Chapter 16: From Clock-Based to Competency-Based: How Micro-Credentials Can Transform Professional Development

As the Computer Science (CS) for All initiative transitions from vision to reality, it is becoming increasingly important to prepare and support high-quality CS teachers. Pathways into CS are as diverse as the teachers who teach it. Some enter the classroom with formal degrees in CS, whereas others are recruited from other subjects (such as mathematics and science) to teach stand alone CS courses. At the elementary and middle school levels, teachers often venture into CS as a way to integrate computational thinking with more traditional content areas. The rise in popularity for CS education comes at the same time that personalized learning for students is growing in popularity. But what about teachers? Micro-credentials present one option for shifting from clock-based to competency-based professional development, allowing teachers to more easily prepare to teach CS based on their unique needs and interests. In this chapter, we describe how micro-credentials can serve as a professional development model, which values teacher practice, focuses on active learning, and ensures continuous improvement, while also exploring the local and state policy implications for implementing them.