Alaska Staff Development Network

Working Together To Make Schools Better

School Year Conferences and Institutes

School Year Conferences and Institutes

Multicultural Studies for Alaska’s Teachers with Dr. Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields

New Teachers and Teachers New to Alaska
Meet your Multicultural Studies Requirement

  • This 3-credit Course is approved through the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to meet the Multicultural/Cross-Cultural Communications requirement for teacher certification.
  • Approved in Anchorage School District MLP.  Class size limited to 40.
  • Required Texts: Culturally Proficient Instruction and Culturally Responsive Standards-Based Teaching
  • Dates:  February 15, 22, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12.
  • Time: 3:45-5:45 p.m.
  • All online coursework must be completed by April 30, 2023.
  • Platforms: Sessions run on Zoom, asynchronous work collected on UAA Blackboard.

This course:

  • Provides a framework for understanding multicultural education in the context of the classroom, community, and society.    
  • Focuses on ways to build relationships within classrooms that support multicultural learning. Presents an overview of Alaska Native cultures, historical events, and worldviews.  
  • Explores contemporary education issues, including planning and implementation of classroom activities and strategies that fosters growth in teachers to accept and appreciate all cultures and value the rich diversity of the students in their classrooms and beyond. 
  • Incorporates Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools and the Guidelines for Preparing Culturally Responsive teachers. 

Instructor Dr. Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields has been teaching ED 555B Multicultural Studies for Alaska’s Teachers in a variety of formats including face-to-face, site-based in the field at fish camps, and through synchronous online sessions.  Dr. Shields is a dynamic and authentic instructor, and all versions of her courses have been very well-received and highly evaluated by participants. 

She has been a guest speaker and lecturer at teacher and principal in-service training in various school districts in the state including the Anchorage School District Summer Academy. Dr. Shields has also been a featured/keynote presenter for AFN, the Lower Kuskokwim School District, the RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference, the Sealaska Heritage Culturally Responsive Education Conference and national/international events.

She is the daughter of the late Dr. Chief Kangrilnguq Paul and Anguyaluk Martina John of Toksook Bay, Alaska, where she was raised in a traditional and cultural community by many elder mentors. Agatha was a Yup’ik teacher and a principal for Lower Kuskokwim School District for 17 years at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Yup’ik Immersion Charter School in Bethel, Alaska.

She currently is an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage for the Educational Leadership and Language Program for the School of Education. Her professional passion is to teach through the lens of personal stories and experiences integrating Indigenous education and culturally  responsive teaching and learning focusing on cultural proficiency.

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Learn to Teach Computer Science K-12

Code.org is a national nonprofit that believes that every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra.  The no-cost Code.org curriculum is the most popular in K-12 computer science, with courses for every grade band. It is used in more than 120 districts, including the 7 largest U.S. districts, and by over 700,000 teachers–including almost 1,000 teachers here in Alaska!

The Code.org professional learning workshops provide time and instruction so that teachers to become comfortable with computer science curricular materials, content, and pedagogy. The program supports teachers with varying teaching backgrounds to work in Alaska’s diverse classrooms. Teachers may participate in a series of workshops that can span the academic year.

Is Code.org free?

The curriculum, online student learning platform, and access to support from the teacher and Code.org community are available to all schools year-round, free of charge. Additionally most of the workshops are no-cost to you. (They are also highly-rated by teachers, and align with the Alaska State Computer Science Standards!)

“The Code.org training was FANTASTIC.  Very practical, met a clear need, provided all the materials needed to get started on day one upon returning to the classroom, lots on ongoing support, intellectually engaging, equitable, super organized with minimal wasted time, a comfortable learning environment, and provided open doors and opportunities to our students.  All PD should be like this.”

Elementary Educator Workshop Information
Secondary Educator Application Information

Our Vision

“Anybody can learn” (whether you’re a student or teacher) 

We believe in opportunity for every student in every school. Anybody can start with the ABCs and 123s of computer science, just like any other field. To go beyond the basics, you need hard work and perseverance. You’ll make mistakes, but that’s how one learns, especially in computer science. (Note: we do not say “anybody can teach.” It takes a LOT to be a great teacher). 

It’s about “computer science,” not “code,” and our focus is on schools 

Code.org’s message is every school should teach computer science. Computer science is broader than just coding, just like English is broader than grammar. We picked the shortest name for simplicity. Because our name is “Code.org,” we use “computer science” everywhere else to avoid the perception that we’re narrowly focused on coding. The Code.org curricula will stand the test of time because it is not about any one coding language or platform. 

