Resources
All the latest updates, podcasts, tools, and online guides to help facilitate your computer science classroom experience, in-person or online.
The effects of providing starter projects in open-ended Scratch activities
In this episode JarednO'Leary unpacks Coenraad et al.’s (2021) publication titled “The effects of providing starter projects in open-ended Scratch activities,” which compares two groups of students to determine the impact of Scratch starter projects on student creativity.
Can Computer Science Be Equity's New Language?
Last month, BootUp PD and the National School Board Association (NSBA) hosted a roundtable discussion posing that very question. Over 20 superintendents across the United States and Canada participated in the conversation. They openly reflected on the equity gaps in computer science and technology, strategies for integration, and the importance of ensuring fair access to all students while in the classroom and at home.
Abolitionist Computer Science Teaching
In this episode Jared O'Leary unpacks Ivey et al.’s (2021) publication titled “Abolitionist computer science teaching: Moving from access to justice,” which argues that the field of CS education can use abolitionist pedagogical practices to move from focusing on access to focusing on the full humanity of students.
Scratch Launches the Scratch Education Collaborative with 41 Global, Community-Led Organizations
Scratch, the world’s largest coding community for young people, announced the 41 organizations selected to participate in the first year of the Scratch Education Collaborative (SEC). Among the selected is BootUp Professional Development - an organization dedicated to empowering elementary teachers and students through computer science and creating equitable computer science programs in underrepresented and underserved communities.
Lessons Learned from (In)Formal CS Education with Grant Smith
In this interview with Grant Smith, we discuss the importance of continuing to learn from other educators, what informal and formal learning spaces can learn from each other, how COVID has impacted Grant’s teaching philosophy, our preferences for in-person or virtual professional development and classroom instruction, lessons learned from entrepreneurial adventures in CS education, learning by jumping in and trying new things, heuristic-based learning, and so much more.
Other Resources
Integration Studios
In addition to the integration suggestions in our lesson plans and our discussion forum, our Scratch account has several studios that demonstrate the potential for integrating projects with Scratch.
Complete List of Lesson Plans
Use this document to quickly access all of our ScratchJr and Scratch lesson plans and coder resources.
Unplugged Resources
This spreadsheet is a curated list of more than 100 unplugged lesson plans and resources for elementary coders.
Lesson Ideas and Resources
Our Moodle Lesson Ideas and Resources is curated by fellow teachers and instructional coaches we've worked with.
Discussion Forum
Join in on the conversation with colleagues and peers about all things computer science!
Remote Learning Resources
We’ve compiled some resources to help districts, teachers, and families cope with the rise of school closures around the nation.
