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CYBER.ORG

CYBER.ORG is dedicated to teaching Cyber Education for all students by ensuring that all students receive a cybersecurity education, we build a steady stream of cyber-literate students who are prepared for the workforce. 25,000+ teachers enrolled in CYBER.ORG content from 50 states and 4 US territories 3.4 million students impacted by CYBER.ORG content The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) supports CYBER.ORG through a grant to develop and distribute cyber, STEM, and computer science curricula to educators across the country. 

Develop Classroom Resources CYBER.ORG provides curricula and cybersecurity classroom resources at no cost to K-12 educators within the United States and territories.  

CYBER.ORG 8-hour asynchronous training opportunities:

CYBER.ORG website 

 

Code.org

Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education. The leading provider of K-12 computer science curriculum in the largest school districts in the United States, Code.org also created the annual Hour of Code campaign, which has engaged more than 15% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by generous donors including Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, the Infosys Foundation, Google and many more. 

Code.org CS Fundamentals (K-5)

Designed to be fun and engaging, Code.org’s progression of Computer Science Fundamentals courses blend online and “unplugged” non-computer activities to teach students computational thinking, problem solving, programming concepts and digital citizenship. 

 

Code.org CS Discoveries (6-10)

Computer Science Discoveries is an introductory course for 6 – 10th grade students that can be flexibly taught as a single semester, two semesters over multiple years, or as a full year course. Mapped to CSTA standards, the course takes a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as problem solving, programming, physical computing, user-centered design, and data, while inspiring students as they build their own websites, apps, games, and physical computing devices. 

 

Code.org CS Principles (9 –12) 

Designed for 9 – 12 grade students, CS Principles introduces students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. This year-long course can be taught as an introductory course and as an AP course – no prerequisites required for students or teachers new to computer science! CS Principles complements CS Discoveries with a deeper focus on concepts such as how the internet works and the societal impacts of computer science. 

 

Hour of Code

The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event or try any of the over 500+ one-hour tutorials, available in over 45 languages. 

Minecraft Education

Minecraft Education is a game- based learning platform that builds STEM skills, unleashes creativity and engages students in collaboration and problem-solving. Minecraft helps educators meet students where they are and inspires deep, meaningful learning across subjects.  

Training opportunities:

Minecraft Education – K-12 curricula

Computer Science in Minecraft – K-12 curricula

 

Indigenous Resouces 

North Dakota is rich in Native American history. The following resources have been curated by EduTech to help bring them directly to educators and students. You will see resources offered at the state and national levels, along with scholarships opportunities and STEM Heroes. You can view these by selecting the title above.  

ND Citizens for All

Designed for learner success, Skills for All provides free, quality, self-paced online learning aligned to industry jobs and connects learners to in-demand entry-level IT jobs, industry certifications, and valuable career resources. Skills for All from Cisco Networking Academy gives learners everywhere — from all backgrounds and experiences — a pathway to a career in technology.

    Codeillusion

    Disney Codeillusion is an official collaboration between Life is Tech! and Disney. With over 10 years of experience in the coding education field and educating over 50,000 students via face-to-face and online instruction, Life is Tech! created Disney Codeillusion. The program centers around a proprietary self-propelled learning cycle that helps each student nurture and maximize their unique potential through coding.   

    Competitions 

    Cyber Start America

    CyberStart America invites you to play a free, self-paced game built by world leaders in cybersecurity education. Players advance through challenges in the role of a cybersecurity agent investigating cyber gangs. The game includes video demos and tips, enabling students to play, learn, and succeed on their own. 

    Plus, learning with CyberStart means no textbooks or lectures! Advance your skills in topics like password security, network forensics and steganography with fun challenges and simulations.  

