Why AI Detectors Fail and How We Can Foster AI Fluency Instead
The question isn’t if students will use AI. It’s how. While AI literacy has been the baseline, aiming for AI fluency, where students not only understand but can critically engage with AI, is now crucial. Currently, some schools use AI detectors to address cheating, but these tools are flawed, often mislabeling work and disproportionately affecting…
Upping the Ante in Math PD
KCI doubled down on math professional development this summer. Not only was the FAME (Faculty Academy for Mathematics Excellence) program for middle and high school teachers offered for the ninth year, but KCI also launched EMPowered, a new math PD program specifically for 4th and 5th grade teachers. FAME is a blended program that consists…
Makerspace Certificate Program Provides Training for New Career Path
Makerspaces are popping up across the educational spectrum, at schools, libraries, and youth centers. The Maker Movement has revitalized an interest in hands-on projects and the use of various tools for designing and prototyping. Once-empty school shops and computer labs are being reborn as makerspaces, and the curriculum is gender-neutral so girls and boys have…
Message from the Executive Director
The Krause Center for Innovation experienced an exceptionally successful summer since beginning our professional development work in 2000. We have served 565 educators in 15 intensive PD programs and trainings since spring. Many of those programs are new this year. In addition to serving educators, we also conducted six technology camps for almost 100 youth,…
MERIT 2018 Update & 2016 Retrospective
The MERIT program continued to shine this July as 44 educators started the 2018 program, a 10-month journey to transform their teaching. They represent districts from across the Bay Area and California. While the two-week Summer Institute is rigorous and demanding, it is only the start of the journey as participants will attend four follow-up…
KCI Launches New CIO Program for Educators
School districts across California face a critical staffing gap that can impact whether they are able to adequately prepare students for the future. To take full advantage of technology integration in the classroom, districts obviously need the infrastructure, but what is often lacking is the staff who understand both the back-end hardware and network side…
KCI’s Popular Crash Course Hits the Road
KCI successfully conducted two Computer Science Crash Course workshops for educators last summer, sponsored by Google’s CS4HS initiative. Over 60 teachers participated and the feedback was positive with high teacher satisfaction levels. As a result, the Infosys Foundation has selected KCI’s CS Crash Course to be included as one of the offered programs at its…
KCI Staff & Alums Recognized at National CUE Conference
Over 5,000 educators gathered in Palm Springs the week of March 12 at the annual CUE Conference. CUE is a national organization that focuses on personalized learning, technology integration, and educator leadership. The CUE conference is the oldest and largest educational technology conference in California, and among the largest in the country. Teachers, whether they…
KCI Launches Vibrant New Makerspace
In December of 2017, KCI launched an exciting new resource for our local community, the KCI Makerspace. This space provides our community with the resources to design and “make,” using a variety of computer-aided design and manufacturing tools. The goal is to be a regional resource for many KCI constituents: Foothill College’s students and staff,…
KCI Develops New FAME Program for 4th & 5th Grade Teachers
KCI has conducted the hands-on, technology infused FAME (Faculty Academy for Mathematics Excellence) program since 2010. In that time, 6th through 10th grade teachers from across the Bay Area, with largenumbers from east side San Jose school districts, have taken advantage of the program to increase their math content knowledge and improve their teaching practice…
Local Teachers Try Their Hands at Coding & More
While many schools and districts are still trying to figure out how computer science (CS) activities and courses fit within the educational landscape, teachers are seeing the future and showing high interest in and enthusiasm for professional CS learning opportunities. This was certainly the case over the summer when KCI conducted two Computer Science Crash…