In the very first event of its type, CodeLI.org and the Department of Computer Science (CS) will be hosting a K-12 #CSforAll teacher workshop at Stony Brook on Wednesday, March 9th. The free workshop will introduce teachers to a variety of programming skills and teaching methods that they can take back to their classrooms.  

Created in response to interaction with teachers who have consistently said, “I would like to cover computer science topics in my classroom but I don’t know where to start”, the March event is geared toward K-12 teachers who may not have a computer science background.

Attendees, which will include K-12 administrators in addition to teachers, will learn to create projects using both Scratch and Python for use in their classroom. Projects will focus on demonstrating how coding can be utilized in the everyday classroom. In addition to becoming familiar with basic coding, teachers will walk out of the workshop with access to ongoing lessons that they can share with their students.

During this half-day workshop, teachers will also learn how to utilize the OYOclass platform for lesson delivery, digital portfolios, and web-based code editors. The OYOclass platform, developed by kidOYO, an affiliate of CodeLI.org, allows users to create shareable Python projects, Scratch lessons and challenges. These educators will explore what is possible when students use this collaborative tool for exploring computer science in both self-led and teacher-led activities.

The event will begin at 8:30a with a welcome address by Arie Kaufman, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Stony Brook University's Department of Computer Science. This will be followed by a keynote speech from Michael P. Nagler, Superintendent of the Mineola Union Free School District. Under Dr. Nagler, Mineola UFSD has been awarded two Apple Distinguished Schools and is a member of the Digital Promise’s “League of Innovative Schools”. Mineola was the only district in New York recently listed as an “exemplar program” in President Obama’s “Computer Science for All” initiative.

The President announced the “Computer Science for All” initiative recently, which will drastically increase funding to states and districts for increased access to computer science education for K-12 students. This will be accomplished by training teachers, expanding access to high-quality instructional materials, and building effective regional partnerships. This partnership between Stony Brook’s Department of Computer Science and CodeLI.org, along with this exciting workshop, is certainly a step toward making #CSforAll a reality on Long Island.  

CodeLI.org is run by KidOYO, a company that seeks to bring quality education in the STEM fields to students in grades K-12. KidOYO works with Stony Brook University to expand opportunities and build collaborative relationships with corporate employers, and administrators in schools. Since 2013, the CS department has teamed with CodeLI on a number of educational initiatives by providing facilities and student mentors for their spring and summer camps.

To learn more about this free event on March 9 or to register, visit kidOYO Education.