Learn to Teach CSC

About

The Division of Computer Science and Engineering is excited to partner with the LSU School of Education to offer a new second discipline concentration for computer science majors – Computer Science and Second Discipline: Education. The five education courses in this concentration prepare students to teach computer science at the high school level. A new CSC Teaching Methods course, EDUC 2000/CSC 2700 was developed for this program. Along with the new SD concentration, LSU has created a Post-Baccalaureate Computer Science Teacher Certification Program. It is available to any LSU student, CSC or non-CSC, who graduates with at least 30 credit hours of computer science and completes the five courses that make up the SD concentration. Scholarships are available for students who decide to pursue the certification program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Eligibility

Computer Science and a Second Discipline: Education

The CSC & SD: Education concentration is available to computer science students. It is recommended that students begin this concentration in their junior year.

Post-Baccalaureate Computer Science Teacher Certification Program

The post-baccalaureate computer science teacher certification program is available to:

• CSC majors who choose the CSC & SD: Education
• Any LSU student who takes 30 credit hours of CSC and the five education courses that comprise the CSC & SD: Education. For example, a CSC minor with 21 CSC credit hours needs as little as two more CSC courses to qualify.

EDUC 2000/CSC 2700: Computer Science Teaching Methods

The EDUC 2000/CSC 2700 course is available to computer science students completing a concentration in education, students completing the teacher certification program, and students who are interested in the course.

Quick Links

• Apply for the SEED Scholarship
• Register for EDUC 2000/CSC 2700 (Permission only)
• Plan of Study
• SEED Contract
• Frequently Asked Questions

Contact

SEED Coordinator:
Sharon Besson
sbesson@lsu.edu

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Computer Science and a Second Discipline: Education

Courses

The Division of Computer Science & Engineering is offering a new pre-approved track for CS majors: Computer Science and a Second Discipline: Education

The five courses in this track will prepare CS students to teach at the high school level. Each course is 3 credit hours.

EDUC 2000/CSC 2700: Computer Science Methods

The CSC Methods course is a pilot course specifically created to support the SEED grant and its goal of recruiting students to teach high school computer science. However, this course can also be taken by LSU students who do not necessarily want to become high school teachers but are interested in CS pedagogy for other purposes such as corporate training or online class development

EDUC 2000 is cross-listed with CSC 2700. Computer science majors must register for EDUC 2000, and all other majors should register for CSC 2700.

This course provides an overview of the current state of computer science secondary education in Louisiana and the U.S, and it surveys the various curricula being developed by non-profit organizations and educational programs throughout the country. Then it focuses on the curriculum that is currently being taught at several Louisiana high schools. Developed at LSU’s Cain Center, the curriculum uses fun and creative activities to explore the “Seven Big Ideas" of computational thinking (e.g. Creativity, Abstraction, Data and Information, and Programming). LSU students will learn to teach these principles via an educational version of the Haskell programming language. Many of the programming activities use familiar mathematical principles to creating graphical images and manipulate geometric objects around a coordinate plane. Other activities cover more programming concepts such as data and text manipulation.

Besides the CS-specific curriculum, the course covers how to plan lessons, and students visit a nearby high school to observe computer science teachers in action. The course culminates with a final project. Students who are interested in high school teaching will visit and teach a lesson to a high school class using the pedagogical techniques that they have developed during the semester. Students interested in other types of teaching will develop a lesson appropriate to their interest.

Registration for this course is by permission only.

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CS Teacher Certification

About

LSU is offering a post baccalaureate Practitioner Teacher Program for computer science teachers to obtain certification. It consists of teaching full time, with full pay, for one school year (9 months) following graduation. During this supervised teaching year, the participant must be registered for 3 credit hours of EDIC 4006 in both the fall and spring at LSU. At the end of the year, the participant receives teacher certification.

Requirements

This program is available to LSU students who have:

• completed 30 hours of computer science
• completed the five courses of the Computer Science and a Second Discipline Concentration: Education
• passed the Praxis ® Tests necessary to teach high school computer science in Louisiana (see below)
  maintained an overall 2.5 GPA

Praxis Tests® for Teacher Certification

There are two mandatory Praxis Tests for teachers in Louisiana, plus an additional recommended test:

• Praxis 5751: Core Academic Skills for Educators: Combined Test. Note, this test is NOT needed if your ACT® composite score is at least 22 or SAT® combined verbal/critical reading and math score is at least 1030.
• Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT): Grades 7–12 (5624)
• In addition to these two mandatory tests, students are strongly encouraged to pass a Praxis Content exam in one additional content area such as math or one of the sciences

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SEED Scholarship

About

With support from the U.S. Department of Education, for a limited time LSU is pleased to offer scholarship opportunities for LSU students who are interested in teaching computer science. The scholarship is geared towards LSU CS Majors who are about to start their junior year.

