Learn to Teach Computer Science (K-5)
Elementary School Teachers | Middle School & High School Teachers | Not a School Teacher?
June 1 COVID-19 Update RUSMP has not yet scheduled any in-person CS Fundamentals workshops for summer or fall. Please check this page for more information by the end of May. In the meantime, consider our free, self-paced online course.
Start with "CS Fundamentals Intro" for Classroom Teachers, Grades K-5/6
Flyer | Curriculum Guide | Unplugged Lessons | Website
In-person dates for Houston TBA (See our COVID-19 Update above)
- No technical experience necessary
- A 1-day in-person workshop (recommended)
- Only $25 non-refundable per K-5/6 teacher (it's nationally underwritten)
- View current in-person workshops* via code.org/professional-development-workshops
- Contact us to schedule a workshop for 16 or more classroom teachers in your district
- See Pro-Tips below and then Register via Rice (Instructions TBA)
-or- Online CS Fundamentals Intro
When an in-person workshop (recommended) is not practical, try our free, self-paced online course.
Follow up with "CS Fundamentals Deep Dive" 1-3 months later
Flyer | In-person dates for Houston TBA(See our COVID-19 Update above)
- Prereqs: CSF Intro + 1-3 months of using CSF in the classroom
- A 1-day in-person workshop (currently Deep Dive does not have an online version)
- Currently only $25 non-refundable per K-5/6 teacher, thanks to national donors
- View current in-person workshops* via code.org/professional-development-workshops
- Contact us to schedule a workshop for 16 or more classroom teachers
- Register via Rice (Instructions TBA)
Get Started Right Away / See More Resources
See 24/7 CSEd Resources for Anyone, Anywhere.
Is this program right for you? Maybe you've never really thought of yourself as a math person or a technical person, but someone said you should look into teaching "computer science," whatever that means. (Yikes! What if your students find out you're not an expert!) Or maybe you studied computer science in college or worked in a technical role in industry before deciding to teach in an elementary school. Either way, this program is perfect for you!
- Have you seen the Program Overview? The Curriculum Guide?
- Are you a qualifying teacher?
- Have you attended this program before?
- Is your school in one of the counties served by Rice?
1. Have you seen the Program Overview? The Curriculum Guide?
This complex program is hard to capture in a sound bite. Before you register, we suggest you that you read through the RUSMP Code.org Program Overview and browse the CS Fundamentals Curriculum Guide. Also consider the requirements outlined below.
2. Are you a qualifying teacher?
In general, only qualifying teachers may attend Code.org professional development (PD) workshops. While there are exceptions, Code.org generally defines a qualifying teacher as a classroom or technology teacher (or librarian) who directly instructs the students in Grades K-5/6.
Who's not a qualifying teacher for in-person workshops? Per Code.org guidelines, a school principal, an administrator, a community volunteer, a community entrepreneur, a non-teaching curriculum developer, or a college student working towards a degree in education may not attend a Code.org PD workshop.
Instead we recommend 24/7 CSEd Resources for Anyone, Anywhere. Please contact RUSMP if you think you qualify but don't see your role here.
3. Have you attended a CS Fundamentals workshop before?
Per Code.org guidelines, a teacher may only attend CS Fundamentals PD one time (once per Intro and once per Deep Dive). However, a teacher who has already attended CS Fundamentals PD may apply for CS Discoveries PD (or CS Principles PD), as long as they and their principal commit to that teacher teaching Discoveries (or Principles) in the coming school year.
If this disqualifies you from attending PD, we invite you to visit 24/7 CSEd Resources for Anyone, Anywhere.
4. Is your school in one of the counties served by Rice?
If you don't see your school's county listed below, just enter your school's zip code on the code.org/professional-development-workshops page, and the system will direct you to the regional partner for your area.
Effective September 1, 2019, RUSMP in partnership with Code.org serves K-12 schools in the following Texas counties: Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Washington, and Wharton.
Get started with the curriculum or explore professional development:
Elementary School Teachers | Middle School & High School Teachers | Not a School Teacher?
Questions? Contact Shaina Glass at glass@pd.code.org.
Get started with the curriculum or explore professional development:
Elementary School Teachers | Middle School & High School Teachers | Not a School Teacher?
About RUSMP Code.org | Past Events