The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP), in collaboration with WeTeach_CS at UT Austin and Code.org, is supporting a cohort of 20 Houston ISD secondary CS teachers during the Spring and Summer of 2017.

The 20 RUSMP WeTeach_CS Collaborative (Collaborative) participants were selected from teachers who have been accepted into the 2017-2018 Code.org CS Discoveries Professional Learning Program, also offered through RUSMP. Through the Collaborative, participants will receive additional professional development and support through to help them start their schools’ CS programs. The goal of this program is to increase CS content and pedagogical knowledge of the Collaborative participants.

Collaborative participants will receive:

  • $1,600 stipend;
  • ~ $600 in books and teaching materials;
  • Opportunities for customized professional development including face-to-face mentoring to become Texas-certified in grades 8-12 CS or travel and registration support to attend the WeTeach_CS Summit being held June 5-7, 2017; and
  • Networking opportunities with other CS teachers, industry professionals and college
    faculty.

All Collaborative participants are required to complete at least 60 hours of professional development at completion of the program which will include the Code.org CS Discoveries 5–day summer workshop in Houston from June 19 – 23. In addition, Collaborative participants will be required to attend three evening meetings, all held at the RUSMP classroom.

  • Orientation Meeting on Monday, April 3, 2017 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. [ Agenda and Program Timeline ] [ slides ]
  • Round Table Meeting on Monday, May 22, 2017 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
  • Lessons Learned Presentation on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. led by Pathway 2 teachers who attended WeTeach_CS summit (see below)

These required activities (including the Code.org CS Discoveries 5-day summer workshop and events) represent 42 hours of professional development. Table of Events with PD Hours

For the remaining required hours of professional development, Collaborative participants will choose one of the following three pathways based on their individual needs:

(1) Pathway 1
Collaborative participants not yet certified in CS grades 8 - 12 will receive support to help pass this TExES certification exam. These Pathway 1 teachers are expected to attend the 2-day face-to-face WeTeach_CS Certification Preparation Workshop (March 16 - 17, 2017 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.). They will have the opportunity to attend a total of 3 face-to-face 2-hour study group sessions led by Collaborative Program Instructor, Rachel Jones. She will also be available online to answer questions via email or Skype.

The 2-hour study group sessions will be held in the RUSMP classroom from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: March 21, April 19, May 30. Pathway 1 teachers are required to attend at least 1 study session. Sign up to join F2F sessions here. Responses here.

(2) Pathway 2
Five Collaborative participants will attend the WeTeach_CS summit that will be held June 5 – 7, 2017 (18 hours of PD). Pathway 2 teachers will be assigned to write a reflection of the sessions they attend at the summit (due June 14, 2017). They will also be expected to lead sessions during the Lessons Learned Presentation on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.

(3) Pathway 3
Pathway 3 Collaborative participants will be asked to choose online programs or courses to increase their CS content knowledge. The Collaborative Instructional Team will assist teacher participants in this pathway with selecting courses that best meet their needs.
Please note the following:

  • The online course/program completion must be verified.
  • The online course or program must provide at least 18 hours of professional development.
  • Registration fees will be reimbursed after a verified certificate of completion, a receipt for the registration fee, and a course outline is received by Lilly Bonner, RUSMP Project Administrator. Her email address is lillyb@rice.edu.
  • The certificate, receipt, and course outline must be sent to Lilly Bonner within 2 weeks of the successful completion of your online course/program.
  • The deadline to submit the 3 documents listed above is Monday, July 17, 8 a.m.

Following are links to CS EdX and Coursera online courses:

In listings of EdX and Coursera courses, the estimate for the number of hours is included.
For teachers who have not yet passed the TExES CS Grades 8-12 certification exam, the EdX online course, Foundations of CS for Teachers will be available as a self-paced course beginning on May 8. Enroll for this course here.

Questions? Contact Alice Fisher at afisher@rice.edu or (713) 348-6076.