I’ve been looking forward to Computer Science Education Week 2024 since December 2023! It is one of my favorite weeks of the school year. There’s a buzz in the air and my students and I have a blast! Also, I get to spend time teaching real-world skills that spark new passions and introduce new career pathways. This year I am sharing my free CSEd Week Guide to help you make this the biggest and best Computer Science Education Week yet!
What is CSEd Week 2024?
If you are new to Computer Science Education Week, you are likely wondering, “What is CSEd Week?”, “Why do we celebrate CSEd Week?”, “How do you celebrate CS Ed Week?”, or “When is CSEd Week?”
Here are the basics:
- CSEd Week is short for Computer Science Education Week!
- This global event began in 2009.
- Computer Science Education Week always happens at the beginning of December.
- The goals of CSEd Week are to inspire and educate people about computer science and improve access and equity in computer science education. You can find out more about this annual celebration at csedweek.org.
- You can participate in CSEd Week by planning a computer science activity for your students! There are tons of free activities to choose from for all ages and skill levels on code.org.
Computer Science Education Week 2024 is December 9th-15th.
This year marks my 12th year planning and prepping for Computer Science Education Week with students in grades K-8. I went from being a novice coder myself in 2012 to a passionate computer science teacher today. I believe all of today’s students should have access to computer science education and basic coding instruction before they leave elementary school.
Since 2012, I’ve gathered a lot of resources, created a lot of materials, and identified what makes my CSEd Week a big success. Now I want to share these tips and resources with you. Whether this is your first time planning a CSEd Week or your 15th, grab my free guide to make Computer Science Education Week 2024 your best yet!
What’s inside the Computer Science Education Week guide?
- Teacher notes and planning guide
This document has everything you need to feel prepared going into CSEd Week. There is more information about the history and purpose of Computer Science Education Week. The step-by-step planning timeline will ensure you are ready to host a great CSEd Week event. Additionally, tips and strategies to ensure your event runs smoothly are sprinkled throughout.
- Flyers to build excitement
A week or two before CSEd Week, use the flyers to start building a buzz. Putting up flyers around the school, creating a special bulletin board, or door display are great ways to have students start talking and wondering about the event.
- Student reflection for before and after the CSEd Week activity
This resource will help you gather information about your students’ background knowledge. You can also use the embedded video link to introduce your students to the field of Computer Science. After the activity, students are prompted to describe the experience and how it impacted their interest in learning to code or pursuing future opportunities in computer science.
- Certificates to recognize student participation
Celebrate students for learning something new! Not only are you acknowledging students for trying their best, but when they show their parents or other school staff members, they’ll continue the conversation about the coding skills they learned and the importance of learning computer science.
- A letter to parents
This is great to send home after your CSEd Week event to give parents some information about Computer Science Education Week. It also includes suggestions for how parents can continue supporting their students’ coding skills at home.
I hope these resources help you feel confident and excited about your upcoming CSEd Week event! If you have questions along the way, please reach out! I’d love to hear from you.
Have an amazing Computer Science Education Week!
