Pennsylvania Department of Education CSforALLPa K-8 Integrated Model

Session Dates

Thursday January 23, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday January 24, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday March 20, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday May 26, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday May 27, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday August 13, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

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Over the next decade, seven in 10 new jobs in Pennsylvania will require workers to use a computer and an estimated 300,000 STEM jobs will be available in the commonwealth. To meet this projected demand, the Governor launched PAsmart, a new initiative to invest in the commonwealth’s existing and future workforce. Based on the feedback to the Governor’s Middle Class Task Force, there are jobs without trained people to fill them and some workers need new skills, but a four-year degree is not for everyone and a one-size fits-all approach will not work.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has developed a base of classroom instruction and professional development in the fast-growing fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and computer science (CS) as well as training for in-demand careers, emerging industries, and underserved populations. The PAsmart initiative will be used to bring high-quality CS and STEM education to classrooms in elementary, middle, and high schools, along with professional development to expand the pool of qualified CS/STEM educators.

Through PAsmart, students, workers, and businesses are collaborating to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have an opportunity to succeed in the jobs of today, while gaining the skills of tomorrow.It is important for Pennsylvania to have a STEM-ready workforce to compete in a knowledge-based, tech-driven, global economy.

To meet this demand educators will receive training in PAsmart for CS/STEM, based on PDE’s vison of CS education developed through the CSTA/CS Framework. During this training, educators from across the commonwealth will learn about developing CS/STEM programs that will prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow through STEM and computer science education, apprenticeship and job training.

PAsmart for K-12 CS and STEM education and professional development initiatives may support the following activities that:
• Create or expand high-quality CS and STEM courses to K-12 students across Pennsylvania; 
• Create or expand CS and STEM awareness and/or after-school activities;
• Increase access of CS and STEM education for women, girls, students of color, students in rural and urban areas, students with disabilities, and other historically under-served and underrepresented populations; and
• Support the high-quality training and professional development of CS and STEM educators.

Objectives

Given an intensive collaborative professional learning experience, elementary educators will:

• Define Pennsylvania’s vision for Computer Science education
• Analyze and deconstruct the CSTA 2017 standards and CS Framework
• Build subject matter knowledge in Algorithms and Programming, Impacts of Computing. Data Analysis, Computing Systems, and Networks, and the Internet.
• Identify, align, and integrate high-quality resources (Code.org, Apple, Google, etc.) to support integrated computer science lesson planning across other PA Standard areas (Literacy, Math, Social Studies, and Science).
• Plan, create, teach and reflect on CSTA/CS Framework aligned and integrated computer science lessons delivered in grades K-8 with competencies demonstrated via metadata evidence (video of lessons, online collaboration and peer reflection on lessons, developed lesson plans) and uploaded into the online statewide PLC community.

Target Audience

Selected PAsmart Targeted Grant recipients