Are you an educator or adminstrator with skills and drive? Have you considered putting those skills and drive to work for your CSTA? There are six vacancies on the CSTA Board of Directors and one of them may be just right for you.
The vacancies for 2014 are:

At-Large Representative.
More information can be found at:
http://csta.acm.org/About/sub/AboutFiles/2014Election.html
including descriptions of these positions and the Nomination Application form.
The deadline for nominations is February 1, however, so don’t wait!
Dave Reed
Creighton University
College Faculty Representative

CSTA invites teachers and administrators to apply to attend a special summit aimed at broadening understanding and creating capacity for the wide-scale adoption and on-going support of the Computer Science Principles course.
This summit (to be held in conjunction with the CSTA 2014 annual conference in St. Charles, IL) will explore the pathways to CS Principles for the entire community (middle school and high school) and provide teachers and administrators with a context and strategies for implementing CS Principles in their high schools.
This summit, featuring presentations, flash talks, and working groups, is open to teachers interested in teaching the new AP Computer Science Principles Course and administrators at all levels (Principals, District Superintendents) interested in bringing the new AP Computer Science Principles Course to their districts.
Funding may be available for accommodation and travel. Attendance is limited to 50 participants and applications will close February 1, 2014.
The summit will take place:
Location: Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, IL
Dates: July 16, 2014
Registration Deadline: February 1, 2014
Online applications are now open.
For more information, see:
http://csta.acm.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/sub/TeacherWorkshops.html
or contact Chris Stephenson at c.stephenson@csta-hq.org
Chris Stephenson
Executive Director
Computer Science Teachers Association

Recently, CSTA completed the first round of CSTA chapter advocacy mini grants. These mini grants were given to local chapters for activities focusing on affecting public policy at the state or local level. Successful mini grants included one given to CSTA chapters in New Jersey and Maryland. Funding for the mini grant project was generously provided to CSTA by the ACM SIG Governing Board.
Mini grant applications required chapter applicants to identify advocacy goals and objectives for the proposed project and provide a description of how those goals and objectives would be carried achieved. Applicants were also asked to devise an evaluation plan t measure whether or not those goals were achieved. Applicants were further required to identify the population the project would serve as well as any collaborative efforts with outside agencies or institutions that would be leveraged during the program. Finally, participants were asked provide a detailed project budget.
All mini grant applications were forwarded to a grant committee consisting of five CSTA members. These members carefully read each proposal and rated it according to a rubric which included the likelihood that the project could be replicated by other chapters. All the ratings were combined and then discussed during a conference call of all committee members in early December. The grant awards winners were notified by December 5.
The CSTA Northern New Jersey (CSTANNJ), CSTA Central New Jersey (CSTACNJ) and CSNJ (an outreach project of CSTANNJ and CSTACNJ) were awarded a $3000 grant. The New Jersey chapters plan to partner with Rutgers University and Kean University in October 2014 to create an informational both and presentation at the New Jersey School Boards Association conference. The presentation will focus on the state of Computer Science in New Jersey and the impact of CS on student achievement and future career prospects. Members of CSTANNJ and CSTACNJ plan to hold meetings with legislators, business leaders, educators, parents, administrators, member of local school boards and other educational professionals to influence the direction of CS education in New Jersey. The New Jersey chapters plan to evaluate their program by asking attendees to evaluate the presentation and tracking the brochures and other materials that are distributed through the project.
CSTA Maryland is partnering with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to use the $1000 mini grant as seed money to hold The Athena Conference (TAC) in May 2014. The Athena Conference’s goal is to educate female junior and senior high school students and their parents about careers and majors in computing. TAC hopes to enlist parents as advocates for policy and curriculum changes whereas Computer Science is concerned. TAC plans to use the CSTA mini grant money to provide parallel parent sessions during the conference. CSTA Maryland plans to evaluate their project through pre and post conference surveys to measure the participants’ knowledge of and attitudes toward CS education and careers. In an attempt to sustain the conference, CSTA Maryland and UMBC plan to put together a planning tool kit that would allow other chapters to host their own TAC event.
Round two of the mini grant application process is currently underway. Chapter leaders can create applications for $1000, $3000 and $5000 mini grants through January 6, 2014.
Dave Burkhart
CSTA Chapter MIni Grant Awards Committee

As we approach the start of the new calendar year, it is time to start the CSTA Board of Directors nominations and elections process once again. CSTA is a member organization led by a working board of directors. The affairs and property of CSTA are managed, controlled, and directed by an elected Board of Directors. The future and health of the CSTA organization depend upon the quality and dedication of the CSTA Board of Directors leadership. The Board of Directors consists of officers representing various aspects of computer science education. All CSTA Board of Directors positions must be held by individuals who are professionally connected to K-12 computer science education and are CSTA members. I encourage interested CSTA members to apply or to encourage other qualified members to submit an application.
The following CSTA Director positions will be vacated on May 31, 2013 and will be filled during the 2014 CSTA Board of Directors Election:

