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Putting Our Heads Together for Computer Science
Don't Miss Our Next Meeting: Thursday, November 1
The Computer Science Education Working Group met for the first time last Thursday, October 4, at SMCOE. With the goal of building a community of teachers, administrators, researchers, parents, and students, we discussed the pressing issues of #CSforAll — including curriculum, teacher training, and equity.
 
Join us for our next meeting at SMCOE on November 1 or contact Maker Education & Computer Science Coordinator Emily Thomforde for more information.
You may also be interested in our Computer Science Education Reading Group, which meets on Thursdays from 5 – 6 PM at Cafe La Tartine in Downtown Redwood City. Sign up and learn more here!
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SMCOE is looking for a highly qualified candidate to step into an important role here at the SMCOE STEAM Center. The Coordinator for Innovative Learning and Technology Integration serves as a key developer and facilitator of in-person, blended and online professional learning for educators in San Mateo County, and is an expert in effectively leveraging technology in the classroom and in instructional design.
Learn more about this full-time position and apply here!
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@ SMCOE & The STEAM Center
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Deadline to Apply: Friday, November 30
San Mateo County Office of Education
Is your school planning to build a Makerspace or develop an existing one? There is still time to apply to be part of the second round of Making Spaces! We meet monthly to support your Maker journey, with resources including:
- Professional Learning
- Budgeting and Purchasing
- Fundraising
- Content Integration
- Sustainability Planning
Join a community of people sharing the same challenges! Apply here.
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Kickoff Meeting: Thursday, November 1 | 12:30 – 3:00 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
Join us for a community of practice to support Reading & Language Arts. We will convene to discuss the needs and challenges of our work and network as a group to share ideas, best practices, and success stories.
Sign up for the Community of Practice Network here!
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Tuesday, November 6 | 8:30 AM – 12 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
TK–12 educators: Join us as we become familiar with the CDE English Learner Roadmap Policy and its principles. Deepen your understanding of how the EL Roadmap Policy connects to your Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), and assess your classroom, site or district's current progress in enacting Roadmap Principles.
This session is intended for classroom teachers, coaches, teachers on special assignment, and site administrators who play a role in supporting high-quality education for English learners at the classroom, school and district levels.
Sign up now!
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Wednesday, November 7 | 4 – 5:30 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
Teachers, site & district leaders, and instructional coaches: Join us for a quick overview of the new History-Social Studies Framework (H-SS). This session is perfect for teachers or administrators who have not reviewed the shifts of the new framework and just want a brief overview of the shifts in instruction and added content for K-12.
In addition to our November 7 meeting, training can also be done at your district or school. Please contact English Language Arts & History/Social Studies Coordinator Gwenn Lei to discuss.
Sign up for the November 7 session today!
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Friday, November 9 | 9 AM – 3 PM
San Mateo County Office of Edcuation
You are invited to participate in the pilot cohort of Project Solutionaries — SMCOE’s Civics Education Initiative in partnership with UC Berkeley’s History-Social Studies Project. This group will develop History-Social Studies Framework-aligned instructional materials and exemplar projects to help teachers promote student civic education and engagement that is firmly rooted in course curriculum and systematically builds student foundational and analytical skills.
K-12 teachers will collaborate in the design, review, and revision of inquiry-based units that lead to PBL service-learning projects, resulting in authentic advocacy and action within the local, national, or global community. We will be seeking funding for stipends; however, we cannot guarantee a stipend at this time.
Sign up and find out more about the pilot cohort here!
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Thursday, November 15 | 8:30 AM – 4 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. Characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, dyslexia impacts early reading acquisition and ongoing reading proficiency.
Join us for a review of the California Dyslexia Guidelines and the implications for earlier detection, early intervention, and the implementation of proper supports for students with dyslexia. Discussion will include recent dyslexia research, effects on reading and learning, and steps parents can take to support their children as they learn to read.
Sign up for the Dyslexia Summit here.
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Friday, November 16 | 8:30 AM – 12 PM
Teams of TK–12 Educators: Connect ELPAC task types to classroom instruction and discuss high-leverage strategies for advancing students' English proficiency in Designated and Integrated ELD settings.
This session is for classroom teachers, coaches, teachers on special assignment, and site administrators who play a role in supporting high-quality education for English learners in the classroom.
Please note: This is NOT an administration and scoring training.
Sign up here!
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Kickoff Meeting: Friday, January 11, 2019 | 1 – 3 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
TOSA’s, coaches, instructional leaders and department chairs: Join us for a community of practice to support History-Social Studies. We will convene to discuss the needs and challenges of our work, implementation of the new framework, curriculum, and best practices. Network with other leaders in the content-area to share ideas and success stories.
Sign up for the History-Social Studies Community of Practice here!
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January 14 & 15, 2019 | 10 AM – 6 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
SMCOE is excited to announce our upcoming Science Curriculum Fair on Monday, January 14 (for Grades K–5) and Tuesday, January 15 (for Grades 6–8). During this two-day event we invite teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators from our 23 school districts to peruse the instructional materials and resources offered by various publishing companies, as well as speak with representatives who will be able to answer your questions regarding their programs.
Vendors at the event will be representing only those companies that have been approved for the California State Science Materials Adoption List. We will also host 45-minute breakout sessions for vendors to go into further detail about their offerings. Coffee and lunch will be served.
