Education is a lifelong endeavor, as exemplified by a partnership between Louisiana Tech’s Science and Technology Education Center and CYBER.ORG hat allows individuals to jump ahead with a cyber education certificate program being offered this fall.

The program will prepare educators to teach cyber confidently and computer science content in their classrooms. Teachers who complete the year-long program will not only be ideal candidates to become STEM and cyber leaders at their schools, but they also will be able to connect students with the cyber careers of tomorrow through 21st Century learning techniques.

“This program has been designed to benefit classroom teachers looking to include more conversations about cyber into their curriculum,” said Chuck Gardner, director of curriculum at CYBER.ORG. “This program will also benefit the experienced robotics, computer science, or cyber teacher as it will also present thoughts on including conversational lessons on cyber into their classrooms. It will also benefit counselors and administrators as it can help them begin to understand the capabilities and opportunities of a 21st century STEM and cyber classroom.”

The program is entirely online and includes classes such as Cyber Literacy, Computer Science Principles, and Project and Problem-Based Instruction.

“There are no prerequisites to this program,” Gardner said. “Teachers, counselors and administrators across the K-12 spectrum are encouraged to consider participating. Areas of study will include project-based and problem-based learning styles, the interactions of STEM and cyber with the humanities and liberal arts, and robotics. Participants will be encouraged to consider all curriculums that they come into contact with, not just CYBER.ORG curriculum.”

Gardner added that throughout each of the courses, instructors will work to encourage all participants to explore a variety of technological opportunities.

“During the last cohort, for example, the last two courses included various conversations that were hosted on the Discord digital distribution platform,” Gardner said. “As we are faced with what might be the biggest change to the modern classroom since standardized testing, Louisiana Tech, CYBER.ORG and all of our partners are considering a variety of methods to engage students in the classroom. We want participants to share thoughts and ideas as well as take some time to try out things that they may not otherwise have an opportunity to try.”

While cohorts kick off each quarter, with the first one beginning this fall, interested participants should request information as soon as possible, as it is a yearlong program in total.

“For the students of Louisiana and the nation to be successful, we must provide opportunities for teachers to learn essential 21st-century content and the methods to instruct that content effectively,” said Don Schillinger, dean of the College of Education. “This cyber education certificate program is an excellent example of that type of opportunity. I am grateful to CYBER.ORG and the faculty and leadership at Louisiana Tech for developing and making this innovative and impactful program available to deserving teachers.

Interested students can also qualify for scholarships. For more information about the program, email erikaj@latech.edu.