EPIC + WeTeach_CS Newsletter

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5/31/2023 Newsletter

Win Free Admission to the 2024 WeTeach_CS Summit!
Are you planning to join us at this year’s WeTeach_CS Summit in Houston? If so, your social media posts could prove to be lucrative! At the 2023 Summit, tag your social media posts with the hashtag #cs4yall for a chance to win free registration, lodging, and parking at the 2024 Summit in Fort Worth (a value of more than $900)! The 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit is a two-day event which educates, empowers, and inspires K-12 CS and Cybersecurity teachers, advocates, administrators, professional development providers, university instructors, and policymakers to advance the goal of CS for All in Texas and beyond.


 

5/24/2023 Newsletter

WeTeach_CS Summit Registration Ends Soon!
The deadline for the WeTeach_CS Summit is approaching soon! Mark your calendars and join us in Houston for this year’s Summit, a two-day event which educates, empowers, and inspires K-12 CS and Cybersecurity teachers, advocates, administrators, professional development providers, university instructors, and policymakers to advance the goal of CS for All in Texas and beyond. Registration for the 2023 Summit ends May 31, so register today!


 

5/10/2023 Newsletter

Basic, Advanced CS Education Options at WeTeach_CS Summit
Entering the world of computer science can seem like a daunting task. You may find yourself asking, “What are my first steps? Will anyone even take me seriously?” Join the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit for sessions exploring both the basics and the advanced levels of CS education. Set for June 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency Houston, this year’s Summit presents From No Tech to Low Tech: Elementary Programming, a session teaching you how to confidently engage your elementary students in meaningful activities and conversations about programming and coding. Introducing programming and new technology can be intimidating. Begin with a technology-free, interactive activity to understand the importance of clear instructions in programming. Then learn to program an Ozobot that follows hand drawn, color coded lines. Finally, learn the basics of drag and drop coding to program your robot and build your own game.


 

5/3/2023 Newsletter

Leadership in CS Sessions Available at the WeTeach_CS Summit
This year’s WeTeach_CS Summit presents Data Heroes Wear a CAPE: A Framework to Examine Equity in CS Education, a session where three members of the EPIC team will discuss the CAPE Framework, a useful tool for assessing equity in CS education. We will describe the CAPE Framework and illustrate how it can be used as a guide for educators and administrators to understand equity in their own school, district, or region. Next, we will introduce the Texas CS Education Data Dashboard and demonstrate how participants can use it to answer their own questions about CS education. We will also discuss how participants can conduct and report their own data analyses by looking at some real-word examples of how the CAPE Framework was used to promote equity and grow CS education programs.


 

4/26/2023 Newsletter

Mark Your Calendars for the Upcoming K-5 PD Extravaganza!
Teachers, sign up today for the WeTeach_CS K-5 PD Extravaganza! Set for July 17-19, this highly interactive workshop is designed for K-5 teachers and aligns to the new Tech Apps TEKS required to be implemented by the 2024-2025 school year. Use hands-on lessons and learn how to integrate computational thinking, computer science, and cybersecurity into core curricula.

WeTeach_CS is excited to offer scholarships for K-5 educators to attend our PD Extravaganza! Space is limited, so apply today! Registration closes July 10.


 

4/19/2023 Newsletter

Explore Artificial Intelligence at the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit!
Today, the amount of data that is generated, by both humans and machines, far outpaces humans' ability to absorb, interpret, and make complex decisions based on that data. Artificial intelligence forms the basis for all computer learning and is the future of all complex decision making.

What should our students know about AI? And what opportunities should we provide in our classrooms to assist with their learning about AI? After Day of AI on May 18, make your plans to join the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit for sessions exploring the future of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 education.


 

4/11/2023 Newsletter

Apply Today for a WeTeach_CS Summit Scholarship!
We are excited to announce that scholarship applications for the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit are being accepted! To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must teach in Texas and be either rural teachers, a K-5 teacher, or affiliated with a Microsoft TEALS teacher.


 

4/5/2023 Newsletter

Early Bird Registration for WeTeach_CS Summit Extended!
Due to overwhelming demand, early bird registration for the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit has been extended! Register today for the Summit and save $100 when you sign up between now and April 6! From veteran computer science educators to those just starting out, the Summit has something for everyone!


 

3/29/2023 Newsletter

2023 WeTeach_CS Summit Detailed Agenda Announced!
Planning to attend the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit from June 16-17 in Houston? Good news: The full Summit agenda has been released! Whether you are a veteran CS educator or just getting a computer science program off the ground, this year’s Summit has something for everyone!


 

3/21/2023 Newsletter

Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card for Taking a Survey!
Do you teach at the elementary level in grades 3-6 in the U.S.? If so, your input is wanted! The EPIC STEM Evaluation Services team is conducting a survey to determine whether, why, and how CS content is being taught by upper elementary educators. Sign up to take the survey today, and share the link with other grade 3-6 teachers in your network.


