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Summer PD Goes Virtual

13 April, 2020

With the advent of COVID-19  Code VA’s summer professional learning sessions are going virtual. 

Using a blend of live, online classes and asynchronous collaborative learning activities Code VA is offering free computer science sessions to all public school educators in Virginia. Sessions are scheduled over a three-week period in July, from July 10 to July 31.

Code VA offers two types of training; year-long cohorts and shorter one or three day sessions. The year-long cohorts meet twice weekly, either Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu and the shorter trainings are on Fridays.

Throughout all training sessions Code VA’s faculty will be there to support and guide you as you learn to bring computer science to your classroom.

 

Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Register Today!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAQ

 

  • Why are courses divided into live classes, collaborative learning lab and office hours?
    We recognize that nobody wants to spend eight hours in front of a screen. To make sure you get the support you need we have designed live sessions that emphasize interactive activities and discussions. Also, you will not be learning alone. Classes are divided into small working groups, each with an assigned faculty member to help you and your team get the most out of the training. The collaborative learning time is a time you, or your team, can work through lessons and get help from our faculty, while the Q&A sessions make sure everyone has support as they go through the program.
  • What is the collaborative learning lab?
    This is a time when you complete short lessons, collaborate with your teammates, complete projects and meet with your facilitators for feedback and extra support.
  • Is it OK to complete work outside the collaborative learning lab?
    Absolutely – you complete the work whenever it works best for you and your teammates.
  • What if I need support outside of live class sessions?
    Our faculty are available both during the collaborative learning lab time and office hours. Need more help? Just reach out to your facilitation team and let them know what you need.
  • Can we schedule group work outside of the Collaborative Learning Lab?
    Of course! You can schedule your working time to best suit your team’s needs.
  • Do we get re-certification points?
    Once you complete the summer sessions we will send out attendance certificates in August equivalent to the number of hours completed in your program. For the programs that run year-long you receive the certificates in the fall and spring, or upon request if you need them sooner.
  • I am considering one of the year-long programs. What s the time commitment?
    These programs offer suport throughout the school year as you work to implement the curricula. This typically means an in-person session in Oct and March, and online sessions from Nov – Feb. With the current situation around COVID-19 there is a possibility these will all be handled online.
  • I am considering one of the year-long programs. What if I don’t need help during the school year?
    The sessions during the school year are for your support. If you do not need the help, there is no obligation to attend.
  • Can private school teachers or out-of-state teachers attend?
    Yes! We receive funding to cover the cost of tuition for public school teachers, so for teachers from private schools or out-of state we do charge a fee. Learn more here.
  • What if I want to change or cancel my registration?
    You can change or cancel your registration at any time by accessing the registration form with your email and the personal key you received in your registration confirmation email. If you have any problems or questions accessing the system, please contact [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Schedules

Monday / Wednesday Morning Courses

  • Middle School – Coaches Academy
    • This year-long program awards school staff a certificate as a Code VA Middle School Computer Science Coach, allowing you to build your district capacity to train your teachers on the computer science standards.

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Monday / Wednesday Afternoon Courses

  • High School – AP Computer Science Principles
    • AP Computer Science Principles is a college level course that covers the foundational concepts of computer science and challenges students to explore how computing and technology can impact the world.

Tuesday / Thursday AM Courses

Tuesday / Thursday PM Courses

  • Elementary Coaches Academy
    • This training awards elementary teachers a certificate as a Code VA Elementary Computer Science Coach, allowing you to build your district capacity to train your teachers on the computer science standards.
  • Middle School Elective
    • The Middle School Computer Science Standards define a new elective designed to work in all Virginia middle schools. The course is flexible and can be implemented as a 6 or 9 week rotation, or as a 12, 18 or 36 week course. The CS Discoveries training prepares teachers to implement this elective.
  • Project GUTS
    • Project GUTS, developed at MIT, shows middle school science teachers how to integrate computer science into their classes.

Friday AM Courses

  •  For the Friday courses the class meets twice a day, in the morning and afternoon
  • Three-day Sessions:
    • These meet three consecutive Fridays
    • Coding in Scratch
      • This program is designed to develop and build skills in programming focusing on the main structures of coding in Scratch.
      • Appropriate for elementary and middle school.
    • Coding in Python
      • This program is designed to develop and build skills in programming focusing on the main structures of coding in Python.
      • Appropriate for late elementary through high school.
  • One-day Sessions
    • These meet one Friday
    • Elementary Introduction to Computer Science – Launching CS
      • This introduces the basics of computer science and prepares classroom teachers incorporate computer science into their classroom.
    • Elementary Computer Science Integration
      • This program is designed to help elementary teachers and school leaders design integrated lessons for their classroom using Code VA’s Computer Science Integration Guide
    • Middle School Computer Science Integration
      • This training prepares classroom teachers to integrate computer science in the middle school classroom. The training focuses on the computer science content knowledge and practical experience needed to implement the new standards.