About this Course

Online Class Start - February 19, 2025

Virtual Community of Practice Meetings - Wednesdays 6:00 - 7:30pm ET

• Module 1 - February 19, 2025
• Module 2 - March 5, 2025
• Module 3 - March 19, 2025
• Module 4 - April 2, 2025
•  Module 5 - April 16, 2025
• Module 6 - April 30, 2025

All Canvas work completed by May 31, 2025

The goal of this course is to support more welcoming classroom environments so that all students build a sense of belonging and identity in computer science (CS). The course aims to provide K-12 teachers with professional learning experiences and research-based tools so they are equipped to embrace their students and focus on impartial access to, participation in, and experiences of CS in their schools and classrooms. The course includes topics such as:

•     Recruitment strategies
•     Working with course gatekeepers such as counselors and other teachers
•     Examining your own belief systems
•     Leveraging CS as a tool for addressing fairness
•     Responsive pedagogy
•     CS for neurodiverse learners
•     Intersectionality and its impact on CS students
•     Applying research-based strategies such as pair programming, CS role models, connecting CS to students’ lives, and building a growth mindset specific to CS

Since the content addresses various topics, the course uses a combination of online content and activities, interactive discussion boards, and supplemental live meetings (in person or online) with your own Professional Learning Cohort. This creates opportunities to share thoughts, feedback, and constructive criticism in a format that is most comfortable for you. Further, the course uses "in the field" activities, such as classroom observation and practical implementation, to enhance the learning experience and ensure your ability to apply the concepts and techniques throughout the course. Each participant will complete the course by producing a working action plan as a culmination of the learning experience.

This course is ideally suited to a cohort of educators working together with a facilitator to improve their practice. The course can be led by a University of Texas at Austin instructor serving as the facilitator or by individuals who participate in a facilitator training. Facilitator trainings prepare participants to offer the course to their own cohort of teachers (e.g. pre-service teachers, a professional development project, or a school PLC). The trainings have the same time commitment and length as the course for teachers: They last 7 weeks. Each week, participants complete asynchronous prep work in Canvas and attend a 1-hour synchronous session.

This course was developed with funding from Google, NSF ((#1822011), and the Siegel Family Endowment.

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No.s NSF-CNS-2137834. ECEP is part of the NSFs Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance (NSF BPC-A). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.