Teaching Resources

 

Go to Resources to Teach Kids Coding page within cpatis.org .

AP Computer Science PrinciplesExploring Computer Science
A+ Computer ScienceGoogle CS First
Cambridge GCSE Computing OnlineProject Lead The Way (PLTW)
Code.orgScratchEd
CSTeachingTipsThinkerSmith
CS10

Setting the goal of expanded and enhanced computer programming courses in schools is one thing, but actual implementation of the goal is quite another.  Far too often education initiatives fail to move past conceptual goals due to a lack of understanding of what is required when “the rubber hits the road”.  Given the fact that 90 percent of schools in the USA do not teach programming, there is a dire need for implementation guidance and resources along with model curriculums.  

While the following information provides information on teacher resources, it is far from sufficient if we are going to flip the 90/10 ratio around.  Specifically, moving from 90 percent of schools not teaching programming, to 90 percent teaching programming and coding.

Of course there will be those teachers that have the time and initiative to piece together a curriculum by searching the web, but there is a need to have a centralized repository of implementation guidance and lesson plans.  And this is where you can help by joining the cpatis.org forum and emailing actual lesson plans and other useful information to steve@cpatis.org and I will index the materials by grade level.  

It should be noted that many products offer fantastic “rubber hitting the road” materials, but they are product specific, and teachers should know all the options available to them. While its unfortunate that a two hour search of the internet only found the following teacher resources, it is a start.  Finally, please visit our Coding Resources page to find lots of other great options to teach coding, but from my experience do not have the specific lesson plans etc. that many teachers may want/need.  

 

ap

AP Computer Science Principles

AP Computer Science Principles is a new computer science course designed to give students foundational computing skills, an understanding of the real-world impact of computing applications, and programming literacy. Leading computer scientists and educators, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), agreed that such a course was needed to increase the number of students interested in and prepared for success in computer science and other STEM fields.

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a+

A+ Computer Science

These Computer Science curriculum materials can be used in AP Computer Science classes as well as non-AP Computer Science classes. These materials also work very well for IB Computer Science.

 

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Cambridge GCSE Computing Onlinecam

Welcome to Cambridge GCSE Computing Online.  This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) has been created by the Cambridge-based partnership of exam board OCR, Cambridge University Press (CUP) and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The course is based on OCR’s GCSE Computing curriculum and gives participants an excellent opportunity to investigate how computers work, how they are used, and to develop computer programming and problem-solving skills. The course has been designed for 14-16 year olds; but is free and open to all, and can be used either as a course or a resource to support teachers. The course is running now; it has no start or end date.

 

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code

Code.org  Groups curriculum by school level. Code Studio allows classroom management.

Whether you’re a school teacher, an administrator, an after-school teacher, or a volunteer, Code.org provides educational resources for all ages, free of cost. Our online courses on Code Studio are meant for use in all settings — in-school, home-schooling, after-school — and can be taught by teachers, parents or volunteers.

 

 

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cst

CSTeachingTips

Even the best curriculum is better when you can tailor your teaching to meet your students’ needs with our expertly gathered teaching tips!

Problem: CS pedagogical content knowledge (CS PCK) – i.e., knowledge of how to teach computer science – is mostly undocumented.

Project Goal: Develop a set of CS teaching tips to help teachers anticipate students’ difficulties and build upon students’ strengths.

Status: Beginning the project in October of 2013, we are currently recruiting CS teachers who have insights into student learning.

Funding: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1339404. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

 

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cs10

CS10

While this is a course provided at UC Berkley, it provides a wealth of information that others could use.

CS10: The Beauty and Joy of Computing, is an exciting new course offered by the UC Berkeley EECS Department. Computing has changed the world in profound ways. It has opened up wonderful new ways for people to connect, design, research, play, create, and express themselves. However, just using a computer is only a small part of the picture. The real transformative and empowering experience comes when one learns how to program the computer, to translate ideas into code. This course will teach students how to do exactly that, using Snap! (based on Scratch), one of the friendliest programming languages ever invented. It’s purely graphical, which means programming involves simply dragging blocks around, and building bigger blocks out of smaller blocks.

 

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explor

Exploring Computer Science

While recognizing the importance of computer science knowledge for economic and educational opportunity in the 21st century, we also believe that the inequities in computer science are an indicator of what Jonathan Kozol (1992) refers to as the “savage inequalities” in our larger educational system. The mechanisms and beliefs that channel students of color away from computer science learning opportunities do the very same thing throughout the entire college-preparatory educational system. The end result is that students of color in low resourced schools are commonly denied a wide range of occupational or educational futures. Therefore, in the end, it can be fairly stated that our work is about computer science education, but also about addressing the larger inequities in our current educational system.

 

 

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googlecs

Google CS First

CS First is a free program that increases student access and exposure to computer science (CS) education through after-school, in-school, and summer programs. All clubs are run by teachers and/or community volunteers.

Our materials:

  • are completely free and available online

  • are targeted at students in grades 4th-8th (ages 9-14)

  • can be tailored to fit your schedule and needs

  • involve block-based coding using Scratch and are themed to attract students with varied interests

 

Videos:

 

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project

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the nation’s leading provider of K-12 STEM programs. Our world-class curriculum and high-quality teacher professional development model, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate and community partners, help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in our global economy.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we deliver PLTW programs to more than 6,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. PLTW schools can be found in rural, urban, and suburban districts; across all income levels; as well as in public, private, and charter schools.

 

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scratch

ScratchEd Great lesson plans by grade level

A wide variety of educators have been supporting Scratch creators, in both formal and informal learning environments: a teacher who wants to share stories about Scratch and cross-curricular integration; a researcher who wants feedback on materials developed for exploring Scratch as participatory literacy; a parent who wants advice on how to introduce Scratch at a local all-girls high school; a museum program director who wants to connect with other museums who have introduced Scratch.  In response to this growing community of educators working with Scratch, we developed ScratchEd. Launched in July 2009, ScratchEd is a new online community where Scratch educators share stories, exchange resources, ask questions, find people, and discover events.

ScratchEd from Karen Brennan on Vimeo.

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thinker

ThinkerSmith 2 free curriculum and five other reasonably priced.  Great plugged and unplugged activities.

At Thinkersmith, we believe that computers should be presented as playful instruments instead of just tools for curriculum. People of all ages are inspired by sports, music and poetry; we believe that computer science can be presented with just as much excitement, ingenuity and enjoyment as any other hobby. It’s time to take the intimidation out of informatics and just experience the pure joy that comes with creating fun and helpful applications. No matter what your comfort level, check us out and see what it feels like to master the digital domain.

 

 

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For teachers to learn programming languages and feel confident teaching kids subject matter, the following sites will help with your professional development.

 

Codecademy

Misson: We are rethinking education from the bottom up. The web has rethought nearly everything – commerce, social networking, healthcare, and more. We are building the education the world needs – the first truly net native education. We take more cues from Facebook and Zynga in creating an engaging educational experience than we do from the classroom. Education is broken. Come help us build the education the world deserves.

Videos:

 

Coursera.org  

Offers free online classes for all types of subjects including computer programming. Required age will vary depending on course, but most of these are taught via universities.

edX

Very similar to Coursera.org, where a number of free online classes for all types of subjects including computer programming. Required age will vary depending on course, but most of these are taught via universities.

 

KhanAcademy  

Learn how to program drawings, animations, and games using JavaScript & ProcessingJS, or learn how to create webpages with HTML & CSS. You can share whatever you create, explore what others have created and learn from each other!

 

Videos: