Google CS First PD
CS First is Google’s free ready-to-teach introductory computer science (CS) curriculum for elementary and middle school students ages 9-14. Students follow step-by-step instructional videos that introduce fundamental computer science concepts and build computer programs using Scratch, a block-based programming language. CodeVA currently offers two different Professional Development Workshops to get you going with CS First in the Classroom.
Getting Started With Google CS First
Platform: In person or Virtual
Duration: 3 hours or 90 min
In this hands-on professional development workshop, teachers will learn how to use CS First, Google’s free ready-to-teach introductory computer science (CS) curriculum for elementary and middle school students. Students follow step-by-step instructional videos that introduce fundamental computer science concepts and build computer programs using Scratch, a block-based programming language.
During the workshop, teachers will learn about the importance of CS for all students and their role in creating a learning environment that fosters creative problem solving through peer-to-peer learning. Teachers will get a chance to learn about the free lesson plans, solution sheets and other educator enrichment resources included in the curriculum. At the end of the workshop, teachers will walk away with a plan of action and strategies for starting to teach CS First and a connection to the growing community of CS First teachers.
CS First Subject Integration
Platform: In person
Duration: 3 hours
In this hands-on professional development workshop, teachers will consider ways to integrate computer science into various subjects using CS First. The workshop is tailored for teachers with a basic understanding of the CS First curriculum and will explore integration approaches for English Language Arts (ELA), Math, and Science. Teachers will be given the opportunity to work with:
- Sample lesson plans integrating Storytelling + ELA, Art + Math, and Game Design + Engineering, as well as a lesson plan template that can be customized by teachers
- Rubrics focused on CS/Computational Thinking learning objectives
- Standards resources aligning CS First to NGSS and Common Core