    Complete as many challenges as you can in CyberStart and you may qualify for scholarship opportunities offered by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation! Build a portfolio of skills, badges and certifications recognized and desired by employers so you can secure your dream role 

    Cyber Patriot

    CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future. At the core of the program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, the nation’s largest cyber defense competition that puts high school and middle school students in charge of securing virtual networks. Other programs include AFA CyberCamps, an elementary school cyber education initiative, a children’s literature series, CyberGenerations –a senior citizen cyber safety initiative, and a Tech Caregivers program designed to encourage cyber-savvy volunteers to give back to their communities. 

    ND Cyber Madness

    The ND Cyber Madness high school tournament is a friendly competition to get students involved in cybersecurity. With almost a zero percent unemployment rate, jobs in cybersecurity are promising for ND students. 

    VEX Robotics Competition  

    All students are natural scientists and engineers. They love to question, tinker, experiment and play. VEX competitions foster these skills and capitalize on the motivational effects of competitions and robotics to help all students create an identity as a STEM learner. VEX competitions are also a great way to expose students to valuable soft skills like communication, collaboration and time-management in a fun and authentic way. The VEX Robotics competition prepares students to become future innovators with 95% of participants reporting an increased interest in STEM subject areas and pursuing STEM-related careers. Tournaments are held year-round at the regional, state, and national levels and culminate at the VEX Robotics World Championship each April! 

    Professional Development 

    IgniteND

    IgniteND is an exciting conference focused on innovative education and inspiring a love of life-long learning. This three (3) day conference is an opportunity for educators and industry, parents and policymakers, to engage on 21st century education topics – including computer science and cybersecurity as foundational for success in a global, digital economy. 

    CSTA Annual Conference

    As a computer science teacher, you are often the only one in your building, or maybe even in your district. There is a whole community of computer science educators just like you out there. 

    CSTA Scholarship

    CSTA is pleased to offer scholarships to support teachers who could not otherwise attend the CSTA Conference due to funding limitations. Thanks to the generous support of our partners, we are able to offer financial support to cover: 

    • Conference registration fee 
    • Three nights in a hotel, and/or 
    • Airfare, train, or mileage reimbursement (up to $500)  

    To be eligible for scholarships, applicants must: 

    • Be a PK-12 teacher who teaches or integrates CS 
    • Be a member of CSTA Not a member? Join for free at csteachers.org/join 
    • Require financial assistance to attend the conference 

    CyberEducation and STEM

    Workshops and engagements related to STEM, cybereducation, and cybersecurity. 

    Tech Literacy

    Workshops and engagements to enhance technology literacy and basic usage.  

    These workshops are mostly provided to schools on site and customized to meet the school’s needs.  

    We do offer a few classes through EduTech in an online environment: Virtual Experiences, Office 365 Mobile Apps, and Digital Citizenship.  

    We also encourage teachers to visit the Microsoft Educator Center. They offer courses on Microsoft products to help utilize these tools in the classroom. There are many Learning Paths teachers can explore. 

    NDATL

    NDATL – North Dakota Association of Technology Leaders – is committed to the improvement of education through the use of technology. 

    With membership totaling over 250 and conference attendance over 200, we invite you to join us as we push the boundaries of education by harnessing the power of technology to advance learning and teaching! 

    ND Dept. Of Instruction 

    Computer Science and Cybersecurity Standards 

    The North Dakota Computer Science and Cybersecurity Content Standards provide all students with a quality K–12 equal-opportunity education in computer science and cybersecurity. The Computer Science and Cybersecurity Content Standards will be fundamental in the achievement of 21st Century Skills. 

    Computer Science and Cybersecurity Credential 

    By 2025, all PK-12 students in North Dakota will have the opportunity to obtain a foundational understanding of Computer Science and Cybersecurity (CSC) fundamentals based on set of CSC standards offered by qualified teachers by direct course work and the integration of CSC fundamentals into other aspects of curriculum. 

    ND Career and Technical Education 

    Computer Science and Cybersecurity endorsement 

    Organizations 

    NCWIT

    The National Center for Women & Information Technology is a 501 nonprofit organization that works to increase the meaningful participation of girls and women in computing. 

