Quick-Start Pathways For Teaching Computer Science
These training pathways are designed to help you learn how to teach computer science material as efficiently as possible. Feel free to adapt pathways or change hands-on activities to better meet the needs of your participants.
Getting Started Teaching Computer Science (Should take 3-4 hours to complete)
Computer Science: It’s Easier Than You Think
Explore what computer science is, why it is important for youth in your program, and how you can successfully teach computer science.
Creating CS Learning Environments, Learning Activity, Training Guide, Understanding Computer Science, Video
Why Do We Do Computer Science?
Developing skills in computer science is important for any young person regardless of whether or not this is the career path. All young people will need to be able to use computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.
Understanding Computer Science, Video
Organizing Your Computer Science Activities
Discuss the challenges you face and develop strategies for organizing materials and managing computer science activities.
Creating CS Learning Environments, Learning Activity, Training Guide, Video
Getting Real
Set your own goal to help youth learn to see themselves as someone who does computer science.
Learning Activity, STEM, Training Guide, Video
Getting Started with Computational Thinking (This pathway will take 6 hours to complete)
You’re a Computational Thinker
Learn how you’re a computational thinker, how computational thinking practices fit into other activities, and how to develop these practices with youth.
Learning Activity, Skills, Training Guide, Video
Break It Down
The facilitator works to enable active learning as youth work in small groups and use the strategies of computational thinking to design and describe their own unique monsters.
Learning Activity, Training Guide, Video, Virtual Workshop
Seeing Patterns
Learn how to help youth reflect and process experiences with patterns and trends in data to assist them in computational thinking.
Learning Activity, Training Guide
Learning Through Group Projects
Watch youth development professionals use control of the materials and space to allow youth to take charge of the learning.