CodingConfidence_2025
No Description
5-day online 3-credit “Coding Confidence for Educators” course (CMSC 501)
Elective for the M.S. in Technology & Innovation program.
This course is designed for K-12 educators who have either little or no exposure to coding. Integrating some basic #coding in the curriculum of any subject, enables children to develop the skill of critical thinking, and helps them gain the confidence to work through problems in a systematic manner. #problemsolvingskills and the ability to tackle a problem set with logic and persistence are key benefits that are tied directly into learning concepts of coding. The course will also include effective use of AI Tools in (e.g. ChatGPT) in Education
Educators are given instructions by a team of instructors who will guide them to incorporate basic coding into their curriculum. This will include:
~ an introduction to #computationalthinking; hands-on HTML;
~ hands-on/ unplugged coding activities;
~ exposure and application to Scratch, Java, Python;
~ an introduction to digital footprinting.
Each student (educator) will create a “take-home” product and toolset to apply directly to their classes in the Fall.]
Sample feedback we receive from the educators who have taken this course: “I really enjoyed last summer’s institute and was able to take away a lot of helpful ideas for my classroom … “
“I thoroughly enjoyed last year’s institute. You did a phenomenal job navigating the synchronous/ asynchronous components of a Master’s level institute!”
Course-Specific Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- connect computational thinking to appropriate lesson plans.
- understand fundamental coding concepts like the use of variables and functions – by using block-based visual programming like Scratch, followed by an introduction to object oriented languages like Java and Python.
- create a simple webpage by using HTML, that the educator can incorporate into an appropriate lesson plan, or use for their classroom.
- assess which hands-on/ unplugged coding activities may be appropriate to incorporate into a lesson plan (e.g. Lego Robotics, Ozobots, Makey-Makey, Dash & Dot, Sphero)
- assess which coding activities and AI tools may be appropriate to incorporate into a lesson plan.
- have a “tool kit” of coding activities to take back to their classrooms.