Montclair State Launches Online Certificate in K-12 Computer Science Teaching
Program joins certificate in Virtual Learning for Students with Disabilities as offerings empowering teachers
Posted in: Education, Graduate School
The College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University will launch an online graduate certificate program in K-12 Computer Science Teaching for the upcoming spring 2021 semester.
The online offering continues Montclair State’s commitment to responding to New Jersey’s educational needs and providing educators with immediately actionable knowledge, skills and strategies to enhance instruction and affect student learning.
Designed for equity-oriented teachers seeking to meet demand for high-quality computer science (CS) education, the 15-credit, five-course program will offer coursework in computer science content including coding, programming, problem-solving through computational thinking (CT), equity and diversity in computer science fields, and research-based methods of teaching computer science.
The program has been developed as a response to New Jersey’s “Computer Science for All” initiative to advance K-12 STEM Education. Created by Governor Phil Murphy in 2018, the program provides a plan to bring technology and programming-focused classes to schools across New Jersey.
Dr. Yune Tran, associate dean of The College of Education and Human Services, is helping to develop the comprehensive state plan for CS as a higher education member of the New Jersey CS Advisory Board.
“By offering the certificate in K-12 Computer Science Teaching, Montclair State is playing a key role in advocating for high-quality computer science learning so that K-12 students have access to CS and CT content to succeed in the global economy,” Tran explains.
The new program joins Montclair State’s certificate in Virtual Learning for Students with Disabilities as innovative offerings created to immediately impact New Jersey’s K-12 classrooms and address challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two-course virtual learning program, offered for the first time in the fall 2020 semester, includes applicable tools and strategies that can be integrated into K-12 classrooms regardless of format – in-person, hybrid or entirely virtual.
“The creation of these two new programs continues the Montclair State University teacher education program’s long history of responding to the pressing needs of New Jersey students and their teachers, and builds on our close working relationships with many schools and school districts,” says Tamara Lucas, dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “Our academic offerings must reflect the world around us, and these programs address critical needs in our education systems both now and in the future.”
For more information about online programs at Montclair State University, visit montclair.edu/online.