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The Next CS Teaching Endorsement Cohort Begins in the Summer of 2024:
June 10th to August 1st

 With an introductory Computer Programming
and the CS Classroom course.

Registration opens on April 18th, 2024 at 8 am

Enroll in CSTed Cohort

Key Features:

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Accessibility. All courses are offered online and delivered synchronously.

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Convenience. Attend one evening course per semester, keeping teachers’ busy schedules in mind.

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Ongoing Support. Virtual office hours with faculty.

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Community of Practice. Join a cohort and participate in peer mentoring with in-service educators throughout the State of Illinois.

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Professional Development. Acquire knowledge and skills that are core to computer science, including: computer programming, computer systems, data structures, and more.

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Reflective Practice. Reflect on your own process of learning about computer science and discuss the expected experience of your future students.
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Enhanced Marketability. Demonstrate expertise and knowledge related to technology integration and curricular design in your classroom.

Workforce Development

Networking. Build partnerships with organizations in the greater CS education community.

Teacher Training
Relevant Pedagogy. Explore diverse applications of computer science (e.g. game design, data science, etc.) that can be implemented in your future classroom.

CS Endorsement Courses:

  1. CI 438: Computer Programming and the CS Classroom (Summer 1)
    This course introduces educators to the theoretical, pedagogical, and practical aspects of teaching computer programming in the K-12 classroom setting.
  2. CI 480: Introduction to Computer Science for CS Teachers (Fall 1)
    This course introduces the core concepts of CS and programming for educators to gain experience creating programs using text-based programming languages.
  3. CI 487: Data Structures for CS Teachers (Spring 1)
    This course provides opportunities for educators to reflect on the importance of data structure knowledge in the context of the CS classroom.
  4. CI 486: Teaching Methods for CS Teachers (Summer 2)
    This course is designed to help educators put instructional theory, especially as it relates to CS education, into practice.
  5. CI 483: Computer Systems for CS Teachers (Fall 2)
    This course teaches the fundamentals of how computers represent data, execute programs, manage inputs and outputs, and communicate together via networks.
  6. CI 492: Discrete Mathematics for CS Teachers (Fall 2)
    This course introduces fundamental mathematical concepts used for computations.
  7. CI 488: Capstone Project for CS Teachers (Optional)
Teaching Endorsement in Computer Science

In Partnership With

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Landscape Report of K-12 Computer Science Education in Illinois

With funding from the CME Group Foundation, our partners at UIUC’s College of Education conducted a comprehensive study among K-12 teachers and school and district-level administrators throughout the state on computing education.

The report uncovered data points including current CS course offerings, teachers’ qualifications, disparities in access to CS education, and perceived barriers to providing CS courses in Illinois schools. The research team, led by Dr. Raya Hegeman-Davis, notes that educators and administrators indicated the lack of trained CS teachers and the need for funding to train in-service teachers as the greatest barriers to offering CS courses in their schools.

This landscape report also highlighted the critical need for teacher certification programs, including both pre-service and in-service endorsement programs, as well as funding support for professional development for current teachers, especially in rural school districts. These and other findings establish a baseline for DPI’s goals and will be used to inform the necessity, relevance, and trajectory of our teacher-focused programming activities and funding initiatives.

Read the Full Report

Want to Teach CS?
Start Here!

Attend an online info session to meet our faculty and staff, preview courses, learn about opportunities for funding, and more!

 

Thurs 5/16/24

4:30pm

Register Here

Thurs 5/30/24

4:30pm

Register Here

 

Teaching Endorsement in Computer Science - call to action