Requirements

• A minimum overall GPA of 2.5 throughout the undergraduate program
• A commitment to completing at least 30 hours of computer science as well as the five courses in the Computer Science and a Second Discipline concentration.
• A citizen, national, or legal resident of the United States or DACA status

Benefits

• $7,000, to be paid to recipients in equal installments through the remainder of their undergraduate degree. For example, a student with four semesters left before graduation will receive $1,750/semester for four semesters.
• $120 registration + $20 test prep materials to take the Praxis content exam in Mathematics (5161), Biology (5235), Chemistry (5245), or Physics (5265) (or other content areas). Please register online to avoid additional registration fees.
• $146 registration + $20 test prep material take the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT): Grades 7–12 (5624)
• If needed, $150 registration for the Praxis 5751: Core Academic Skills for Educators: Combined Test (Reading, Writing and Mathematics) – students with an ACT® composite score of 22 or an SAT® combined verbal/critical reading and math score of 1030 are exempted from this requirement
• Guaranteed school placement in the greater Baton Rouge area during the 9-month post baccalaureate program with full salary. (Candidates must register in EDCI 4006 Student
• Teaching for 3 credit during the fall and spring semesters of this post baccalaureate year and are responsible for paying LSU tuition and fees.)
  Students who do not pass the Praxis content exam on their first try will receive $120 to take the test one additional time.

Students who receive the financial package will be required to sign a Plan of Study and SEED Contract that commits them to repaying all funds received if they do not successfully complete: their CSC degree and Second Discipline: Education concentration with a minimum 2.5 GPA; the Praxis content exam, Praxis PLT exam, (and Praxis Core, if needed); and the post baccalaureate 1-year paid internship.

Apply for SEED Scholarship

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Frequently Asked Questions

SEED Scholarship

Who is eligible for the SEED Scholarship?

LSU students who:

• will have at least 30 credit hours of computer science before they graduate (this includes CSC majors, but also any other students who plan to take a lot of computer science)
• have completed CSC 3102 and CSC 2259
• will have at least 1.5 years left before they graduate, starting in the Fall semester
• have an overall GPA of 2.5

How much is the scholarship and how many scholarship awards are available?

The scholarship is for $7,000, as well as reimbursed expenses for taking Praxis tests (a total of from $300 to $600). Also, depending on availability, there may be up to $1,500 to help defray costs toward taking a CS Advance Placement training course. We expect to have about 8 scholarships available for 2021-2022 academic year.

How and when do I receive the scholarship money?

The $7,000 is paid to recipients in equal installments through the remainder of the student’s undergraduate degree. For example, a student with four semesters left before graduation will receive $1,750/semester for four semesters. Payments will begin in the semester after completing EDUC 2000 and will be posted each semester to the student’s Bursar Office account. A payment will apply to any outstanding debt before any balance is either direct-deposited to the student’s bank account or a check is generated and mailed to the student. Praxis test expenses will be reimbursed when they are taken.

What happens if I get the scholarship, and I don’t graduate, or I don’t do the year of teaching?

Students who receive the financial package will be required to sign a contract that commits them to repaying all scholarship funds received if they do not successfully complete: their degree and Second Discipline: Education concentration with a minimum 2.5 GPA; the Praxis content exam, Praxis PLT exam, (and Praxis Core, if needed); and the post baccalaureate year of teaching.

What happens if I get the scholarship, and I change majors, or take longer to graduate than I planned?

Students will fill out a Plan of Study that shows when they plan to graduate, take the concentration courses, and take the Praxis tests. Depending on how your plans change, you may be able to update your Plan of Study and fulfill your commitments. Otherwise, you must pay back any money received

How do I apply for the scholarship, and when do I start if I am accepted?

Apply for the SEED Scholarship. Should you be accepted, you will be registered in the Fall for EDUC 2000. You may also want to register for EDCI 2500.

Computer Science and a Second Discipline Concentration: Education

Will choosing the Compute Science and a Second Discipline Concentration: Education delay my graduation?

No. All CS majors must choose a concentration. The Second Discipline Concentration is simply one of the choices for a concentration.

Who is eligible to do the Compute Science and a Second Discipline Concentration : Education?

Any LSU CS major is eligible to take the concentration. Most CS majors choose their concentration towards the end of their sophomore year. The 15 hours of the concentration are usually taken over a period 1.5 years. Other majors may also take the five courses in the concentration; it is for students who will have at least 30 hours of computer science upon graduation.

How do I register for the concentration?

Either by applying for the SEED scholarship or by registering for EDUC 2000.

Can I do the concentration even if I don’t have the scholarship?

Yes.

EDUC 2000 and CSC 2700

What is the difference between EDUC 2000 and CSC 2700?

EDUC 2000 and CSC 2700 are the same cross-listed course. CS majors may not take CSC 2700; they must take EDUC 2000, which will count either toward their concentration or as an approved elective. All other majors should take CSC 2700.

How do I register for EDUC 2000/CSC 2700?

Register for EDUC 2000/CSC 2700