CSTAWhat can we do to help

John HarrisonPrincess Anne High School

The Computer Science Teachers Association

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CSTA Today

CSTA is an international membership organization of

10,000 members

• CSTA is a learning community

• CSTA is an advocacy organization

• CSTA is a provider of professional development for teachers

• CSTA is a research body

• CSTA is a provider of resources

CSTA’s Mission

• The Computer Science Teachers Association is a membership organization that supports and promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines. CSTA provides opportunities for K-12 teachers and students to better understand the computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare themselves to teach and learn.

CSTA’s Goals and ObjectivesCreating a community of individuals and organizations working together to address critical issues in K-12 computer science education.

Promote a Better Understanding of Computer Science: Provide visibility, influence policy, and generate resources that illuminate computer science as an essential academic discipline.

Develop Research and Resources: Conduct original research and serve as a direct-to-practitioner channel for the dissemination of research and resources that address current knowledge gaps.

Support National Standards: Facilitate the implementation of national curriculum and teacher certification standards to support consistent excellence in learning and teaching.

Support Teacher Excellence: Provide multiple levels of professional development to improve teachers’ technical knowledge and pedagogical skills.

Opportunities: Promote computer science as a field of study and as a career destination that provides a wealth of opportunities to students regardless of their gender, race, or socio -economic status.

CSTA Chapters

• Exist to provide local support to high school CS teachers– High school teachers working with local community

college, college and university faculty

• Two Virginia Chapters– Central Virginia – Rebecca Dovi rdovi@hcps.us– Southeastern Virginia – John Harrison

jeharris@vbschools.com

Chapters Can

• Help fulfill Professional Development needs

• Advocate for increased CS offerings • Advocate to change credit allowance

– Tech Ed, Elective, Math, Science• You structure your local chapter to fit your

needs

Chapter Requirements – csta.acm.org

• Obligations of a CSTA Chapter – Have a minimum of 5 members, not all from

the same institution – Hold regular membership meetings – Have a formal leadership structure

• Formal set of bylaws• Promote CSTA to its membership and in

the local region

Benefits/Resources available to a CSTA Chapter

• Advice and support from a special CSTA Chapter Liaison • Contact information for all CSTA members in local region

upon request • CSTA promotional materials • Opportunity for chapter president to attend leadership

events • Publicity of professional development opportunities in

region • Facilitation of connections to local post-secondary

institutions interested in K-12 issues

CSTA Resources• Policy and Information Documents: The New Educational

Imperative (International Ed.), Ensuring Exemplary Teaching in an Essential Discipline, Running on Empty

• CSTA posters invites students to consider a career in the computing disciplines and makes connections between popular professions and computer science.

• CSTA videos and podcasts provide easily-accessed professional development.

• CSTA Voice bi-monthly publication• The Source web repository is a searchable database with

more than 200 unique resources: lesson plans, modules, presentations

o Every resource is reviewed by a committee of experts to ensure that it is complete, relevant, appropriate, and pedagogically soundo The classification system links directly to the ACM Model Curriculum so you know immediately which course and learning outcomes it addresses