Districts are invited to send teams of up to five (5) individuals. Sign up here!
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Monday, February 11, 2019
San Mateo County Office of Education
 Mark your calendar to join us at SMCOE's second annual Schools for a Sustainable Future Conference! This conference equips educators with the knowledge, skills, and values needed for moving this work forward across a school’s Campus and Operations, Curriculum and Instruction, and Community and Culture. It also creates the space for networking, problem solving, and exchanging innovative solutions that are driving environmental and social transformation across school communities.
Click here for more information and to register (registration opening October 2018).
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Interested in working with SMCOE to create a strategic plan for the Arts?
We are currently assembling a cross-sector team to collaboratively create a dynamic Arts Plan for San Mateo County Office of Education.
Contact Michelle Holdt, SMCOE VAPA Coordinator, to let her know of your interest and she will be back in touch with meeting dates.
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Do you need more art in your life? SMCOE is excited to connect you with our Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, Michelle Holdt, who leads professional development workshops on Arts Integration 101, "The Art of Self Care," and many more!
Contact VAPA Coordinator Michelle Holdt by email or at 650-802-5335 for more info.
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Drop in for Maker Mondays!
Every Monday | 3 – 5 PM
San Mateo County Office of Education
 Maker Mondays are back! Drop by the SMCOE STEAM Center every Monday between 3:00 and 5:00 PM and join our community of learners for an afternoon of making. Bring your own project idea or participate in our featured activity. Available equipment includes a sewing machine, CNC router, laser cutter, 3D printers, paper circuits, and much more!
Sign up for our Maker Monday email list to receive updates on each week's featured activity.
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Regional Opportunities & Events
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Next Meeting: Monday, November 5 | 4:15 – 5:45 PM
Location: Palos Verdes School | San Bruno, CA
Please send at least one representative from your district.
San Mateo County math leaders, teachers, and administrators: Come to this session and collaborate with your partner districts examining local data and math pathways. Each district will be provided with data packets specific to their districts and partner districts. Secondary Math Leaders/Teachers strongly encouraged to attend!
Guest speaker: Amy Burke is the Teacher on Special Assignment supporting high school mathematics in the San Lorenzo Unified School District. Amy will provide an overview of how two local school districts began the process of examining their math course sequence pathways and used data to make informed decisions to provide increasingly equitable pathways for all students.
Location: Auditorium, Palos Verdes School (co-located with El Portal School)
1290 Commodore Drive West
San Bruno, CA 94066
Sign up for the November 5 meeting here!
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October 15 & 16
Montvalo Arts Center | San Jose, CA
CreateCA and the Santa Clara County Office of Education are pleased to co-present the 2018 annual statewide createCA Convening. This two-day event will bring together district and school teacher leaders, administrators, school board members, arts organizations, and community leaders.
Participants will:
- Participate in the launch and receive a toolkit for the statewide Public Will Campaign for arts education
- Co-design future statewide arts education strategies
- Gain knowledge of new developments in the field & new collaborative opportunities
- Engage in leadership professional development around equity and advocacy
Register for this exciting event at www.createCA.net.
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Next Workshop: Saturday, October 13 | 9 AM – 3 PM
Code For Fun@42 Silicon Valley (computer programming school) | 6600 Dumbarton Circle | Fremont, CA
Free computer science PD for K–8 teachers — no experience necessary!
K–2 teachers: Intro to Computers! 11/3
3–5 teachers: Fun with Scratch! 10/13 and 11/10
6–8 teachers: Game Design! 10/20 and 11/17
Free lunch is provided. Learn more and sign up here!
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Deadline to Apply: Tuesday, November 27
The U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition award honors schools, school districts, and institutes of higher education for excellence in resource efficiency, health and wellness, and environmental and sustainability education. California K–12 public and private schools, early learning centers, and school districts are eligible to seek ED-GRS nomination from the California Department of Education (CDE). Applicants who can demonstrate achievement and earn points in pillar categories are recognized in one of four tiered levels:
- Bronze Level (Entry-Level Commitment): 55-64%
- Silver Level (Mid Integration): 65-74%
- Gold Level (Full Integration): 75% or better
- Green Achiever: Exemplary Achievement with Full Integration
Applications are due Tuesday, November 27. Submit yours now!
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An astronaut crash lands on a planet. Some of the planet's inhabitants have two legs, and some of them have three legs. There are twice as many two-legged inhabitants as three-legged inhabitants, and their combined total of legs is 420.
How many aliens are there on the planet?
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There is only one "alien" on the planet–the astronaut!
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We envision a world filled with passionate learners who are empathic problem-solvers, adept risk-takers, and confident creatives.
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What We Do
We collaboratively design and facilitate
learner-centered experiences that nurture
innate human curiosity.
We catalyze innovative, research-validated educational strategies to support student success.
We build educator capacity through a range of professional learning opportunities.
We connect
schools, networks, communities, industries and government to create synergy and support innovation.
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Science & Engineering
Mathematics
Visual & Performing Arts (VAPA)
Environmental Literacy
Maker Education & Computer Science
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English Language Arts & History/Social Studies
English Learner Services
Administrative Support
Administrative Support
Media Services
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The San Mateo County Office of Education STEM Center wishes to acknowledge the Oracle Foundation for its foundational support of our launch and continued funding for computer science professional learning for local educators.
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