In February, at the close of the nominations period, the Nominations and Elections Committee of the CSTA Board will select the two most qualified applicants in each position for inclusion on the ballot. Late nominations will not be accepted.
The CSTA Board is a working Board, and all Directors are required to attend two Board meetings per year and are expected to contribute meaningfully by participating on at least two committees. This year, the CSTA Directors are required to participate in the following Board events in St. Charles, IL:

To begin the nominations process, download the 2014 CSTA Nominations Form from the CSTA website at:
ttp://csta.acm.org/About/sub/CSTAGovernance.html
Submit your completed Nominations Form AND your current résumé of experience to the Elections Committee by emailing it to nominations@csta.acm.org. The documents may be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format; PDF is preferred. The Nominations deadline is February 1, 2014.
Each candidate’s personal statement and responses to the four questions in the Nominations Form will be posted on the CSTA website and included on the ballot. Statements will be truncated at the word-count limit if necessary. The candidate’s résumé will not be made public. The election will take place online, beginning April 2, 2014. All CSTA members in good standing will be eligible to vote. The election will close May 5, 2014. Results will be posted May 17, 2014.
CSTA is seeking committed CS education leaders to serve on the CSTA Board of Directors. We encourage all interested and qualified individuals to submit an application. You may be the passionate and dedicated CS educator that will help lead the CSTA Board during the next two years. Please thoughtfully consider submitting your application today.
Deborah Seehorn
CSTA Board of Directors Chair
Nominations and Elections Committee Chair

The call for proposals for the 14th Annual CSTA Conference is now live. The conference will be held on July 14-15, 2014 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois (just outside of Chicago).
Serving as a member of the conference committee the past three years, I have been constantly impressed and inspired by the quality of the presentations from you, our members. The 3-hour workshops sessions, which run on the first day of the conference, have provided time for learning through hands-on exploration and extended discussion. The 1-hour sessions, which run on the second day, have provided sufficient time for the presentation and discussion of new technologies, educational initiatives, and classroom experiences. As the CSTA Conference has grown over the years, so has the number of proposals we receive. In 2013, there were 98 proposals for the conference (37 workshop and 61 presentation sessions), up from 55 in 2012. Due to the number and high quality of the proposals, we were able to add more workshop sessions and accommodate even more attendees in 2013.
This year, we are hoping to expand the opportunity to contribute even more by introducing a limited number of 20-minute mini-sessions to the program. These mini-sessions, which will focus on pedagogy and best teaching practices, will allow teachers who have great ideas to contribute without having to fill an entire hour. The plan is to bundle related mini-sessions in groups of three, to conform to the 1-hour time slots. That way, we can get more contributors involved and provide an even greater variety of perspectives at the conference. So, if you have a great idea, a nifty educational tool, a new approach to teaching a topic, or just an interesting experience that you think would be of interest to your peers, consider submitting a mini-session proposal for CSTA 2014.
Whether you submit or not, definitely mark July 14-15 on your calendar for CSTA’s premier professional development event.
Dave Reed
CSTA Conference Chair
College Faculty Representative, CSTA Board of Directors

As I sit down to work on the November 2013 issue of the Voice newsletter, it occurs to me what a significant transformation this issue represents. The CSTA Voice is going green! And along with a departure from nearly 10 years of print tradition, comes many new and exciting opportunities alongside the comfort and traditions you’ve come to expect.
The primary goal of the Voice is to provide analysis and commentary on issues relating to K-12 computer science education issues, resources for educators, and information for member. That’s not going to change.
If you value the printed copy of the Voice, you will be able to download and print a copy to slide on to the principal’s desk or read and dog-ear at your convenience. That’s not going to change.
I welcome your suggestions for topics and offers to write for the Voice. Your expertise and sights are what make the Voice a valuable resource for CSTA members. That’s not going to change.
But some things will change:

All things considered, this is the right move for us. I’m delighted with the change. I’m sure you will be too. Please let me hear from you soon with your topic ideas for the new green Voice.
Pat Phillips, Editor
CSTA Voice

Like many non-profit institutions, CSTA is always looking for new, more efficient ways to do business and for ways to keep CSTA membership free of charge for individual members. We also try to be proactive when it comes to addressing member concerns. Both of these factors have contributed to our decision to distribute the CSTA Voice electronically starting with the November 2013 issue.
The decision to cease printing and mailing the Voice was a difficult one for the CSTA Board of Directors. We know that there are a number of members who value receiving their printed Voice every two months. But rising costs and requests from our members to be more environmentally conscious made this change inevitable.
CSTA’s membership continues to grow by more than 25% per year and as a result, our CSTA Voice circulation is closing in on 16,000 copies per issue. This means we have to print 96,000 copies of the Voice per year and pay the postage for 96,000 mailings to 124 countries. With recent increases in printing and postage, our costs have already edged over $60,000 per year and were certain to keep increasing. Our choice was clear, start charging members for the CSTA Voice or change our distribution model.
Over the last two years we have also been receiving increasing requests from our members to “green” our publication distribution processes and policies. And so we have moved to online distribution for all of our key reports, documents, and resources. Up until now, the Voice has been the only exception to this strategy. But as one member said in a recent email, “It makes no sense for a technology-focused organization like CSTA to keep killing trees to print and mail the Voice when most other organizations are going to electronic distribution”.
So as of the November issue, we are moving to online distribution of the Voice. Every two months CSTA members will receive an email with an electronic publication containing briefs of all of the Voice articles in that issue. You will then be able to click through to read the articles that interest you. If you want a complete copy of the issue, you will still be able to download it directly from the CSTA website and each e-issue will provide the download link.
We know that this is a big change for CSTA members, but we hope that you will see it as proof of our commitment to making our community accessible, affordable, and environmentally responsible.
Deborah Seehorn
Chair, CSTA Board of Directors
Chris Stephenson
CSTA Executive Director