    Girls Who Code

    Girls Who Code is an organization that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to our mission. Girls Who Code welcomes into our community and programs anyone who identifies as female regardless of assignment at birth. Our programs also welcome people who identify as non-binary or gender nonconforming and want to be in a female-identified environment. 

    uCode Girl

    uCodeGirl is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization designed to inspire, engage, and equip young girls in the Fargo-Moorhead community with leadership traits, computational thinking skills, and entrepreneurial mindsets. uCodeGirl strives to bridge the gender gap in technology so that young girls can confidently pursue 21st century opportunities. 

    uCodeGirl strives to bridge the gender gap in technology so that young girls can confidently pursue 21st century opportunities.   

    By building confidence, enhancing skills, and tapping into curiosity, uCodeGirl helps young girls chart pathways to technology careers.  With various age-appropriate enrichment programs and STEM mentorship initiatives, uCodeGirl makes technology learning accessible, relevant and fun for girls ages 10 to 18.   

    Microsoft TEALS Program

    Technology Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS) is a Microsoft Philanthropies program that builds sustainable CS programs in high schools. We focus on serving students excluded from learning CS because of race, gender, or geography. TEALS helps teachers learn to teach CS by pairing them with industry volunteers and proven curricula. 

    FREE (No Cost) Resources 

    Code.org – Unplugged activities

    Unplugged lessons are particularly useful for building and maintaining a collaborative classroom environment, and they are useful touchstone experiences you can refer to when introducing more abstract concepts. Each of these activities can either be used alone or with other computer science lessons on related concepts. 

    CS Unplugged

    CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around. We originally developed this so that young students could dive head-first into Computer Science, experiencing the kinds of questions and challenges that computer scientists experience, but without having to learn programming first. 

    Hello Ruby

    Hello Ruby is the world’s most whimsical way to learn about computers, technology and programming. The story started with a book, and now Ruby continues her adventures in exercises, activities and videos. It’s suited for kids age 5 years and older (but even adults might learn something new). 

    MakeCode 

    Microsoft MakeCode is a free, open source platform for creating engaging computer science learning experiences that support a progression path into real-world programming. 

    Minecraft Education Edition

     Minecraft: Education Edition is a game- based learning platform that builds STEM skills, unleashes creativity and engages students in collaboration and problem-solving. Minecraft helps educators meet students where they are and inspires deep, meaningful learning across subjects. 

    Ozobot

    Together with thousands of educators, Ozobot has redefined the role of robotics in school–going from STEM labs and supplemental programs to increasing engagement across all grades and subjects, including Math, English Language Arts, and more. Ozobot puts the A in STEAM with 2 Ways to Code–on screens with blocks and screen-free with colors–because STEM skills alone won’t prepare students for the jobs of the future. The company’s mission is to give all children the opportunity to go from consuming to creating with technology. For more information on Ozobot, please visit ozobot.com. 

    Python

    Python is an interpreted high-level general-purpose programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability with its use of significant indentation. Its language constructs as well as its object-oriented approach aim to help programmers write clear, logical code for small and large-scale projects. 

    Scratch

    Scratch is a high-level block-based visual programming language and website targeted primarily at children 8–16 as an educational tool for programming. Users on the site, called Scratchers, can create projects on the website using a block-like interface. 

    Scratch Jr

    ScratchJr is a visual programming language designed to introduce programming skills to children ages 5–7. By creating projects in ScratchJr, young children can learn to think creatively and reason systematically, despite not being able to read. It is available as a free app for iOS, Android and Chromebook. 

    Sphero EDU

    Sphero is transforming K-12 education with accessible tools that encourage exploration, imagination, and perseverance through STEAM and computer science. With the help of educators around the world, we are empowering learners of all backgrounds and abilities to discover their interests and passions while equipping them with the skills they need to be the world’s future Changemakers.