 

3/13/2023 Newsletter

WeTeach_CS Launches Rural Certification Collaborative!
Students living in rural areas are less likely to attend schools that offer CS courses largely because educational institutions in these remote areas lack the resources to staff teaching positions for these courses. Thanks to the generous support of Jobs for the Future and the U.S. Department of Education, the WeTeach_CS Rural Certification Collaborative will recruit educators from rural communities to become certified high school CS teachers and increase capacity for students to access a full pathway of CS courses.


 

3/7/2023 Newsletter

It's Not Too Late to Save $100 on Your WTCS Summit Registration!
Early bird registration for the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit is going strong, and it's not too late for you to join us in Houston! Register today and save $100 when you register between now and April 1. The WeTeach_CS Summit is a two-day event which educates, empowers, and inspires K-12 CS and cybersecurity teachers, advocates, administrators, professional development providers, university instructors, and policymakers to advance the goal of CS for All in Texas and beyond.


 

3/1/2023 Newsletter

WeTeach_CS Curricula Scholarship Applications for 2023-2024 School Year Now Open!
WeTeach_CS is pleased to declare the teacher scholarship application process for the 2023-2024 school year officially open! With newly added learning materials, WeTeach_CS For HS and WeTeach AP®CSA will help students prepare for two industry-based certification tests: the PCEP™ – Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer certification (Exam PCEP-30-0x) and the Oracle Certified Foundations Associate: Java Foundations Exam Number: 1Z0-811.


 

2/21/2023 Newsletter

Students Showcase Computer Science Skills at Texas Capitol
This Valentine’s Day, the love for coding was in the air at the Texas Capitol. Thirty-five students from six Texas school districts gathered for Code @ the Capitol, an event where students presented CS projects to members of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.


 

2/13/2023 Newsletter

Google Supports Creation of K-5 Integrated Lessons
The new Technology Applications TEKS will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year. Thanks to generous support from Google, WeTeach_CS is currently in the process of creating 10 integrated sample lessons for each grade level that details how to integrate these Tech Apps TEKS into Science, Math, Reading Language Arts, and Social Studies. There will be two sample lessons for each of the following Tech Apps Strands.


 

2/6/2023 Newsletter

Save $100 on Your WTCS Summit Registration!
Early bird registration for the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit begins February 6! Save $100 when you register between now and April 1. Register today! The WeTeach_CS Summit is a two-day event which educates, empowers, and inspires K-12 CS and cybersecurity teachers, advocates, administrators, professional development providers, university instructors, and policymakers to advance the goal of CS for All in Texas and beyond.


 

1/27/2023 Newsletter

Mark Your Calendars for the K-5 PD Extravaganza!
Teachers, sign up today for the WeTeach_CS K-5 PD Extravaganza! This highly interactive workshop is designed for K-5 teachers and aligns to the new Tech Apps TEKS required to be implemented by the 2024-2025 school year. Use hands-on lessons and learn how to integrate computational thinking, computer science, and cybersecurity into core curricula.


 

1/20/2023 Newsletter

Sign up for a Code.org Professional Learning Program!
Are you an elementary school teacher looking to introduce CS to your classroom? Code.org has something for you! CS Fundamentals curriculum is designed for K-5 students. Through a network of regional partners and generous grants from our donors, these workshops are offered at fully to partially discounted rates. Interested in attending a professional development workshop? CS Fundamentals is fully aligned to the new K-8 Technology Applications TEKS. Contact Dr. Sheryl Roehl for details or to schedule a workshop for their campus, district, or region.


 

1/12/2023 Newsletter

Mark Your Calendars for CS Jumpstart!
The CS Jumpstart workshop begins with introductory programming to provide teachers with foundational knowledge in coding using text-based Python as well as incorporating physical computing to reinforce CS concepts. Participants will write code to program and build working solutions that actuate a red-green-blue LED, a single red LED, a brightness sensor and a built-in speaker. This workshop is June 8-9 at the Texas Advanced Computing Center in Austin. Registration closes May 18.


 

1/6/2023 Newsletter

2023 WeTeach_CS Summit Proposals Set To Close January 9!
Presentation proposals for the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit in Houston on June 16-17 are being accepted through January 9! If you are interested in presenting a one-hour session at the Summit, please apply by filling out this form. Accepted sessions will be notified no later than January 27, with a $100 discount for up to two presenters to the Summit.


 

12/21/2022 Newsletter

WeTeach_Cyber — Your One Stop Shop for Cybersecurity Education!
WeTeach_Cyber educates, supports, and promotes cybersecurity education in the K-12 academic arena. Focused on expanding the cybersecurity workforce pipeline, WeTeach_Cyber provides high-quality, engaging training for K-12 educators, administrators, and counselors. WeTeach_Cyber fulfills this mission by coordinating with school districts, industry partners, and cybersecurity organizations to provide impactful content resources, presentations, workshops, and educator collaborations.


 

12/12/2022 Newsletter

Sponsorships Available for the 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit!
WeTeach_CS is one of the largest providers of CS teacher professional development in the country. The 2023 WeTeach_CS Summit will bring together an amazing network of CS professionals to further educate, empower and inspire their work. WeTeach_CS Summit sponsors will have a unique opportunity to interact with approximately 350 CS educators and change makers all focused on our shared mission of broadening participation in K-12 computing.