iPlay iLearn iTeach: CSTA2023 - Expanding Computer Science Pathways Through TEALS

Friday, July 7, 2023

CSTA2023 - Expanding Computer Science Pathways Through TEALS

Are you interested in learning how to expand the number of staff in your school or district who can teach computer science courses and how you can build the confidence and knowledge level of non-CTE licensed staff members so that they feel confident to teach computer science?

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I hope you are able to join me to learn more about the Microsoft TEALS program and how the program pairs computer science volunteers with a teachers to offer support while the teachers are learning to teach computer science.

I was partnered with a computer science volunteer this past spring and taught an Intro to App Development course as part of our district-wide virtual course program. Twenty-six students from four high schools were enrolled in the class and learned about iOS app development. I was also learning about Swift, Xcode, and iOS app development and had started my own pathway into iOS app development and teaching high school computer science in August 2022.

Session Description

Computer science careers offer the highest entry-level salaries with the lowest level of post-secondary education, and the resulting debt that often accompanies a college degree. How do we open the doors to future career pathways in computer science for students to pursue these careers, personal interests, and passions beyond the capacity of classes taught by CTE-licensed staff? Learn how the TEALS program helped expand our computer science course offerings and provided support for non-CTE licensed teachers through industry computer science expert mentors who supported teachers learning to code while teaching new app development courses with the Apple Develop in Swift curriculum and Xcode. Learn about the TEALS program and how it is helping to expand our computer science course offerings, grow the skills and knowledge of new computer science teachers, and expand our capacity for more equitable access to computer science courses for our students. Find out more about the free Develop in Swift curriculum and resources to get students creating apps instead of just consuming them.

Presentation Slides

Presentation Slides

The Why

Currently there are not enough graduates from colleges and universities with computer science degrees to fill the existing number of open jobs. Computer science careers offer highest entry level salaries with the lowest level of post-secondary education. This is an economic win-win for students in Title I schools and school districts in that it offers students the opportunity to enter a career field that offers more than a living wage without accumulating a mountain of college debt.

To ensure that students are prepared for computer science-related careers, more opportunities for students to learn about computer science during high school need to exist to build students' knowledge and confidence levels.

What Is TEALS?

TEALS, Technology Education and Literacy in Schools, is a Microsoft philanthropy focused on building sustainable computer science programs in high schools. TEALS partners teachers with computer science volunteers who can offer support and guidance while the teacher is learning to teach computer science.

My Pathway Into Computer Science

Just one year ago, I began my own pathway to learning iOS app development and teaching computer science. I attended the AVID Summer Institute and a secondary computer science institute course along with a couple teacher from my district who were going to teach the Intro to App Development course with a TEALS volunteer.

During the fall semester of 2022, I coached a teacher who was teaching the iOS app development class, worked through the Develop in Swift Explorations curriculum that we were using for the class curriculum, and began coding apps in Xcode myself.

In the spring, I taught a section of the Intro to App Development course on top of my district computer science program manager duties and worked with an awesome TEALS volunteer who helped guide me through the curriculum and provided a support net as I jumped in to start teaching Swift and iOS app development.

Let's Connect

I hope that you can join me to learn more about TEALS, how to expand the number of teachers who can teach computer science courses in your school or district, and to hear about my first-hand experiences with the TEALS program.