About Us
WHO ARE WE?
CSTA Central Texas was established as your local computer science community. This chapter was built to connect you with other computer science teachers, provide professional development to help you improve your craft, and connect your local voice to the national computer science education community.
Chapter President - Sylvia Wood
Bio
Sylvia was introduced to STEM Education many years before it was known as STEM. Her introduction to computer science was through the former middle school course: Computer Literacy. Fast-forward ten years, she found herself teaching AP Computer Science A in Turbo Pascal. In the first 15 years of her teaching career, she also taught several levels of math, as well as, Technology Applications courses. Sylvia also has taught CS 1 (Introduction to CS), AP Computer Science Principles, Digital Forensics, and Foundations of Cybersecurity. Most of her teaching experience has been in the Klein ISD school district. She currently teaches at a small private school in North Austin. In addition to teaching, she is a Code.org Facilitator for APCS Principles & APCS A. Sylvia has been a volunteer for FIRST Robotics where she has served as a team mentor, regional/world judge, and steering committee member, Her professional memberships include: ISTE, TCEA, CS4TX, CSforAll, 100Kin10, and of course CSTA.
Chapter Vice President - Galen Goodreau
Galen is starting his 22nd year of teaching high school Computer Science in the Central-Texas area. He currently teaches at Vandegrift High School in Austin and also serves as the UIL Computer Science coach.
CSTA Equity Fellow - Vanessa Jones
Vanessa Jones is a CSTA 2021 Equity Fellow and a Professional Learning Manager for CSTA where she works with a team to help design, create, and publish CS education-specific professional development materials. She works with the CSTA Equity Fellow Alumni Group and was named CSTA Central Texas Chapter CS Educator of the Year 2023. She was a Technology Design Specialist for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX, where she worked at the district level helping to implement and facilitate blended and personalized technology integrated learning experiences. She is a facilitator for Code.org's CS Fundamentals and CS Discoveries programs and has trained hundreds of teachers in the basics of computer science. Ms. Jones is an online facilitator and course designer for the University of Texas at Austin -Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC) and is currently helping to redesign the course Strategies for Effective and Inclusive Computer Science Teaching. Ms. Jones is a CS for All Teachers Ambassador and co-facilitates a new CS equity and access group for CS for All Teachers. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, earned her master’s degree from North Texas University, and has taught in grades 3–6. She is also a member of 100Kin10 as well as a chapter leader for CS4Tx.