Week 1: Getting Started

Work through the Week 1 learning materials in order. These are designed to move from big-picture program logistics into the core CS concept for the week: representation of information.

• Topic 1a - Understanding the Program and this Course
  Get an overview of the CSED program structure, how this course works, and what to expect in terms of workload, feedback, and assessments.
• Topic 1b - Binary and Representing Integers
  Learn how computers use binary (0s and 1s) to represent whole numbers, and practice reading and writing small binary values.
• Topic 1c - Binary Fractions
  Extend the idea of binary representation to fractions. Explore how computers approximate values like 0.1 and what that means in real systems.
• Topic 1d - Storage Beyond Numbers
  See how text, images, and other data types are ultimately stored using bits. Connect this to file sizes, storage limits, and common classroom examples.

Once you have spent some time engaging with explicit CS content it is helpful to rethink this content through several different "lenses."

• Social and Ethical Considerations
  Consider how data representation and storage intersect with privacy, equity, and access.
• Teaching and Learning Perspectives
  Reflect on how these CS concepts will take shape in your classroom, what students may find challenging, and what instructional strategies will best support their learning.

You'll meet with your small group to make sense of the week and to prepare for the Competency Demo.

Full directions and prompts for this week's small group discussion are on a separate page:

Week 1 Small Group Discussion Instructions