CS for All Teachers: Connect, Cultivate, and Challenge in Community

American Institutes For Research In The Behavioral Sciences, Arlington VA

Investigators

Abstract

The American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences (AIR) proposes to enrich and deepen its support for computer science (CS) preK-12 teachers with its CS for All Teachers virtual community of practice (vCoP) that provides assistance to 5,800+ members through a resource collection, discussion groups, webinars, and other supports. With this funding, AIR will continue to maintain the vCoP, and develop its functionality around (i) Connecting novice computer science teachers with the resources and people they need to learn rudimentary CS knowledge and skills, (ii) Cultivating a deeper sense of learning for intermediate computer science teachers to improve their teaching practice, and (iii) Challenging veteran computer science teachers to enhance their leadership skills to support their colleagues and advocate for computer science education. In addition, the project will conduct social network analysis to improve our understanding of how best to support computer science teachers virtually and provide opportunities for research on online communities for CS teachers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.