The Orange County Department of Education and Code.org are hosting a free workshop for K-5 educators interested in teaching computer science. The one-day workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on September 12 at the OCDE offices in Costa Mesa.
The professional development opportunity will cover the Code.org elementary school curriculum, and will include an introduction to computer science, pedagogy, an overview of the online curriculum, and strategies for teaching classroom activities. Each course consists of about 20 lessons that may be implemented as one unit or over the course of a semester. Teachers will walk away with a printed curriculum guide and classroom supplies for the lessons – at no cost.
Organizers say the curriculum blends online, self-guided and self-paced tutorials with classroom activities that require no computer. Topics covered in the lessons range from Internet safety and digital citizenship to debugging and algorithms. By the end of each course, students can create interactive games or stories they can share.
The workshops are created to be accessible to teachers with no prior knowledge of computer science. Educators are invited to register for the free training here, and for questions contact OCDE’s Alisa McCord at amccord@ocde.us or 714-327-1063.
Other opportunities to take part in the trainings in Orange County will be available through the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District and the University of California, Irvine in October. You can find more information about Code.org and other workshop locations at Code.org.