Heidelberg gets funds to offer computer science teaching endorsement
TIFFIN − Beginning this fall, K-12 teachers will have an opportunity to gain a computer science teacher endorsement through Heidelberg University, free of charge.
Heidelberg received $290,000 from the Teach CS Grant through the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) for the program.
The grant will provide funding for 1,100 Ohio educators to receive computer science training, and it’s expected that 650 of those will become qualified to teach computer science. A total of $6 million is being awarded to 17 education institutions across the state to cover the cost of this professional development opportunity.
The overarching goal is to increase the number of existing teachers who qualify to teach computer science. That will happen through supplemental licensure, university endorsement programs like the one Heidelberg is offering, and alternative resident educator licenses, according to ODHE. A total of 11 colleges and universities in Ohio, along with six educational service centers, are receiving Teach CS grant funds.
When the endorsement program kicks off this fall, Heidelberg will be able to provide funding for up to 29 educators from across the region to pursue the endorsement, said Dr. Dawn Henry, director of the School of Education, and one of the grant authors. While current Heidelberg undergraduate education students and teachers already working in K-12 schools are eligible to take endorsement coursework, only K-12 teachers will receive grant funding.
Teachers who enroll in the continuing education opportunity will complete four computer science courses, totaling 12 credit hours: Fundamentals of Computer Science, Computational Problem Solving, How to Think Like a Data Scientist or Spreadsheet Modeling (students choose one), and Computer Science Methods and Field Experience. All of the courses for the CS Endorsement will be taught by Heidelberg faculty members.
Courses will be offered in eight-week terms with an asynchronous format. So in theory, educators could complete the coursework for their endorsement in a year or less. Course tuition, books, software and testing fees are covered by the grant, as is a laptop computer for students who need one.
“For the student, not only will teachers get a K-12 endorsement to add to their base license, they’ll get 12 additional hours toward the renewal of their teaching license as well,” Henry said. “Those additional hours also could be applied toward possible advancement on their district’s salary schedule. Over time, that could represent a significant increase in pay.”
Sean Joyce, associate professor of computer science, and his Heidelberg colleagues will adapt current computer science courses to fit the asynchronous (online) format. They are in the process of finalizing the development of the final course which will include 50 hours of field experience.
Teach CS grants are a partnership between Innovate Ohio, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, ODHE and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
To apply, go to admission.heidelberg.edu/register/cs-endorsement or call the School of Education at 419-448-2125 for additional information.
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Heidelberg University awarded computer science teacher education grant
