Computer Science Education in Wisconsin and the CSTA WI-Dairyland

Chapter

Friday, May 8, 2015Kern-Cary, Green Lake Center, WIJoe Kmoch <joe@jkmoch.com>

Lots to Discuss

Who am I, who are you?What is CSTA WI-Dairyland andWhat have we done?The new CS Education in WI trifold, updates on CS licensing and counting CS as math, creating community with our CSTA WI-Dairyland chapter - gathering suggestions for activities and volunteering opportunities.

Introductions

• Who I am• Who are you– Name, school– CS courses you teach– What do you want to know about?

CSTA WI-Dairyland

• What have we been involved with since January 2013– Very involved with successful NSF grant at MU– Developing a CS strand each year at this

conference– Involved with WI DPI and CS– CS Competitions at MU– CS4HS

CSTA WI-Dairyland

• Communications– Listserve (WI-CSandIT-Teachers) and email list of

national CSTA members in WI.– Website– Designed and distributed the trifold on Computer

Science Education in WI

WI DPI and CS

• Encouraged and attended several meetings with DPI to deal with licensing and CS Standards

• Activities– Obtaining the CS endorsement license (405)– What courses are counted as Computer Science– Work toward getting CS to count as a math course– Establish WI CS Standards in the future– Obtaining CS Ed Week in WI Proclamation

Obtaining a CS (405) license

• There is now a Praxis CS test.• https://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/5651• If you have a 400 (mathematics) license, there has

always been a pathway to getting the 405 license by taking a Praxis test

• Now such a Praxis test for CS exists from ETS• DPI has to set the pass value; once done teachers

can schedule their online exam; anticipated to start in June, 2015

Obtaining a CS (405) license

• For new teachers, have what amounts to a CS minor, take a CS methods course and student teaching experience

• For current teachers, take a set of CS courses essentially a minor), take a CS methods course and have several outside observations.

Alternative pathway to CS

• Current Proposal to DPI: CSTA WI-Dairyland would be the accrediting agency

• Take a set of 5 CS courses to achieve certain CS objectives• These can be

– online (free or low cost),– community college (low cost)– (summer) workshops (low or no cost)– regular university CS courses

• Assessments are similar to those provided to students in those courses

• Methods course; observations• Developing a Portfolio option

CS Counting as Math – DPI Guidance

• This has just been released; courses that can count; still depends on each school board decision

• http://tepdl.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/tepdl/pdf/Computer-Science-Guidance.pdf

• Expect stiff, legitimate resistance from math department (CCSS-M, etc)

Futures for CSTA

• Schedule several meetings per year– Mix of F2F and online (Google Hangout)– Need topics– Survey of possible topics

• Activities/workshops?• Communications improvements– Website– Social media

What should you do?• Become a member of CSTA – it’s free

– http://csta.acm.org

• Sign this session’s attendance sheet – we’ll make sure you’re one our WI-CSandIT Listserve

• Fill out the Survey of CSTA Chapter Activities and add your own ideas

• Volunteer some time for CSTA WI-Dairyland– Develop a presentation highlighting something you do in class– Plan and facilitate an activity, workshop, meeting– Communications

• Market activities• Social Media• Website

• This presentation is on http://expandingcswisconsin.pbworks.com