Your First Year Teaching Computer Science

Your First Year Teaching Computer Science is a comprehensive guide to teaching computer science geared to new instructors in the field. It can be used as a guide and a reference, and it provides multiple examples of how to construct teaching materials, how to prepare lectures, how to write assignments, how to train TAs, and how to advise students, among many other topics. It is both motivational and instructive, and it provides a foundation on which to become a great CS instructor. Teaching computer science involves more than just "teaching the material," and this book details all of the other parts of teaching that you will need to know to do the job. If you are wondering where to begin as a computer science teacher, this is the book for you.Features-Serves as a comprehensive guide to teaching introductory computer science for new teachers, and experienced teachers can refer to it on specific points. -Provides examples of teaching materials, grading guides, multiple lists, and other valuable resource for helping new teachers to launch their first computer science courses. -Includes information about training TAs, holding office hours, advising students, and many other practical information that is not specifically about the technical part of teaching computer science. -Written in a conversational tone and is premised on the belief that teaching should be rewarding, fun, and engaging.

Coding teaches our students the essence of logical thinking and problem solving while also preparing them for a world in which computing is becoming increasingly pervasive. While there's excitement and enthusiasm about programming becoming an intrinsic part of K-12 curricula the world over, there's also growing anxiety about preparing teachers to teach effectively at all grade levels.This book strives to be an essential, enduring, practical guide for every K-12 teacher anywhere who is either teaching or planning to teach computer science and programming at any grade level. To this end, readers will discover:? An A-to-Z organization that affords comprehensive insight into teaching introductory programming.? 26 chapters that cover foundational concepts, practices and well-researched pedagogies related to teaching introductory programming as an integral part of K-12 computer science. Cumulatively these chapters address the two salient building blocks of effective teaching of introductory programming-what content to teach (concepts and practices) and how to teach (pedagogy).? Concrete ideas and rich grade-appropriate examples inspired by practice and research for classroom use.? Perspectives and experiences shared by educators and scholars who are actively practicing and/or examiningthe teaching of computer science and programming in K-12 classrooms.

This guide presents both a conceptual framework and detailed implementation guidelines for general computer science (CS) teaching. The content is clearly written and structured to be applicable to all levels of CS education and for any teaching organization, without limiting its focus to instruction for any specific curriculum, programming language or paradigm. Features: presents an overview of research in CS education; examines strategies for teaching problem-solving, evaluating pupils, and for dealing with pupils’ misunderstandings; provides learning activities throughout the book; proposes active-learning-based classroom teaching methods, as well as methods specifically for lab-based teaching; discusses various types of questions that a CS instructor, tutor, or trainer can use for a range of different teaching situations; investigates thoroughly issues of lesson planning and course design; describes frameworks by which prospective CS teachers gain their first teaching experience.

This textbook presents both a conceptual framework and detailed implementation guidelines for computer science (CS) teaching. Updated with the latest teaching approaches and trends, and expanded with new learning activities, the content of this new edition is clearly written and structured to be applicable to all levels of CS education and for any teaching organization. Features: provides 110 detailed learning activities; reviews curriculum and cross-curriculum topics in CS; explores the benefits of CS education research; describes strategies for cultivating problem-solving skills, for assessing learning processes, and for dealing with pupils’ misunderstandings; proposes active-learning-based classroom teaching methods, including lab-based teaching; discusses various types of questions that a CS instructor or trainer can use for a range of teaching situations; investigates thoroughly issues of lesson planning and course design; examines the first field teaching experiences gained by CS teachers.

Whether you are an experienced teacher or someone new to the field, you'll find this book to be full of resources and information for schools looking to bring engaging and dynamic computer science to its students. If you are new to the field, or still researching if computer science fits in your school, you can use this book as a guide to help you understand that CS really is, research what kinds of technologies work in the classroom, the differences between the many programming languages, type of available curricula, training, recruitment, online communities, format of your classroom, and even pedagogical style. If you are an experienced computer science teacher looking for new ideas, new approaches, and new ways to engage students through a project-based approach, you will discover numerous proven strategies and case studies to help you take your CS program to the next level -- Back cover.

Empower tomorrow’s tech innovators Our students are avid users and consumers of technology. Isn’t it time that they see themselves as the next technological innovators, too? Computational Thinking and Coding for Every Student is the beginner’s guide for K-12 educators who want to learn to integrate the basics of computer science into their curriculum. Readers will find Practical strategies for teaching computational thinking and the beginning steps to introduce coding at any grade level, across disciplines, and during out-of-school time Instruction-ready lessons and activities for every grade Specific guidance for designing a learning pathway for elementary, middle, or high school students Justification for making coding and computer science accessible to all A glossary with definitions of key computer science terms, a discussion guide with tips for making the most of the book, and companion website with videos, activities, and other resources Momentum for computer science education is growing as educators and parents realize how fundamental computing has become for the jobs of the future. This book is for educators who see all of their students as creative thinkers and active contributors to tomorrow’s innovations. "Kiki Prottsman and Jane Krauss have been at the forefront of the rising popularity of computer science and are experts in the issues that the field faces, such as equity and diversity. In this book, they’ve condensed years of research and practitioner experience into an easy to read narrative about what computer science is, why it is important, and how to teach it to a variety of audiences. Their ideas aren’t just good, they are research-based and have been in practice in thousands of classrooms...So to the hundreds and thousands of teachers who are considering, learning, or actively teaching computer science—this book is well worth your time." Pat Yongpradit Chief Academic Officer, Code.org

A book for anyone teaching computer science, from elementary school teachers and coding club coaches to parents looking for some guidance. Computer science opens more doors for today's youth than any other discipline - which is why Coding in the Classroom is your key to unlocking students' future potential. Author Ryan Somma untangles the current state of CS education standards; describes the cognitive, academic, and professional benefits of learning CS; and provides numerous strategies to promote computational thinking and get kids coding! Whether you're a teacher, an after-school coach, or a parent seeking accessible ways to boost your kid's computer savvy, Coding in the Classroom is here to help. With quick-start programming strategies, scaffolded exercises for every grade level, and ideas for designing CS events that promote student achievement, this book is a rock-solid roadmap to CS integration from a wide variety of on-ramps. You'll learn: tips and resources for teaching programming concepts via in-class activities and games, without a computer development environments that make coding and sharing web apps a breeze lesson plans for the software lifecycle process and techniques for facilitating long-term projects ways to craft interdisciplinary units that bridge CS and computational thinking with other content areas Coding in the Classroom does more than make CS less formidable - it makes it more fun! From learning computational thinking via board games to building their own websites, students are offered a variety of entry points for acquiring the skills they need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce. Moreover, Somma understands how schools operate - and he's got your back. You'll be empowered to advocate for the value of implementing CS across the curriculum, get stakeholder buy-in, and build the supportive, equitable coding community that your school deserves.

In this revolutionary book, a renowned computer scientist explains the importance of teaching children the basics of computing and how it can prepare them to succeed in the ever-evolving tech world. Computers have completely changed the way we teach children. We have Mindstorms to thank for that. In this book, pioneering computer scientist Seymour Papert uses the invention of LOGO, the first child-friendly programming language, to make the case for the value of teaching children with computers. Papert argues that children are more than capable of mastering computers, and that teaching computational processes like de-bugging in the classroom can change the way we learn everything else. He also shows that schools saturated with technology can actually improve socialization and interaction among students and between students and teachers. Technology changes every day, but the basic ways that computers can help us learn remain. For thousands of teachers and parents who have sought creative ways to help children learn with computers, Mindstorms is their bible.