At TCEA, computer science is near and dear to our hearts… In fact, it’s how our organization got its start! This week (Dec. 9-13, 2024) is Computer Science Education Week, or CSEdWeek, and we’re so excited to celebrate with you. Keep reading to discover the history and significance of this week, as well as some ideas to use in your K-12 classroom!
What is CSEdWeek?
CSEdWeek was officially launched on Dec. 6, 2009, when a group of educational and technological organizations joined forces to celebrate computer science in schools. This group, led by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), included many supporting organizations like the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Anita Borg Institute (ABI), the Computing Research Association (CRA), and leading tech companies like Google, Intel, and Microsoft.
According to CSEdWeek’s official website, “CSEdWeek is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.”
Why was this week chosen?
CSEdWeek always falls on the week that includes December 9 as a way to celebrate the birthday of Grace Hopper, a pioneer in the computer science industry. Hopper served as a naval officer in the second World War and worked on early computers like the Mark I. Often referred to as “Amazing Grace” by those in the computer science field, she is well known for inventing the first compiler and popularizing both the terms “bug” and “debugging.”
The Timeline of CSEdWeek
2009: CSEdWeek is launched by a collective of computer- and education-focused organizations.
2010: Computing in the Core, a non-partisan advocacy coalition, adopted CSEdWeek, thus furthering the cause.
2013: Code.org founder, Hadi Partovi, starts the Hour of Code initiative. In its first year, the event included 15 million students from more than 150 countries around the globe.
2014: An executive committee of Computing in the Core passed a vote which made the Hour of Code initiative the primary centerpiece of CSEdWeek’s itinerary. Code.org would continue to lead the charge for the event’s worldwide celebration.
2015: The Hour of Code event reached 100 million hours total, making CSEdWeek the largest education technology campaign to date.
2020: The CSTA gained the rights to coordinate CSEdWeek’s festivities. While the Hour of Code program is still technically related to CSEdWeek, it remains the property of code.org.
2024: More than 200,000 Hour of Code events are held annually across more than 180 countries, bringing together educators, industry leaders, policymakers, and students to celebrate the future of computer science.
Ideas for Celebrating CSEdWeek
Want to bring CSEdWeek into your classroom? Check out these ideas!
- Participate in the Hour of Code. This year’s theme is “Music Lab: Jam Session.”
- Introduce Scratch, a visual programming language from MIT that’s great for beginners looking to create animations, stories, or games.
- Build a website with HTML, CSS, or JavaScript! Try platforms like Glitch and CodePen.
- Design 3D models with software like Tinkercad. If your school has a printer, you could even have students vote on which designs they’d like to see come to life!
- Learn to code with the help of AI! Many AI tools offer awesome code conversion software.
- Host interactive quizzes on computer science basics using platforms like Kahoot! or Quizizz.
- Check out our Micro:Bit coding card activity!
- Use logic puzzles and pattern recognition games to teach the foundations of coding to younger students.
How are you celebrating CSEdWeek?
There are so many fun ways to incorporate computer science into your classroom, this week and year round! Let us know how you’re celebrating CSEd in the comments below!