Course Description

This course is designed to support computer science teachers in understanding computer science concepts at a level where they are comfortable developing ways to represent and formulate the same concepts for their own students. The course will explore effective strategies for teaching and retaining students who are traditionally marginalized in computer science. The course begins with understanding the CS Framework and California Computer Science Standards so teachers are informed by what leaders in this community hope students will know and be able to do by the end of their K-12 education. Additionally, by understanding computational thinking, teachers will be equipped to develop engaging and rigorous learning experiences that will prepare all of their students to face the problems in our technology rich world. Lastly, teachers will have created both formative and summative assessments to measure student progress and use that information to inform next steps with individual students.

Prerequisites — Classes or Knowledge Required Before Taking This Course

Methods for Teaching Computer Science is being offered as part of UCI’s Computer Science Teacher Certificate Program, which is currently funded by the National Science Federation. This course is the third in a sequence of four courses in the program. Teachers are expected to have successfully completed the first two courses, offered in the previous year (Spring and Summer):
 1. Teaching Exploring Computer Science (4 units)
 2. Teaching Computer Science Principles (5 units)

Course Syllabus