Many of us spend a lot of time trying to convince those around us (colleagues, school administrators, district leaders, politicians, etc.) of the importance of computer science education for all students. I have certainly staked much of my identity to doing just this, and I know many readers of this column are the same way.
If you’re like me, you’ve also wondered why it is so hard to show people something that seems so a priori obvious: that computers and digital technology have changed the world so profoundly that for the foundational knowledge that makes this technology possible to affect education in something besides a superficial fashion is inconceivable.(1)
Thanks to recent efforts like those of Code.org the public view of computer science, or at least technology education in schools, seems to be shifting from the view that mere exposure and access to technology (the “if you build it, they will come” model) is some kind of magic bullet that will make students “better with computers.” As educators, we know that increasing and improving both the teaching and learning of CS is going to be essential if we are to truly meet our nation’s need for computer science talent. But, what exactly needs to be in place for that to happen?
The results of a study just released by the University of Chicago’s Center for Elementary Math and Science Education (CEMSE) and Urban Education Institute might help shed some light on the necessary supports needed, and what the barriers are to providing quality computer science education learning opportunities for students. The CS in Schools report builds off the results in the Teacher Capacity Survey which surveyed nearly 800 CS teachers, with in-depth interviews with both administrators and teachers. In interviews, both teachers and administrators signaled that misconceptions about computer science, low prioritization of computer science as a course, and limited availability of CS teachers are three huge barriers to providing CS opportunities to our students.
In addition to these three common barriers, teachers also identified two other challenges they face: isolation and lack of instructional materials. Interestingly school administrators identified another: the competition CS courses face “against” other courses in their schools. Teachers and administrators both agreed on the importance of teacher professional development. And teachers also identified the five other important supports: professional networks, online resources, school-provided materials, support from universities, and student interest.
Read more and hear responses from teachers and administrators in their own words here. Do these barriers and supports to ring true to your school?
Baker Franke
CSTA Leadership Cohort Member
(1) This is almost a verbatim quote from John Dewey who was struggling with similar changes brought about by the industrial revolution 100 years ago. See: John Dewey. “The School and Social Progress.” University of Chicago Press (1907): Chapter 1: The School and Society. pp 20-21.
University of Chicago Laboratory High School (Chicago, IL)

Have you become familiar with the new CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards? I’m sure you are aware that the standards were revised and published in December 2011. Do you know that the standards are organized into five strands: Collaboration; Computational Thinking; Computing Practice and Programming; Computers and Communications Devices; and Community, Global, and Ethical Impacts? The standards for learning are scaffolded in each of the strands, from Level1:3 (Grades 1-3) to Level 1:6 (Grades 3-6), to Level 2 (grades 6-9) to Level 3A (grades 9 and 10); and then to level 3B (grades 11 and 12). There are beautiful and descriptive graphics in the Standards Document that depict this scaffolding of standards.
So, if any of this is news to you, you might want to download and read and download the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards from the CSTA website.
Have you been asked to demonstrate how your Computer Science courses contribute to the teaching of other national standards? The great news today is that the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards have now been correlated with the Common Core State Standards, the STEM Cluster Topics, and the Partnership for 21st Century Essential Skills. The downloadable documents that match the CSTA standards to the above national standards are available on the Curriculum webpage of the CSTA website.
Many thanks to Debbie Carter, former CSTA Board Member, who painstakingly compared the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards to each of the other three sets of national standards! Thanks also to the Curriculum Committee who reviewed Debbie’s meticulous crosswalks and collaborated with Debbie on the final crosswalks.
These “crosswalk” documents will be exceedingly helpful to classroom teachers who are asked to state how what they teach reinforces national standards. Be the first in your school or district to check out these useful crosswalk documents and put them to good use. Then spread the word!
Deborah Seehorn
CSTA State Department Representative, Chair Elect
Curriculum Committee Chair

Competitions engage students, build excitement, and can push CS learning to higher levels. Here is an opportunity to enthuse your students with a competition using familiar classroom tools. No need to learn a new game development environment. My bet is that you are already using one of these listed in the competition.
Inspired by the “Educate to Innovate Campaign,” President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is a multi-year competition aiming to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth.
The 2013 Challenge will open to submissions in January, 2013, with competitions for middle and high school students. Your students (and you) will love the variety of entry choices:

Check it out!
www.stemchallenge.org/Default.aspx
It might be just the spark plug you need for second semester.
Pat Phillips
Editor, CSTA Voice