An Elementary Educator’s Survival Guide to Computer Science

What You'll Learn

Integrate computer science concepts into your existing lesson plans while staying aligned with Missouri standards at "An Elementary Educator's Survival Guide to Computer Science", hosted at Codefi in Cape Girardeau. Led by a former high school coding educator, this professional development session is approved by the MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for both clock hours and reimbursement. You'll be able to join a supportive community of fellow educators who are just as eager to explore new teaching techniques, gain insights from teachers who have transformed into software developers, and get access to a treasure trove of free coding and computer science resources handpicked just for your classroom.

Computer Science Integration

Learn to effectively integrate computer science concepts and activities into your existing elementary curriculum.

Cross-Curricular Application

Explore how to apply computer science within subjects like social studies, science, and reading.

Curated Resources

Discover a wide range of accessible computer science programs and resources specifically designed for elementary education.

Lesson Plan Development

Build on your own existing lesson plans to integrate computer science aligned with Missouri Computer Science Performance Standards.

Collaboration and Networking

Collaborate with other educators, including shared lesson plans and ongoing support extending beyond in-person sessions.

Practical Application and Classroom Management

Leave with unplugged CS activities, free resources, classroom management strategies, and insights from educators turned local software developers.

Schedule

Day 1: 6.5 clock hours

8:30 → 10:30: Introduction to coding and computer science and an overview of new Missouri state standards. Introduction to Scratch, resources, and cross-curricular usages.
10:30 -> 10:45: Break.
10:45 -> 12:30: Working session in integrating Scratch into existing lesson plans.
12:30 -> 1: Lunch (provided).
1 -> 3: No-tech coding and additional resources stations; get hands-on with ideas to bring back to your classroom.
3: Recap/wrap-up.

Day 2: 6.5 clock hours

8:30 → 10:30: Classroom management and computer science, roundtable discussion, standards crosswalk working session.
10:30 -> 10:45: Break.
10:45 -> 12:30: Learning sessions from educators, software developers, software industry experts.
12:30 -> 1: Lunch (provided).
1 -> 3: Participant generated working sessions - what do you want to learn about? Using AI in your classroom. What's next and session wrap-up .

Who (the Heck) Are We?

Cara Dirnberger, Adult Education Director: Leads and expands adult coding programs since 2022. A former educator, she oversees multiple program cohorts, manages code coaches, and builds employer partnerships.

Liza Buerck, Youth Coding League Coordinator: Runs a coding program for 5th-8th graders and supports educators every step of the way, using her background in Elementary Education and empathetic spirit.

Stacy Dohogne Lane, Youth Education Director: Develops and grows the Youth Coding League after helping found the program in 2018.