Happy New (School) Year! We hope everyone had a rejuvenating summer, hopefully full of rest and maybe even a little learning. We wanted to share a quick update of what NICERC has coming up this fall, including some new/updated curriculum offerings, some cybersecurity initiatives and professional development opportunities.

Our brand new Cybersecurity Fundamentals curriculum is in the final stages of editing and testing and will be available to pilot by the end of the month. This is designed to be a high-school level course utilizing the NICERC Cyber Range to teach the basics of protecting internet-connected systems from passive vulnerabilities and cyber attacks in a safe, virtual learning environment. If you’re interested in piloting this course in your classroom, let us know.

Our A+ Certification Prep curriculum will be updated to the new 220-1001 & 220-1002 standards, just released this year. It’s designed to be a full-year course for high school students interested in a career in Information Technologies and should prepare them to take the CompTIA Core 1 and Core 2 exams. Similar to the 900 series, the course supplies hands-on activities and guided research for students to go along with test-prep books designed specifically for the new exams. For more information and to request access to the course, visit our website.

Every October, government and industry collaborate for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) to spread awareness about the resources available to every American for staying safe and secure online and increasing the resilience of the nation against cyber threats. This year’s theme is: Own it. Secure it. Protect it. The NCSAM is co-led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). For more information and to learn how you can get involved, go here.

We’ll lead a free professional development workshop for middle and high school teachers in Las Vegas Nevada on October 5th. The morning will focus on applying the four pillars of computational thinking to any classroom through unplugged activities that meet core standards. The afternoon will utilize the Raspberry Pi platform to explore the four major themes of computer science (algorithms, computer programming, data structures, and computer architecture). To sign up, visit our Eventbrite.

Next up, we’re offering a two-day, free PD session for high school teachers focusing on Cyber Literacy at Davis Hall on Radford University’s campus. This will utilize the Parallax Shield-Bot with Arduino platform to introduce the opportunities, threats, responsibilities, and legal constraints associated with operating in cyberspace. Participants will explore technical concepts related to robotics, networking, and security, while making connections to ethical issues that arise in the digital world, ultimately offering ways to incorporate new cyber-related projects and strategies into the classroom. For more information and to sign up, visit our Eventbrite page.

Last up we’ve got a two-day, PD in Massachusetts with a little something for everyone. Day 1 is a Cyber Literacy with cyber:bot, which is a micro:bit-controlled robot designed to make cyber projects even more approachable in the classroom. This is designed for teachers of grades 9 – 12. Day 2 is for grades 3 – 8 and uses the micro:bit on its own for STEM EDA and STEAM Fundamentals projects. By connecting projects that engage students in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics with humanities and cyber contexts, teachers have the opportunity to help their students develop 21st century skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership, creativity, and communication – all while integrating the micro:bit and coding. To register,

Day 2 is for grades 3 – 8 and uses the micro:bit on it’s own for STEM EDA and STEAM Fundamentals projects. By connecting projects that engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics with humanities and cyber contexts, teachers have the opportunity to help their students develop 21st century skills like problem-solving, ciritical thinking, leadership, creativity, and communication. All while integrating the micro:bit and coding. To register, go to our Eventbrite!

It’s going to be an exciting fall and we’re looking forward to pumpkin everything, sweaters, scarves, and lots of and lots of cyber!