Quoted from http://blog.acm.org/archives/csta/2009/03/fixing_computer.html:
Computer Science Teachers Association: Fixing Computer Science Teacher Certification
CSTA has recently published a white paper titled Ensuring Exemplary
Teaching in an Essential Discipline: Addressing the Crisis in Computer Science
Teacher Certification .
If you are considering teaching CS, an excellent read. I found it interesting because I have met all the criteria. Of course, they do find Texas has one of the better models for CS Teacher Certification. I came from the work force, went back to school to get a teaching certificate and did student teaching. The one thing I did not take then was a methodology course, though I did take one in mathematics. There was not a methodology course in CS offered in the area at the time. I am certificed in both CS and Mathematics.
Several years after I began teaching, when we made a language change and a course change — from Computer Math to CS I (not PreAP), and from regular QBasic to Visual Basic, my district brought in a professor from UNT who taught a methodology course. It was a lot of fun, and the class even produced a book that was available to other CS teachers. What we did was to break down the curriculum in units and broke the class up into groups. Each group produced curriculum materials for their unit.
I’ve since earned a Master’s Degree majoring in Computer Education and Cognitive Studies that really brought everything together for me curriculum wise.
It was nice to see that CSTA has validated my experiences becoming a teacher.
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