Code.org CS Discoveries

Overview

The Code.org Computer Science Discoveries (CS Discoveries) course is an introductory computer science course that empowers students to create authentic artifacts and engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communication, problem solving, and fun. CS Discoveries is appropriate for 6 – 10th grade students and can be taught as a semester or year-long introductory course (3-5 hours per week of instruction for 9+ weeks). The course takes a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as programming, physical computing, HTML/CSS, and data. The course inspires students as they build their own websites, apps, games, and physical computing devices.

The CS Discoveries program offers year-round support. It kicks off with a 5-day intensive summer workshop where you’ll have an opportunity to work hands-on with the curriculum and meet other teachers from your area. Throughout the year, we offer online support for upcoming units, forum support, and 1-day quarterly workshops. You don’t need any prior computer science experience to get started. And teachers love it! 90% rank it the best professional development ever.

As the Indiana Code.org Regional Partner, Nextech facilitates professional development activities for all of the Code.org curriculum, including Computer Science Discoveries, Computer Science Principles and Computer Science Fundamentals. Since launching in 2015, Nextech has provided professional development for over 2500 teachers across the state of Indiana. We are on the forefront of the statewide #CSforIN movement, and we’d love to have you as a future partner teacher.

Indiana Course Alignment

This course aligns to the following Indiana courses:

• Intro to Computer Science (4803)
  • When offerred in 8th grade, Intro to Computer Science (4803) counts as a high school credit and CTE funded course – more details can be found HERE
• Middle School Computer Science (0488.68)
• 6-8 Integration

Eligibility and Pre-Requisites

This workshop is for middle and high school teachers. To attend, you must be committed to teaching the Code.org CS Discoveries curriculum (either as a quarter, semester, or full-year course) in the 2024-25 school year.

Workshop Details

• Length: 5 in-person days during the summer + 8 virtual evening workshops
• Location: CSPDWeek at Indiana University, all expenses for CSPDWeek are paid for Indiana public school K-12 teachers (learn more about CSPDWeek here)
• Cost to Participate: $0
• Stipend: Yes
• Dates: June 10 – June 14, 2024