This year's CSTA (Computer Science Teachers Association) conference was held July 16-19 in Las Vegas. Five of our chapter leaders had the opportunity to attend both the Chapter Leader's Summit as well as the main conference. The event was a resounding success with a strong turnout and promising developments for the future of computer science education.
One of the conference highlights was the announcement of the next major update to CSTA's K-12 standards. Work has already begun and is slated for completion by summer 2026. This update is crucial as the standards have not been revised since 2017. Moreover, computer science education has evolved significantly over the past seven years, with a growing number of students engaging in CS, and strong interest in newly emerging fields such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and data science. States have also been updating their standards, and this work should be reflected in the CSTA ones as well.
CSTA also announced a new vision statement that captures the essence of the changes in CS education over the last decade: "Every student prepared for a world powered by computing." This vision underscores CSTA's commitment to ensuring that all students are equipped with the necessary skills for the increasingly digital world, and not just a focus on simply learning to code.
The four day conference offered an especially diverse array of topics this year. Sessions, talks, and vendors that focused on K-5 CS topics were much more plentiful this year, and were very well attended. Additionally, sessions on newly emerging topics such as AI and cybersecurity provided valuable insights for educators looking to stay ahead in these rapidly evolving fields.
PSCSTA was thrilled to host a very successful PNW regional meetup during the conference's second evening, drawing in 24 educators from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The meetup, held in a comfortably air-conditioned pub (temperatures soared to 108 degrees nearly every day) provided a relaxed setting for networking and sharing ideas over appetizers and drinks. We are looking forward to organizing more in-person and virtual regional events in the coming year.
Looking ahead, CSTA announced the locations for its next two in-person conferences. Cleveland will host the conference July 8-11, 2025, followed by Atlanta in 2026. The call for proposals for the 2025 conference will open in early August, and the CSTA 2025 Conference Committee has already started planning. Want to be a part of the team that makes the conference great? Volunteer to review proposals! The application for the 2026 committee will open in March 2025.
Thank you to all our members who attended the CSTA conference and represented PSCSTA with enthusiasm and dedication. We look forward to seeing you at future events as we continue to prepare our students for a world powered by computing!
August 2024 Issue
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Washington CS Grant Applications Open
The two grants administered by OSPI for K-12 computer science in Washington are accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year until Sep 6.
Further details of this year's grant process may be found on the (đź‘Ą) PSCSTA Community.
Detailed results from the 2023-24 grant process may be found on the PSCSTA website.
Many of the districts and schools who are interested in these CSEd grants may also be interested in OSPI's Educational Technology grants.
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Do fish go on vacation?
... No, because they are always in school.
Looking for some online summer PD?
The Summer Session of CSTA online courses is from July 22 through Sep 29. Visit the PSCSTA website for the list of available courses and more details
Congressional App Challenge Info Session
On Sep 17 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM, PSCSTA will host a virtual Info Session for the Congressional App Challenge (CAC) for all Washington teachers and students.
CAC is an annual competition sponsored by U.S. congressional districts for high school students in their districts.
Speakers include Ryan Kirzner, Congressional Operations Coordinator of the national CAC office, and the 2023 winners of Washington state.
PSCSTA would like to sponsor and help coordinate the activities of Computer Science Honor Societies (CSHS) in Washington. CSHS is the official student organization of CSTA. There are over 200 active CSHS chapters worldwide. CSHS encourages secondary students’ enthusiasm for computer science, honors academic excellence, and promotes service.
If you are a current CSHS advisor or interested in starting a CSHS at your school and would like PSCSTA support, please contact csta.pugetsound@gmail.com and let us know of your interest.
Open Board Meeting Sep 11
Save the date for our next Open Board meeting on Sep 11 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM, where will discuss plans for the upcoming school year
All are welcome to PSCSTA Open Board meetings. We encourage everyone to join us and be part of the discussion. To register for the meeting and receive a Zoom link, visit the Sep 2024 Open Board Meeting event page.
