Learning and Leading - February 2010

news

Help Create Computational Thinking Resources

ISTE and the Computer Science Teachers Association
(CSTA) are teaming up to build a common language
around the concept of computational thinking, and
they are calling on educators to help develop resources
to bring it into the K– 12 classroom. Typically, compu-
tational thinking is considered a higher-order skill that
serves as a foundation for computer science and the
science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines.

With an award from the National Science Foundation, ISTE and CSTA hope to come up with an operational definition of the concept and a plan to develop implementation resources for K– 12 teachers to use across the curriculum.

ISTE and CSTA will host a meeting of thought leaders in the spring to help define the key concepts. In August, they’ll convene a group of curriculum specialists, staff developers, and educators who teach everything from art and the social sciences to math and the hard sciences to develop resources that can move computational thinking from concept to practice.

ISTE Advocacy Events in D.C. If you’ll be in Washington, D.C., next month, join us for these advocacy events:

The ABC’s of Advocacy, March 2, $25 registration. Strengthen your skills, confidence, and state-level networking at ISTE’s premier advocacy workshop.

Washington Education Technology Policy Conference, March 3, $25 registration. Attendees will go to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional staff. Conference planners will set up the meetings and prepare participants with talking points.

For more information, contact ISTE’s director of government affairs, Hilary Goldmann, at 1.202.861.7777.

International Teachers Invited to ISTE 2010

ISTE participated in Microsoft’s Worldwide Innova-
tive Education Forum in Salvador, Brazil, Novem-
ber 3–6, 2009. The forum recognizes teachers who
have demonstrated an exemplary use of technology
in the classroom. More than 250 regional winners
from more than 60 countries were in Salvador vying for one of 12 worldwide
Innovative Teacher awards.

In addition to educators participating in the Innovative Teachers program, leaders from 42 schools focused on transforming their school communities as part of the Partners in Learning Innovative Schools program. ISTE’s Deputy CEO Leslie Conery served as a judge and participated as a keynote session panelist. ISTE will welcome this year’s award winners from England, Scotland, Brazil, Australia, Israel, Mexico, China, United States, France, Lesotho, Thailand, and Belgium to ISTE 2010 in Denver in June.

2010

denver JUNE 27–30

Colorado Convention Center

Sign Up for ISTE 2010 Workshops Visit the ISTE 2010 website ( www.iste.org/conference/2010) to use the searchable database to find more than 700 sessions and paid workshops by topic, date, and other criteria. If you’ve already registered for the conference, you can add workshops, tours, or other ticketed events to your online conference planner beginning February 17, 2010. Register by March 31, 2010, to take advantage of Super Early Bird rates.

Submit an Article Online Would you like to become a published writer? Submitting an article to L&L is now easier than ever, using our new online submissions form. Visit www.iste.org/LL and click the Submit Articles link to read a simple how-to that includes L&L’s style guide, copyright information, and a submissions kit, complete with our current editorial calendar.