When you read the old Tech standards, they almost seem quaint. Teachers were supposed to help kids open documents, enter data into spreadsheets, and search for items on the internet.

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Those days are over. 

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The new Computer Science and Design Thinking standards are exactly that: computer science and design standards. The terms are much more technical and the design process is spelled out in a way that requires students and teachers to assess their ideas through multiple frames, including accessibility and environmental sustainability.

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The State has postponed its requirement that new CS teachers have a special certification, but admins would be wise to support any teacher who wants to take the additional 15 credits for the extra endorsement. 

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My best advice to teachers and admins who are daunted by the new requirements would be to take a breath. The terms may be unfamiliar and the concepts may be new, but these new standards provide you and your students an opportunity to learn and grow. 

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Check out some of these sites to get started:

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Scratch - Developed by MIT to help beginners and young programmers

Code.org - "Learn Computer Science. Change the World."

Rutgers CS Summit Presentation by Deirdre Richardson, Regina Nadbielny, & Paige Besthoff

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