iCS4ALL Art

This learning experience has been designed by the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University as an outcome of a research grant study and multi-year collaboration among faculty and students at East Carolina University.

Together, educational leadership, computer science, music, visual arts, community members, and performing arts educators collaborated to design the Integrating Computer Science for All (iCS4All) project and this professional learning module. Our aim is to equip teachers with the background knowledge, digital technology, and support to integrate activities inspired by the concept of computational thinking, the newly adopted NC K-12 Computer Science Standards, and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study curriculum for the Arts. However, you don’t need to teach in the arts to benefit from this module. The strategies, content, and resources have cross-curricular applications appropriate for all content areas and grade levels.

This course is designed to get you thinking about computer science and computational thinking strategies that apply to your content area and teaching practice. Resources, examples, and strategies are provided. Additionally, this unique course also invites you to decide just how deep your learning will go with an extended pathway designed to foster the creation of your own computer science and computational thinking lesson for implementation.

While this online professional learning is open to individuals, we welcome, when possible, participation by teams from schools, districts, or other organizations. Having local colleagues work together to apply the lessons and strategies makes this module even more valuable. If a team is not available, individuals are welcome to participate on their own.

Course Objectives

  • To foster well-situated, practical enactment of computational thinking and computer science integration into curriculum and instruction by teachers.
  • Focus on portraying curriculum content by stimulating insights through the provision of knowledge.
  • Increase instructional knowledge and implementation practices, leading to higher levels of student achievement.

Learn More

Online Professional Learning for Educators at the Friday Institute provides a scalable, accessible, and flexible approach that is aligned with the principles of effective professional development. Our approach is grounded in authentic, active, and collaborative professional learning activities. Participants will engage in discussion forums to exchange ideas with colleagues, as well as share and synthesize new learning in their own pacing guide. This participation is worth .5 CEUs.

For participants interested in receiving additional continuing education credits (for a total of 10 hours or 1 CEU), you can choose a deeper learning experience, by completing additional units*.

Regardless of the learning path you choose, however, you will keep a pacing guide to reflect, share, and capture your learning. This will be a key learning artifact that you must share with your school unit to be awarded your CEUs for module completion.

UNIT 1: Activating Connections and Engagement: This module allows you to learn along with your colleagues to enhance your knowledge and further develop strategies to integrate computer science and computational thinking. In order to set yourself up for success in this unit, take a moment to review the expectations and goals of this course, complete your pre-reflection, introduce yourself, and download your pacing guide.

UNIT 2: Foundational Content: Computational Thinking and Computer Science: In this unit, we will connect your understanding of computational thinking and computer science to your teaching context. We will explore relevant examples and show the use of computer science and computational thinking in action. We will then plan for implementation into your classroom instruction.

UNIT 3: Personalized Exploration Experience: You have explored the importance, impact, and enhancement that the incorporation of computational thinking and computer science can lend to your lessons and student learning experiences in the last unit - but what do these lessons look like? This unit focuses on how to prepare the context for strategically planning the integration of computer science and computational thinking concepts into your curriculum and instruction. You will engage with examples and resources while applying your personal experience and professional knowledge to unique learning contexts.

UNIT 4: Personalized Immersion Experience*: This unit is designed for you to go on your own deeper learning journey. You will reflect on your own practice and possible solutions to common problem-centered objectives faced by educators implementing computational thinking and computer science into curriculum and instruction.

UNIT 5: Authentic Implementation Challenge*: This unit is designed for you to go on your own deeper learning journey. It follows UNIT 4 with the goal of fostering the time, space, and strategies to design your own lesson plan to implement.

UNIT 6: Purposeful Practice Reflection: This unit is your opportunity to take action concerning your professional goals, building self-efficacy, establishing long-term growth, and ultimately promote higher student achievement.

*Optional extended learning synthesis pathway.

Participants can download a Certificates of Completion for our BASIC learning pathway for 5 hours of credit, and have the option to continue on the EXTENDED learning pathway for an additional 5 hours - totaling 10 hours of professional development. These will be made available at the end of the module for those participants complete the following:

For 5 hours of credit - .5 CEUs:

  • Verifying that you have participated in the module discussions and shared at least one artifact of participation to your local agency. This includes:
  1. A completed pacing guide spanning each unit*,
  2. Participate in at least three discussion forums (Units 1, 3, and 6)

For 10 hours of credit - 1 CEU:

  • Verifying that you have participated in module discussions and shared at least two artifacts of participation to your local agency. This includes:
  1. A completed pacing guide spanning each unit*,
  2. Participate in all discussion forums (Units 1, 3-6)
  3. Complete and share your own lesson plan

*if you choose not to extend your learning and complete optional units 4 and 5, you will skip this section in your pacing guide.

You can submit the certificate to your local agency with a request for CEUs. Granting of CEUs will be subject to the policies and procedures of your state and local agency.
Participants that have completed all course expectations will also receive a digital badge.

Laura Albrecht

Laura Albrecht

Laura Albrecht previously served as a Digital Innovation Coach on the Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative at The Friday Institute at NC State University. Laura serves school districts across North Carolina to design, develop, and deliver professional learning to teachers and administrators. Prior to joining The Friday Institute, Laura was a Senior Administrator in a large school district as the coordinator of a STEM grant focused on bridging underserved populations of students from middle school to high school. Laura is a Science Teacher by training, having taught 8th Grade Science. @lauraalbrecht22

Emmy Coleman

Emmy Coleman

Emmy Coleman is a Senior Research Scholar at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University, where since 2008, she has managed multifaceted projects centered on North Carolina’s growth in the area of digital teaching and learning. She has specifically led work to integrate technology into rural schools across North Carolina. Additionally, she supports educators and leaders with strategic planning resources designed to implement innovative learning strategies and approaches. Current project topics include innovative assessments, personalized and blended learning, and equity in education.

Before arriving at the Friday Institute, she taught high school English, was an assistant principal and district administrator, and served as the designer and founding director of Warren New Tech High School, promoting a curriculum focus on project based learning and STEM engagement. elcolem2@ncsu.edu | @tarheel93

Sam Morris

Sam Morris

Sam Morris was previously the Program Manager for Computer Science for All at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. In his role, he led a statewide effort to create computer science educational opportunities for all students by bringing together constituents from within the private sector, the educational systems, and the policy leaders. He led the Friday Institute’s Regional Partnership with Code.org and managed a team of 12 facilitators in delivering professional development for educators teaching computer science for the first time. He consulted with the NC Department of Public Instruction and the Board of Education and led the initial drafting of the first NC K12 Computer Standards. Prior to working at the Friday Institute, he was a classroom teacher of Mathematics and Computer Science for 20 years and also worked at Lenovo as Global Education Solution Architect. @samandjt

Jaclyn Stevens

Jaclyn Stevens

Jaclyn Stevens is a Research Scholar, Coach, and curriculum designer with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University. In her work, she supports and coaches, educators, and leaders in adaptive student-centered approaches to provide concrete, quality, purposeful, reflective, and on-the-ground personalized learning supported through technology to work towards equity for all learners. Her mantra is to adapt, not adopt. Jaclyn is currently licensed and certified as an Instructional Specialist, an Instructional Technology Facilitator, a Secondary Media Arts educator, a Secondary Language Arts educator, and holds a special endorsement in Computer Education. jlbell@ncsu.edu | @jaclynbstevens

Available On Demand
Duration 5-10 hours
Cost Free
Primary Audience K-12 Teachers
Certificate Available Yes
Certificate Hours 5-10
Developers Laura Albrecht
Emmy Coleman
Sam Morris
Jaclyn Stevens