSPDWeek, July 20-24, 2020 held at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. We are prepared to host hundreds of educators to join us for a week of CS PD this summer.
We will be offering multiple week-long PD workshops that will allow SC educators to earn a 30-hour, state-recognized PD experience in computer science. Additionally, CSPDWeek will provide a great deal of networking and fun for participants!
*CS Discoveries workshops are closely aligned with the Discovering CS standards. Teachers who attended PD this summer should plan to attend a Part 1, 2, 3, and 4 workshop, especially if you received a scholarship.
**CS Principles workshops are more broadly aligned to Discovering CS, Fundamentals of Computing, Computer Science Principles, and Fundamentals of Web Page Design. Even if you attended CS Discoveries during the summer, you are welcome to attend CS Principles. Part 1, 2, 3, and 4 are in addition to summer training and are meant to provide “just-in-time” support as you teach during the school year. If you have not attended a summer PD, I would still encourage you to attend one of these workshops to receive support during implementation. However, a 30-hour, 5-day summer PD is needed for certification to teach one of the previously mentioned courses.
PGCTF is an annual, entirely student-run cybersecurity competition held by Porter-Gaud School on Feb 22. High School (or advanced middle school) students invited to form a team and register. All levels from beginner to advanced. It's free!
Open to all rising 5th-8th grade students! Taught by highly-qualified Citadel faculty/cadets, this interdisciplinary camp offers a taste of the college experience with intensive, creative hands-on engagement combining cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Each week will cover different interdisciplinary topics. Scout merit badges available.
June 8-12, 2020
June 15-19, 2020
9 am - 3 pm daily
Capers Hall, The Citadel
$250/week with sibling, multi-week, and Citadel discounts
June 8-12: FLIGHT SCHOOL put yourself in the pilot’s chair to experience the physics and art of flight
June 15-19: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE learn how machine learning systems are trained, how they are used, and some of the real-world implications of AI applications
Camp is taught on The Citadel campus in Capers Hall at 2 Lee Avenue in Charleston daily from 9 am to 3 pm. Small class size grouped by age and we do our best to honor grouping requests.
Cost is $250/week with multi-week, sibling, and Citadel faculty discounts. Snacks are provided but please bring lunch from home each day. A limited number of fee reduction waivers are available for Title I Schools.
For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Albert at jalbert@citadel.edu or 843-953-7121.
The Culturally Responsive Computer Science (CRoCS) project at Clemson University will offer a professional development opportunity for South Carolina Computer Science teachers in summer 2020.
We seek a diverse cohort of enthusiastic teachers from a variety of educational backgrounds to participate in a professional development workshop. Teachers should be scheduled to teach an introductory CS course during the 2020-2021 school year. Preference will be given to those who are teaching an introductory CS course for the first time.
CRoCS Professional Development Workshop
Will be June 9th – 12th from 8am - 4:30pm each day on the campus of Clemson University.
This summer's workshop will be created and facilitated by the CRoCS project team. We are working to develop activities and modules to deepen understanding of computer science content as well as pedagogy.
The workshop will:
o Focus on computer science content
o Focus on culturally responsive pedagogy
o Engage teachers in a scaffolded series of mini-projects
o Provide hands-on experience with programming concepts and constructs
o Provide a forum for teachers to share experiences and lessons learned
o Discuss, review and evaluate resources for teaching CS that cover SC CS standards
Participants will receive a $1000 stipend. Travel and meals will be covered by the grant. Lodging will also be provided for participants who live more than 45 minutes from Clemson, SC.
Teachers who wish to participate should complete an application form and must also ask their supervising administrator or principal to complete this endorsement form, stating that the teacher is or will be scheduled to teach the associated course in the upcoming academic year.
For full consideration, please apply by February 10, 2020. We plan to notify first-round applicants by February 28, 2020. We will continue to fill from a waitlist as openings arise.
For questions about this professional development opportunity, please contact crocs@clemson.edu.
Recruiting middle and high school teachers willing to learn and implement new and innovative pedagogies for infusing computational thinking into their content areas.
The first 2000 CSTA members that register to run a Girls Go CyberStart Club will receive a pack of limited-edition GGCS posters for their classroom!*
CSTA Member Exclusive Early Bird Offer
The first 2000 CSTA members that register to run a Girls Go CyberStart Club will receive a pack of limited-edition GGCS posters for their classroom!*
Girls Go CyberStart (GGCS) is a fun, online extracurricular cyber competition that inspires high school girls to discover their interest and talent in cybersecurity. The program has already reached 10,000 girls, but we’re on a mission to give even more young women the chance to learn about cybersecurity and to consider the amazing career opportunities in this field. Join as an Advisor to run a Girls Go CyberStart Club in your school! Find out more, here.
The program is free, and girls learn about cybersecurity and computing while participating in a three-stage competition to solve digital puzzles. Teachers don’t need any cybersecurity background as the GGCS gamified environment provides plenty of discovery-based learning resources for students to learn awesome cybersecurity skills. Teachers can register to run a GGCS Club between Dec. 2, 2019 and Jan. 31, 2020.
