The Covid omicron outbreak has proven to be a blessing in disguise for 2022’s CS4HS workshop, which takes place online on Thursday 10 February, as it will now be able to host even more teachers from throughout New Zealand.
CS4HS – now known as the Google Educator Conference – provides free professional development workshops exploring computer science for primary and secondary school teachers.
The event, hosted by AUT, is hugely popular with digital technology teachers in both primary and secondary education and provides a valuable place for professional development, networking and skill sharing.
Senior Lecturer Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh, who has been organising CS4HS events in Aotearoa New Zealand for 10 years, says the covid pandemic has proven to all of us how technology is a crucial part of our lives.
“We are all relying on technology more than even before, to connect with family and friends, to carry out our jobs, to shop and of course to keep track of the progress of pandemic. There is no question that technology is a hugely important part of all our lives, and our high school computer science teachers are the coal face, capturing the interest of students and encouraging them to pursue computer science.
“CS4HS has always been hugely popular with those teachers – so much so that we always sell out – so this year we are hosting the session online. This not only allows us to keep everyone safe in the face of Omicron, but allows us to extend this valuable professional development opportunity to even more people. I encourage anyone with an interest in computer science and teaching to sign up.”
CS4HS 2022 includes a range of practical workshops that will equip teachers with lesson plans and activities they can put to use straight away in the classroom.