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The application for the CSPDIF is open! Details about the grant including application and implementation guidance, the application questions, the scoring rubric, and due dates are available on the DE Computer Science web page. Applications are due November 9th, 2020.
The goal of this grant program is to build the capacity of Iowa schools to provide high quality computer science instruction. In this round of CSPDIF awards for the 2020-21 school year, we are looking for innovative ideas and will select those that are most likely to prepare teachers to teach computer science within six to 12 months.
Our goals:
- Offer high-quality professional development to prepare Iowa teachers to teach computer science,
- Engage teachers who are new to computer science
- Encourage innovation, and
- Build a vibrant network of computer science teachers.
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As computer science education expands in Iowa many educators and administrators are not sure where to start or even what computer science is, much less knowing our standards. To address this we built four computer science content modules for you, in the AEA Learning Online platform. When we take away the confusion, misunderstandings and fear about the Iowa Computer Science Standards CS education becomes approachable. The modules include a variety of resources for you, the educator, and for our students. It is learning at your own pace so you can get what you need. The modules can be viewed individually or together as a self-paced course for one license renewal credit.
The four content modules in this course are Understanding the What and Why of Computer Science, the K-12 Computer Science Framework, the CSTA (Iowa) Standards, and Applying and Connecting the Computer Science Standards.
Access the Elementary / Middle School (K-8) course here.
Access the Secondary (9-12) course here.
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1A-IC-16 -- Compare how people live and work before and after the implementation or adoption of new computing technology.
Grade band: K-2
Concept: Impacts of Computing
Sub-concept: Culture
Practice: Communicating About Computing
Computing technology has positively and negatively changed the way people live and work. In the past, if students wanted to read about a topic, they needed access to a library to find a book about it. Today, students can view and read information on the Internet about a topic or they can download e-books about it directly to a device. Such information may be available in more than one language and could be read to a student, allowing for great accessibility.
Computing devices can be used for entertainment and as productivity tools, and they can affect relationships and lifestyles. Computing devices, such as fitness trackers, can motivate a more active lifestyle by monitoring physical activity. On the other hand, passively consuming media from computing devices may lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. In the past, the most popular form of communication was to send mail via the postal service. Now, more people send emails or text messages.
Decomposition is the process of breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts. With decomposition, problems that seem overwhelming at first become much more manageable. Decomposition is one of the cornerstones of computational thinking.
Being able to turn a complex problem into one we can easily understand is a skill that is extremely useful. In fact, it's a skill you already have and probably use every day. If you went to the grocery store to purchase items for dinner you used decomposition to build your grocery list, guide the direction you took as you navigated the aisles, the route you followed to and from the store, and the vehicle in which you drove.
For our younger learners teachers might describe a scenario, such as planning a birthday party, that involves multiple steps. This type of task can quickly become overwhelming without an organized to-do list of smaller, more approachable challenges. Students can help to break down the larger task, and the teacher can help to draw or write a visual representation of their thinking, giving students a mental map of how to solve similar problems in the future. Older students use decomposition in math when they find the area of different shapes by decomposing them into triangles and in science when they research the different organs in order to understand how the human body digests food.
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CSTA Iowa, the Iowa Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), supports and connects educators across Iowa with teaching Computer Science in many forms. Whether you teach CSP to high school students or integrate coding into elementary literacy, they're there to share resources, support your practice, and connect you with CS educators across our great state!
You can view the CSTA Iowa website and follow their Twitter Account, @IowaCSTA, for updates.
Be sure you join CSTA Iowa for:
Please share questions and suggestions with our leadership team at iowa@csteachers.org or visit our About Us web page to contact individual team members.
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Computer Science Web page - Check out the information and resources available.
Twitter - Do you tweet? Follow me at @wrenhoffman and be sure to use the hashtag #CSforIA for all your computer science related tweets.
Sharing - Do you have a story or an experience to share? I’d love to include examples of what is happening in schools and districts around the state in the next newsletter.
CSTA Iowa - The Iowa Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) supporting and connecting Iowa educators with teaching Computer Science.
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