CSTA: Connecting Colleges and K-12 CS Teachers (Abstract Only).

The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) is an ACM-affiliated member organization of more than 26,000 educators and supporters of K-12 computer science. CSTA supports local communities of educators and partners through more than 70 local chapters, made up of educators, administrators, college faculty, and industry supporters, which meet regularly for networking and professional development. In addition, CSTA provides valuable resources to teachers and CS advocates, such as the newly revised K-12 CS Standards, research reports, a member listserv, a bimonthly newsletter, and recorded sessions from the annual conference. This session will provide a brief overview of CSTA, its chapters, and available resources for teachers. College faculty who are interested in connecting with local K-12 teachers will be encouraged to network and explore mutually beneficial partnerships. An open forum will follow for discussing CSTA's mission, possible initiatives, and benefits to K-12 and college educators. The major goals of this Birds-of-a-Feather session are: To inform K-12 teachers and college faculty of the current initiatives underway at CSTA, as well as possible initiatives that are under development.To allow K-12 teachers and college faculty with common interests to connect and potentially partner in supporting computer science in K-12.To provide a forum for discussing the needs and desires of K-12 educators, which will then inform future CSTA initiatives and college partnerships.To receive feedback from the community on current and possible initiatives. To inform K-12 teachers and college faculty of the current initiatives underway at CSTA, as well as possible initiatives that are under development.To allow K-12 teachers and college faculty with common interests to connect and potentially partner in supporting computer science in K-12.To provide a forum for discussing the needs and desires of K-12 educators, which will then inform future CSTA initiatives and college partnerships.To receive feedback from the community on current and possible initiatives.