October 2018
In this issue:
Hi everyone! My name is Christine Koerner (rhymes with “learner”) and I am excited to continue work on the Curriculum and Instruction team as the Director of Computer Science and Director of Secondary Mathematics.
I am originally from the Chicago suburbs, where I grew up loving the Cubs, Chicago-style pizza, and the Chicago museums. For my undergraduate degree, I went to Mizzou (Go Tigers!) where I also helped design the Mizzou College of Education Website. I then went back to the suburbs for my first teaching job; I taught 6-8 math and Language Arts in Plainfield, Illinois for five years. During that time I also earned my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
When my husband, Bryan, earned a spot in a doctoral program at the University of Colorado, I went with him, moving near Denver in 2013. There I taught middle school math, Algebra I, and writing while coaching cross-country and track. We then moved along to Oklahoma, where I taught Pre-Algebra and Algebra I and coached cross-country at Summit Middle School in Edmond Public schools.
I am grateful for the opportunity to work with all Oklahoma computer science and math teachers in my current role as director, and I enjoyed meeting so many of you during EngageOK (even though Levi wasn’t ready to give up the title of Director of Computer Science until last month). I believe in setting high but reasonable expectations that each student can achieve and creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for all students. I look forward to collaborating with you, learning from you, and working with you all so we can help our students succeed!
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Have you seen the Computer Science Standards adopted in February? Based on the CSTA standards, the Oklahoma Computer Science Standards are available for grades K-12. These standards are designed to work to help a student develop computer science skills and enhance other subject area work. Remember, the standards involve more than just programming; these standards also focus on computing systems, networks and the internet, algorithms, and the impacts of computing.
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MIT THINK (Technology for Humanity Guided by Innovation, Networking, and Knowledge) (For High School): THINK is an annual science research and innovation competition for high school students. Rather than requiring students to have completed a research project before applying, THINK caters to students who have done extensive research on the background of a potential research project and are looking for additional guidance in the early stages of their project. The program is organized by a group of undergraduates at MIT and is open to high school students. Applications for the 2018-2019 competition will be available soon.
Aspirations in Computing: The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors women in grades 9 through 12 who are active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award for AiC recipients are chosen for their demonstrated interest and achievements in computing, proven leadership ability, academic performance, and plans for post‑secondary education.
Google Code-In: Google Code-In is a contest to introduce students (ages 13-17) to open source software development. Since 2010, over 8100 students from 107 countries have completed work in the contest. Open source organizations chosen by Google provide a list of tasks for students to work on during the seven week contest period. Students choose tasks they wish to work on from the following categories: coding, documentation, training, outreach, research, quality assurance, and design. Students earn prizes for their successful completion of the tasks. Google Code-in 2018 opens for students to register and start claiming tasks on October 23, 2018. The contest ends on December 12, 2018.
Code.org offers free online professional development. Click here to access the course.
Oracle Academy features courses for instructional coaches and teachers.
You get a chance to have ULTIMATE POWER! What is it you would like to see in future newsletters? What types of resources, answers, and interpretations can I provide? What initiatives are you working on? I want to hear it all. Please email or call me with anything you'd like to ask or share!
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