CS4NorCal in the Media
Sacramento County Office Of Education Press Release
Global Education Experts Discuss Technology Best Practices: Department of State Showcases Technology Integration in Local Schools
November 8, 2024
Global Education Experts Discuss Technology Best Practices: Department of State Showcases Technology Integration in Local Schools
November 8, 2024
CS4NorCal's professional learning designer and provider informed a delegation of visitors from 22 countries about the project during a recent national tour conducted by the Department of State. (Click on the link to the left to learn more.)
Engaging Communities in Innovative STEM Programs
A webinar sponsored by the Education Innovation and Research office of the federal Department of Education (September 12, 2024)
A webinar sponsored by the Education Innovation and Research office of the federal Department of Education (September 12, 2024)
CS4NorCal's Modoc County CS Champion, Tanja Ramming, joined Project Director Kathy Hamilton and Co-Director Karen Mix as presenters for this webinar. During the webinar, current EIR grantees shared strategies they use to support effective community engagement, including strategies for engaging communities effectively when implementing STEM initiatives in rural/tribal places and approaches to common challenges around effective community engagement. Ms. Ramming shared the efforts of Advancing Modoc, in collaboration with RISE and MESA, to integrate computer science instruction in Modoc County Schools. Click on the webinar link to the right to listen to a recording.
The Modoc County Record (August 22, 2024)
Teaching educators the ABCs of computer science
Over 70 educators and administrators from across Northern California attended a computer science training June 10-14 at the University Preparatory School in Redding.
Over half the educators who attended were elementary teachers poised to inspire younger generations to learn more about coding, problem-solving and computational thinking. The other participants were middle school teachers and school administrators looking to expand their computer science skills.
“The workshop was challenging, packed with great information and well-run,” said Tony Chinchay, a middle school teacher from Butte County. “I enjoyed every aspect of it thoroughly, and I’m looking forward to the follow-up Zoom meetings throughout the year!”
In order to maximize access to high-quality professional learning and mitigate the barrier of lengthy travel, some of the Redding participants joined in virtually. The middle school participants, while physically present at University Preparatory School building along with a facilitator, were digitally linked to peers in Fresno and Contra Costa counties via Zoom.
“We were so happy with the outcome from the trainings — both having participants in person and online,” said Karen Mix, co-director of CS4NorCal. “It’s amazing to be able to work with small groups of educators to make computer science more accessible to all areas of our state, from cities and suburbia to the rural country schools.”
“When teachers teach computer science, they see a type of joy and satisfaction that students don’t show in any other classroom ... that’s because of the creativity and empowerment.”
— Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code.org Click here to read more
The Rural Voice, official podcast of the National Rural Education Association (April 16, 2024)
Computer Science in
Rural Education Curriculum
Rural Education Curriculum
In this episode, we discuss rural initiatives to train students in computer science. We interviewed Ms. Karen Mix, the co-director of CS4NorCal, a five-year research grant. This program creates K-12 computer science training. CS4NorCal was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program and sponsored by SSDA to support Computer Science (CS) professional learning and instruction in rural Northern California. The project is currently building a model for computer science in rural schools. Ms. Mix discusses the role of partnerships within the six counties in Northern California with professional development for teachers and generating access for teachers to attend. We discussed how the various ways this program has supported computer science programs in rural schools. We discuss how schools can find funding for these programs and how partnerships can aid resources and education. We discuss how the curriculum can be implemented at various levels and programs.
The Spring into CS Summit, held March 16 in Redding, brought together computer science (CS) enthusiasts from around Northern California for an interactive day of professional development, networking and technology discovery. Participants were energized and excited to discuss computer science concepts and evolving CS standards for K-12 classrooms.
The event (hosted by the Butte County Office of Education in partnership with CS4NorCal and Stanislaus County Office of Education) was filled to capacity with over 100 computer enthusiasts in attendance. Educators learned new strategies for teaching computer science, at every grade and age level, while engaging with the latest trends and technology, specifically with a focus on access and inclusion in rural areas.
“The event was a great overview of computer science, and it planted seeds for teachers that may have never tried CS in their classrooms,” said participant Julie Kim, 4th Grade Math & Homeschool Teacher at Redding School of the Arts.
Computer science educators gather at regional summit
The Spring into CS Summit, held March 16 in Redding, brought together computer science enthusiasts from around Northern California — including Plumas County — for an interactive day of professional development, networking and technology discovery. Organizers reported that participants were energized and excited to discuss computer science concepts and evolving CS standards for K-12 classrooms.
The event was hosted by the Butte County Office of Education in partnership with CS4NorCal and Stanislaus County Office of Education and welcomed over 100 computer enthusiasts in attendance. Educators learned new strategies for teaching computer science at every grade and age level, while engaging with the latest trends and technology, specifically with a focus on access and inclusion in rural areas.
Highlights included a keynote address by Adam Welcome and presentations by Kat Goyette, the computer science coordinator for the California Department of Education. Nikki Navta from Code.org, and Jake Carr and Nathan Collins, hosts of the podcast “What Teachers Have to Say,” also spoke and shared the need for computer science. Read more here.
KRCR TV in Redding (January 30, 2024)
Sonsoles Abbott, the teacher featured in this television story, participated in the Computer Science Integration workshop held in Redding in September and October 2023. She also is an active participant in the CSTA Far North Chapter.
Three other teachers and the principal from Tree of Life International Charter School in Anderson, Shasta County, also have participated in CS4NorCal's professional learning program.
Small School Districts' Association magazine (Summer 2023)
2023 SSDA Today - CS4NorCal Expands to Assist Rural Schools in Northern California.pdf