Here’s what Mary White, a high school CS teacher in Georgia, said about the program:
“We had so much fun with GGCS last year, and it was the catalyst that got our high school interested in pursuing other cybersecurity activities. So far, GGCS has definitely been our favorite competition - it was so well designed and kept the girls engaged. I work at a small school where previously we have not had more than one female student involved in any computer science activities. At my informational lunch meeting I had an amazing turnout of 15 girls, who all competed through to the end. They all worked so well together as a team and took the time to help each other through challenging puzzles. Definitely a winning choice for us to participate!"
When you register as an Advisor, you’ll receive a free digital resource pack to help you set up and run your Club. Then, you can simply support your students through the program and watch them fly!
Run a Club and join Girls Go CyberStart as we help girls across the nation discover their talent for cybersecurity. Don’t forget, be one of the first 2,000 CSTA members to register to receive your exclusive pack of posters!
* You must check the ‘I am a CSTA Member’ box during registration to qualify for the early bird offer. The poster will be sent to the address you enter when you sign up for Girls Go CyberStart.
We’re celebrating at the 20th anniversary of the CSTA Annual Conference and you’re the first to be invited to the party. We’re excited to add an extra day of conference programming, while continuing to keep the price low for K–12 teachers. Join us for CSTA 2020, set for July 11–15, in Arlington, Virginia!
Secure your CSTA 2020 spot at the lowest possible price!
Registration for CSTA 2020 is underway! CSTA’s conference committee and staff has been working hard behind the scenes to make sure our 20th Annual Conference is the best yet!
Scholarship Application Now Open: Thanks to the generous support of our partners, we are able to offer financial support to cover the conference registration fee, three nights in a hotel, and/or airfare, train, or mileage reimbursement for as many teachers as the funding will cover. Learn more and apply today!
Nifty Assignments: Do you have a fun lesson or project you’ve tried out this year? The call for proposals for Nifty Assignments is now open. Submissions will be accepted until March 1, 2020. Check out past Nifty’s to get new ideas for your classroom.
CTE Month® and NASA HUNCH 2019-2020 Student Video Challenge
ACTE and NASA HUNCH are excited to host, in our second year, the student video challenge, celebrating career and technical education (CTE) and project-based learning programs.
Purpose: Offer students the opportunity to showcase the application of CTE and project-based learning programs in high-demand 21st century career fields on Earth as well as in space.
Goal: Inspire students by sparking their imagination and creativity as well as broadening their knowledge about STEM careers through the CTE Month and NASA HUNCH student video challenge.
Video Challenge and Theme: Living and Working on the Moon and Beyond
Celebrate the 50+ year anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission by “looking back and looking ahead” — discuss some ideas of what lies ahead in lunar exploration and colonization.
The moon is our closest planetary neighbor (average distance of 384,400 kilometers or 238,900 miles). Feature a project (hosted on Earth or the moon) that could advance our understanding of living and working in extreme environments.
Showcase a future scenario on the moon that incorporates CTE and/or project-based learning.
The contest is open to middle school (6th-8th grades), high school and postsecondary students in any CTE or project-based (hands-on) class or program, or NASA HUNCH school. Students may enter as individuals or as a team.
Video Submission Guidelines
Deadline to submit your video is on Monday, March 2 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Video entries must be 2 minutes or less in length and include name of school, year (2020), and names of video creators and participants (credits)
Entries must incorporate the following message, presented as text on-screen and/or spoken by talent: “Learn more about career and technical education at ctemonth.org and NASA HUNCH at nasahunch.com.”
Videos must be a minimum video resolution of 1280 x 720 format, or an audio independent format (e.g., Instagram square composition).
Teachers and students will need to fill out different forms that can be found here. The password is HUNCHTALENT (same as last year). The new Talent and Authorization form is simplified and contains several dropdown boxes. On the first screen where it reads “HUNCH Program associated with your class,” check Video/Media (HUNCH-ACTE Collaborative Program). Students under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the form as well, which will require a parent’s email. Students and teachers who fill out the Talent Release before Tuesday, Feb. 4, will receive a NASA HUNCH certificate at the end of the school year.
To finalize a submission, email the YouTube link to videochallenge@acteonline.org and provide a phone number, email and mailing address for both student and educator contacts.
Entries that contain music or other copyrighted media must be accompanied by proof that entrants have the expressed permission of the original copyright holder. The following are examples of appropriate proof:
The name of the song along with the receipt from the school’s purchase of the song
A link to the website or Youtube video featuring the song
A signed letter or form stating that the music was created by a student in Garage Band or another program and that the student has been given permission for the music to be used royalty free
Please note: ACTE and NASA HUNCH retain the copyright on any submitted material and reserve the right to use the material in any way or format they see fit. Entries cannot be used for any commercial activity.
The program is free, and girls learn about cybersecurity and computing while participating in a three-stage competition to solve digital puzzles. Teachers don’t need any cybersecurity background as the GGCS gamified environment provides plenty of discovery-based learning resources for students to learn awesome cybersecurity skills. Teachers can register to run a GGCS Club between Dec. 2, 2019 and Jan. 31, 2020. 