While studying to become a Math Teacher at Central Washington University, I knew I wanted to be able to integrate STEAM to the best of my ability while teaching. With that in mind, I jumped on the internship opportunity where I would become the PSCSTA Social Media Manager and receive a scholarship to cover the NES CS Exam Prep Course and CS Exam fee. Thanks to the support of all PSCSTA association and especially Lawrence for all the support through the year and the amazing opportunity to become endorsed in Computer Science.
What did you do as the PSCSTA Social Media Manager?
As the PSCSTA Social Media Manager I managed and ran all PSCSTA's Social media accounts. This included Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I created the graphics used on all platforms, sent emails, created stories, and helped create the monthly Connector. I also communicated with people across the association to discuss events and ways to better support and grow PSCTSA.
How was your experience as the first PSCSTA Social Media Manager?
This year was great! I learned a lot about Computer Science, what PSCSTA is/ offers and more. In addition to that I was able to grow my social media, communication, and Canva skills. I am very grateful for the time I spent as the Social Media Manager and hope that more people are able to experience this amazing opportunity in the years to come!
What do you think will be the greatest challenge incorporating CS in Math Classes you teach?
Finding the time and support I believe will be the greatest challenges. I now live in Georgia and am unaware on how much support my district has for STEAM integration, let alone support with Computer Science. On top of that this will be my first-year teaching so I don't know when it will be appropriate to incorporate aspects of CS in my classroom.
Background
B.S. Applied Mathematics, B.A. STEM Education
Editor's Note: We also wanted to say thank you to Tailer for her support of PSCSTA over the past year!
Data Corner: Washington 2022-23 K-12 Computer Science Education Data Summary Report
In late June, OSPI Computer Science published its 2022-23 K-12 Computer Science Education Data Summary Report (XLSX). These reports are published yearly in compliance with HB 1577 (2019-20) Concerning K-12 computer science education data.
The 2022-23 report marks a significant advancement over past reports. Along with other improvements in accuracy and detail, the 2022-23 report includes restated data from every year from 2018-19 and data from middle schools. Past reports only included high school data.
Washington is one of the leading states in providing K-12 CS education data.
According to Sarah Dunton, Director & Co-PI, Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance: "Washington’s effort to democratize data in service of their broadening participation in computing efforts is impressive. Through the ECEP Common Metrics Project the ECEP Washington team has convened a strong group of leaders working collaboratively to gather and analyze data with the goal of developing a cohesive picture of what is needed to advance equitable K-12 computing education and career pathways."
The XLSX report above is primarily just Excel data tables. The chart above is the only one included and shows the growth of the number of schools offering CS since the pandemic. It will take a few more months for this data to make it onto more user-friendly dashboards such as the one on the CSforAll Washington website and elsewhere.
The PSCSTA Rubber Duck Spotlight
The PSCSTA Rubber Ducks took on Vegas at the end of July! Lauren Bricker was able to snap some photos of the infamous Rubber Duck adventuring around at the 2024 CSTA Conference. Can you spot where the Rubber Ducks are? We look forward to seeing other people's Rubber Ducks' and the adventures that they go on. Please make sure to send your rubber duck pictures by email to csta.pugetsound@gmail.com, or through direct message on the PSCSTA's Instagram or Facebook to be spotlighted next!
The images above were sent in by Lauren Bricker and showcase PSCSTA Rubber Ducks taking on the 2024 CSTA Conference in Vegas.
If you would like to view the history of the rubber ducks view our May Connector. If you are interested in receiving a duck, stay tuned for an upcoming CSTA event!
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The Puget Sound Computer Science Teachers Association Connector is a monthly newsletter containing relevant information, upcoming events, learning, and connection opportunities for local CS Educators. Previous issues can be viewed by following the "News" tab on the PSCSTA homepage. If you have any comments about the current edition or ideas for future editions, please email csta.pugetsound@gmail.com. If you wish to not be receiving the monthly PSCSTA Connector unsubscribe from them HERE.