CSTA Puget Sound (aka "PSCSTA") will provide free Washington clock hours for the following course in Fall 2023:
Using Data to Improve Diverse Participation in CS (6 hours): Online, self-paced course on Coursera, this course provides a foundational understanding of the systematic and structural barriers that keep underrepresented students out of computer science classrooms. Free for CSTA+ members.
Fostering a Sense of Belonging in Your CS classroom (4 hours): Online, self-paced course on Coursera, this course explores critical elements of the classroom to create an environment that is welcoming for everyone. Free for CSTA+ members. Free for CSTA+ members.
Identity-Inclusion for K-12 Computer Science Educators (12 hours): Online, self-paced course on Coursera, this course provides a foundational understanding of oneself, the impact one has on others, and ways to foster safe and inclusive CS learning environments. Free for CSTA+ members. Note: This course was also offered in 2022-23. The current link is for 2023 Summer session and will be updated when registration for 2023 Fall session is available.
Teach Security: The Security Mindset (4 hours STEM): Online, self-paced course on Coursera, this course helps high school CS teachers introduce important cybersecurity principles in their CS classrooms. Free for CSTA+ members. Note: This course was also offered in 2022-23. The current link is for 2023 Summer session and will be updated when registration for 2023 Fall session is available.
Teacher Inquiry Group - Identity Inclusion (12 hours): 4-6 online, synchronous sessions plus asynchronous work in Identity-Inclusion for K-12 Computer Science educators. Applications for the inquiry group for the Fall session are closed, but applications are open for the winter session until Dec 2. Those selected to participate in this teacher inquiry group will also receive a $500 stipend. Please inform csta.pugetsound@gmail.com if you are already registered for the Fall session.
Computer Science Endorsement Exam Prep Course for Washington State (40 hours): An online, self-paced prep course to help teachers pass the WEST/NES Computer Science Endorsement Exam for Washington and prepare you for your first-year teaching computer science. Cost: $650 (Scholarships covering $550 are available). Registration will open up the week of Sep 11.
To receive free Washington clock hours for these courses, you must be a CSTA Puget Sound (WA) chapter member and inform csta.pugetsound@gmail.com both when you start and complete the course. Except for the endorsement exam prep course, all of the above courses are free to members of CSTA+ ($50 annual fee) members. Although these courses are available for a fee to non-CSTA+ members (i.e., CSTA (free) members), it is far more efficient to purchase a CSTA+ annual membership if you decide to even take one of the courses.
There is currently no plan to offer Washington clock hours for attendance at Impacts of Computing Summit ($15) on Oct 14. If you plan to attend this summit and would like to receive up to 4 Washington clock hours, please contact csta.pugetsound@gmail.com by Sep 17. We need at least 3 teachers seeking clock hours for this event by Sep 17 before we will register it.
