Computer Science

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) supports staff development in Computer Science (CS) in accordance with state mandates to address student needs. Support services are provided at the school-, district-, and county-wide levels through workshops, seminars, conferences, projects, and institutes. SMCOE also offers less formal support by providing information to teachers and administrators, initiating collaborations and assisting parents, and sharing resources.

SMCOE commits to providing all students in San Mateo County equitable access to quality computer science education, and recognizes that schools throughout our county represent a diverse teacher and student population with a wide range of strengths and needs.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Please check back frequently for current computer science opportunities.

Announcements/Ongoing

• Join the San Mateo Chapter of the CSTA (Computer Science Teachers Association - The largest computer science department in the world!): Free Membership 
• CSTA Upcoming Events: https://csteachers.org/events 
• What does it take to get young girls into tech? Connect with #BootUpPD through their new video series #ForGirlsbyGirls, where, each month, they spotlight young girls doing extraordinary things in STEM, coding, tech, and beyond! https://bit.ly/3lb21dK
• The BayICT Partnership is a collaboration between Bay Area community colleges, tech companies, and community organizations. Check out their site for their resources to support students through work-based learning and connect faculty with industry experts and resources. 
• Bay Area Cyber League coordinates Summer CyberCamps and Fall & Spring Cybersecurity Competitions for high school and community college students in the greater Bay Area region.
• CDE has just published the official pdf of the CA CS Standards! 
•  Kapor Center have launched their first batch of Culturally Responsive/Sustaining CS Resources, including curriculum rubrics, pedagogy guides, and lesson plans. 
• CSEdResearch created an Extended CAPE Codebook: The codebook considers subcomponents of each CAPE component, categories of subcomponents and subcategories. This codebook has been used in several projects, including to conduct a gap analysis of existing literature.
• Note from the new CDE CS Coordinator, Katherine Goyette: Your voice matters! In seeking to better support computer science education in California, I’d love to hear your perspective. Feel free to complete this optional survey and/or sign up for a “Chat with Kat”.

For Teachers and/or Administrators

• Registration is open for Summer of CS, which includes several FREE workshops for K-12 teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, and administrators thanks to the EWIG: CS 2021 grant. Both in person and virtual options are available.
• March 20th -23rd CS Across the Industry Sectors Workshops: SMCOE in collaboration with Earn & Learn and 10 other County Offices of Education across the state have been developing a series of student/teacher facing workshops led by industry partners describing how computer science is changing their industries and the skills students will need to be marketable as they enter the workforce. Student facing virtual workshop regiatration and teacher workshop registration now open. 
  • There is still time to register! See workshop offerings and register here. 
• Tuesday, March 21st at 9am Computer Science Curriculum Development Summit, a FREE, online, worldwide summit
• Tuesday, March 21st at 5:00pm CSEd Discussion Group on Zoom - The hAPPy-Lab: A gender-conscious way to learn coding basics in an open makerspace setting
• Wednesday, March 22nd at 4:00pm View a roundtable discussion: Dual Enrollment - How to Increase Access for All Students, hosted by Edsource
• Friday, March 24h at 4:00pm  CSEd Discussion Group on Zoom - The hAPPy-Lab: A gender-conscious way to learn coding basics in an open makerspace setting
• March 30th 9:00-11:00 CSK5 Summit: CSK5 is the National Summit for K-5 Computer Science Education. This free, online event is a fast-paced two-hour virtual program. The Summit will provide resources and solutions for elementary school programs in CS and STEM education.
• CDE will be hosting a FREE webinar March 30 at 3:30 pm regarding Computer Science: A Core Subject. Register to receive the zoom link.

• Celebrate National Robotics Week April 10-14 with FREE sessions hosted by USC. Click here for more info.

• Register today for a statewide CSTA CS Edcamp to occur on zoom on the Day of AI (May 18) at 4 pm. 
• May 18, 2023: Day of AI is back! Last year more than 3,000 teachers in 90 countries signed up for Day of AI from MIT RAISE—and this year, we hope you’ll join again!

For Students

• ICT Tech Talks: The BayICT Tech Talks are a series of virtual talks and Q&A with ICT industry professionals about their roles, experience, and personal career path. Tech Talks are one-hour Zoom meetings, scheduled twice per month (usually a Monday or Tuesday) at 6:00pm Pacific.