How we created a computer science curriculum in 5 steps

Even with a strict price range, restricted instructor experience in computer science, and the chaos of a pandemic, the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township (MSDPT) launched a complete and interesting Okay-5 computer science curriculum for each scholar.

As an tutorial specialist at MSDPT throughout the launch, I now perceive how a lot collaboration, intelligent useful resource administration, and laborious work are required to run a profitable Okay-5 computer science program. 

As computer science has been launched into the nationwide highlight, colleges throughout the nation are discovering methods to combine STEM themes into early schooling. Although we confronted challenges at MSDPT, we had been capable of finding options that match our price range and empowered our current college to show this specialised topic with confidence.

Here are the steps we took to launch our program and the teachings we realized alongside the way in which.

1. Start small.

Launching a districtwide Okay-5 computer science curriculum was not a one-step course of. Instead, we began small. First, MSDPT launched a computer science course throughout a quick summer time enrichment program. Each class solely had about 30 accessible spots, however these spots stuffed up every year in a matter of days. Once we noticed how well-liked computer science was with our college students and came upon that Indiana had a computer science state mandate coming quickly, we began to plan learn how to launch a extra complete Okay-5 computer science program.