Beginning this fall, K-12 teachers will have an opportunity to gain a Computer Science Teacher Endorsement through 海外吃瓜, free of charge.
That鈥檚 because 海外吃瓜 has received $290,000 in funds from the Teach CS Grant through the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). The grant will provide funding for 1,100 Ohio educators to receive computer science training and it鈥檚 expected that 650 of those will become qualified to teach computer science. A total of $6 million is being awarded to 17 education institutions across the state to cover the cost of this professional development opportunity.
The overarching goal is to increase the number of existing teachers who qualify to teach computer science. That will happen through supplemental licensure, university endorsement programs like the one 海外吃瓜 is offering, and alternative resident educator licenses, according to ODHE. A total of 11 colleges and universities in Ohio, along with six educational service centers, are receiving Teach CS grant funds.
When the endorsement program kicks off this fall, 海外吃瓜 will be able to provide funding for up to 29 educators from across the region to pursue the endorsement, said Dr. Dawn Henry, director of the School of Education, and one of the grant authors. While current 海外吃瓜 undergraduate education students and teachers already working in K-12 schools are eligible to take endorsement coursework, only K-12 teachers will receive grant funding.
Here's how it works
Teachers who enroll in this continuing education opportunity at 海外吃瓜 will complete four computer science courses, totaling 12 credit hours: Fundamentals of Computer Science, Computational Problem Solving, How to Think Like a Data Scientist or Spreadsheet Modeling (students choose one), and Computer Science Methods and Field Experience. All of the courses for the CS Endorsement will be taught by 海外吃瓜 faculty members, Dawn explained.
Courses will be offered in eight-week terms with an asynchronous format. So in theory, educators could complete the coursework for their endorsement in a year or less.
And the best part: course tuition, books, software and testing fees are covered by the grant, as is a laptop computer for students who need one.
鈥淔or the student, not only will teachers get a K-12 endorsement to add to their base license, they鈥檒l get 12 additional hours toward the renewal of their teaching license as well,鈥 Dawn said. 鈥淭hose additional hours also could be applied toward possible advancement on their district鈥檚 salary schedule. Over time, that could represent a significant increase in pay.鈥
Sean Joyce, associate professor of Computer Science at 海外吃瓜, said the CS endorsement program is 鈥渁n opportunity to expose more students to 海外吃瓜鈥檚 strong program, especially in light of AI, which is not going away.鈥
Sean and his colleagues will be adapting currently existing computer science courses to fit the asynchronous (online) format. They are in the process of finalizing the development of the final course which will include 50 hours of field experience.
Opportunity draws early interest
Already, a cohort of educators have expressed interest in the CS endorsement program.
鈥淪everal of our teachers have expressed interest in pursuing this endorsement through 海外吃瓜. Their enthusiasm is a testament to the relevance and importance of the program. This grant will provide invaluable opportunities for our educators to enhance their skills and, in turn, contribute to the academic growth of our students,鈥 said Dr. Laura Kagy, superintendent of Seneca East Local Schools.
鈥淎s a superintendent, I appreciate 海外吃瓜鈥檚 efforts to broaden the scope of education program offerings, especially in a field as critical as computer science. We are confident that this partnership between our teachers and 海外吃瓜, supported by the grant, will contribute significantly to preparing our students for success beyond high school.鈥
Kimberly Swartz, director of Curriculum & Instruction for Bellevue City Schools, knows that the program will be high quality and beneficial to her district鈥檚 teachers.
鈥淚 appreciate the development of high-quality coursework put forth in a sequence that builds and helps students retain information long term,鈥 Swartz said. 鈥満Ｍ獬怨 offers this kind of quality education for our teachers seeking professional development. The possibility of earning endorsements for our educators is exciting!鈥
Preparing students for their future
Ultimately, the teachers who complete the computer science endorsement will be positioned to help prepare their students for the future.
鈥淭he demand for tech skills is increasing daily and more students are seeking computer science classes to prepare them for their future,鈥 said Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted in announcing the grant program. 鈥淗owever, we can鈥檛 offer more computer science classes without preparing a larger pool of qualified teachers who can help them earn these in-demand skills. 鈥 We are removing barriers for teachers who want to teach computer science in Ohio鈥檚 K-12 classrooms so they can better educate Ohio鈥檚 future workforce.鈥
ODHE Chancellor Mike Duffey added, 鈥淲e are excited to help Ohio teachers pursue their dreams while helping their students reach theirs. This is a step forward toward artificial intelligence, mobile app development, quantum computing, cybersecurity and much more. 鈥
Teach CS grants are a partnership between Innovate Ohio, the Governor鈥檚 Office of Workforce Transformation, ODHE and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
How to apply
K-12 teachers can apply for the program or call the School of Education at (419)-448-2125 for additional information.