Iowa Safe Schools, New Partnership
We are excited to offer a roster of courses from CEPD’s new partner, Iowa Safe Schools Academy, starting this fall. Iowa Safe Schools hosts courses that provide innovative continuing learning opportunities that educators can’t find elsewhere. From supporting students from diverse family structures to establishing safe and supportive team environments, Safe Schools Academy helps to cultivate a nurturing learning environment for all students no matter who they are, who they love or who loves them. Here’s a link to the Iowa Safe Schools Academy: http://www.safeschoolsacademy.org/
Computer Science Professional Learning Opportunities from CEPD and Drake University
Creative Coding for Elementary Teachers – A New, online, self-paced, three-credit hour graduate course
Computer science is all around us and can be used to elevate learning across multiple disciplines. This self-paced online course will help students build a prototyping mindset as it introduces ways to integrate programming into various content areas, which include but are not limited to: math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. Educators will design lessons and complete activities using a block-based visual coding language that can be intertwined into all learning experiences within the elementary classroom.
Artificial Intelligence, The Metaverse and Chatbots in Education – A New, online, self-paced, three-credit hour graduate course
Artificial Intelligence, chatbots, and the metaverse have been hot topics in the news, politics, and education. Unfortunately, fear of the unknown has prevented many educators from learning about these tools. This course is a step toward understanding how these technologies work, how they are already integrated into our daily life, and how we, as educators, can harness their power to advance teaching and learning. Participants will explore A.I. and metaverse tools, strategies, and policies. Participants will collaborate via online communities to discuss and share lessons and strategies.
Free Virtual Seminars for Secondary Computer Science Teachers
We are excited to tell you about a free Virtual Seminar for Secondary Computer Science Teachers sponsored by the Iowa Colloquium on Information, Complexity, and Logic. The theory of computation (ToC) has provided various insights into how we reason about computers and their ability to solve problems. While ToC is the oldest subfield of computer science, it is not commonly taught in high schools. In this two-part professional development seminar, attendees will learn about the history and cultural significance of ToC and gain experience building their own "theoretical computers" called finite-state automata. Attendees can expect to gain additional knowledge of various concepts found within the Iowa Computer Science Standards, including computing systems, algorithms, and the impacts of computing. Ideas for developing course materials and in-class activities will also be discussed.
This event will be in two parts via Zoom. Below are the topics, dates, and times.
- ToC: The Big Picture: September 14 - 3:30-5:00 p.m
- Automata and You: September 21 - 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Fall CEPD Online Course Offerings
Drake University CEPD offers online courses for PreK-12 educators seeking graduate credit for license renewal, salary advancement, or elective credit. All offerings are interactive and include practical information. See the link above to register!