Computer science is foundational for every child 

Even if you don’t want to become an electrician, you still learn about electricity in school. Computer science is the electricity of the 21st century. It’s relevant to every career. But of course, it helps that computer science leads to some of the best careers in the world. And by helping millions of girls or underrepresented minorities learn computer science, we’re not only preparing them for the 21st century, but we’re also addressing problems with the inequality of opportunity or diversity in tech. Did you know that Alaska has adopted K-12 computer science standards?

Improving diversity is core to our mission 

Computer science is now foundational knowledge for all 21st-century careers, making access to this field a critical equity issue. We embed a focus on diversity throughout our work – from the Hour of Code, our curriculum design, our work with schools and teachers, to our government affairs. Stereotypes drive girls and students of color away from computer science; we balance this by showcasing diverse role models using computer science to change the world.

This is a teacher-powered movement 

Computer Science for Alaska is a grassroots revolution that’s fueled by the passion and support of teachers. We believe in empowering educators—they are our most important agents of change. Many educators feel their students would benefit from critical thinking, collaboration, leadership skills, and exposure to careers that come from studying computer science. Code.org provides teachers with tools and resources to create equitable opportunities for our Alaska students to be creative and innovative designers in computer science.

For all the details about Code.org’s current curriculum and Professional Learning Programs go to code.org/educate. The collaboration between Code.org, the Alaska Staff Development Network and the Alaska Council of School Administrators is working to expand access to computer science in schools throughout Alaska.  Find out more about the partnership here.

Contact Alaska Code.org Program Manager Cheryl Bobo cbobo@alaskaacsa.org with program questions.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Elementary Educator Workshop Information
Secondary Educator Application Information

Alaska Region Code.org Program Manager Cheryl Bobo Featured in National Computer Science Event

Cheryl Bobo, ASDN’s Code.org Regional Partner program manager, was featured in a panel with Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The panel discussed why computer science is important for EVERY student. Cheryl shared how rural Alaskan educators have continued to expand computer science education across the state.  View the discussion here!

School Year Conferences and Institutes

Alaska Alive! and Communicating Across Cultures with Father Michael Oleksa

Join the Rev. Dr. Michael Oleksa, a leader in the development of cross-cultural communication in Alaska and student of Native cultures for Communicating Across Cultures and Alaska Alive!

These are blended learning courses. Each course begins with two face-to-face sessions with Father Oleksa in Anchorage and is completed online with instructor Sharon Bandle. These three credit courses meet the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development requirements for teacher certification in Multicultural Studies and Alaska History. They may also be used for re-certification. They are approved in the Anchorage School District’s MLP system.  Registration opens in January

Communicating Across Cultures

Summer Session:

  • Dates: May 30-31, 2023
  • Time: 8:30-4:30
  • Final Assignment Due June 28, 2023

Join Father Oleksa, a leader in the development of cross-cultural communication in Alaska and student of Native cultures for Communicating Across Cultures, a three-credit, 500-level multicultural education course this fall. This is a blended learning course. The class begins with two face-to-face sessions with Father Oleksa in Anchorage and is completed online with instructor Sharon Bandle. This course meets Alaska Department of Education and Early Development requirements for teacher certification and re-certification.  This course has been approved by the Alaska Board of Nursing for continuing education credits. It has been approved on MLP by the Anchorage School District. Over a thousand Alaskan educators have participated in Father Oleksa’s classes over the last fifteen years.
Tuition (Level 1 /Level 2 Member Districts): $425/$475
Course Books: $20 if purchased through ASDN.
EDUC 59200 • 3 credits • Alaska Pacific University • Graded A-F
Instructor of Record: Sharon Bandle

Classes limited to 35 participants.

Alaska Alive! with Rev. Dr. Michael Oleksa

Summer Session:

  • Dates: June 1-2, 2023
  • Time: 8:30-4:30
  • Final Assignment Due June 28, 2023

In Alaska Alive!, you will learn about Alaska’s history and the history of education in the state from one of Alaska’s most dynamic presenters. Explore the culture of the Native peoples of Alaska and the connections between the environment and emigrations. This is a blended learning course. The class begins with two face-to-face sessions with Father Oleksa in Anchorage and is completed online with instructor Sharon Bandle. This course meets the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development requirements for teacher certification in Alaska History and re-certification (APU EDUC 59500, 3 credits) and has been approved in the Anchorage School District’s MLP system. 
Tuition (Level 1 /Level 2 Member Districts): $425/$475
Course Books: $20 if purchased through ASDN.
EDUC 59500 • 3 credits • Alaska Pacific University • Graded A-F
Instructor of Record: Sharon Bandle

Classes limited to 35 participants.

Registration coming soon.