Invest in yourself and head to Chicago to attend our pre-conference workshops.
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Invest in yourself and head to Chicago to attend our pre-conference workshops. With over 30 workshops to choose from, there will be one that meets your needs as a teacher. Here are a few recommendations to help you start planning:
Disability Inclusion in CS4All
Presented by Maya Israel, Andrew Bennett, Alexis Cobo, Todd Lash, and Lionel Bergeron
July 14, 9 a.m. to Noon
This interactive workshop explores the question of how to use inclusive and accessible practices to welcome all learners, particularly students with disabilities, into K-8 computer science education. Foundational pedagogical frameworks such as universal design for learning (UDL) and high-leverage practices (HLP) will guide the experience, discussion, and activities. This session will highlight Standard 2 (Equity and Inclusion) in the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers. Whether you are a novice or a veteran to inclusive and accessible classroom practices, this session will strengthen your understanding of how computer science educators can broaden participation, frame instruction, and address learner variability.
Grade Levels Addressed
All Grades, Not grade-band specific
CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
2e. Use accessible instructional materials, 4c. Design inclusive learning experiences
CSTA K-12 Student Standards: Sub-concepts
Equity and Inclusion, Instructional Design, Professional Growth & Identity
Making Faces: Multiple Pathways to Creative Coding
Presented by Jacy Edelman, Deanna Gelosi, Elaine Atherton, and Ryoko Matsumoto
July 14, 1-4 p.m.
Cardboard, buttons, glue, scrap paper, soda cans, a necklace, and a keyring: seemingly random items can become the building blocks of a creative learning activity. Scratch partnered with the Tinkering Studio to facilitate this workshop, entitled Making Faces, which explores creative learning through communication and collaboration in off- and online spaces. Scratch understands that access to digital devices should not be a barrier to creative learning or creative coding. The design process of turning a playful, analog image into a digital Scratch project showcases just one of the multiple pathways to creative coding. The workshop will be split into three portions: making faces, animating in Scratch, and reflection. Participants will design their self-portraits using items that are of cultural or personal relevance to them, then share their faces and the meaning behind their design choices. The group will discuss different options for turning the faces they made into digital projects using apps and online tools. This workshop will feature design time as well as a mix of large and small group discussion. Scratch will be used to remix the faces created offline by selecting blocks, such as blocks for movement and sound, to help participants reimagine their faces in the Scratch online editor. The workshop will end with a deeper discussion of the activity’s design principles, which were used to create an equitable space for participants to learn and reflect.
Grade Levels Addressed
Not grade-band specific
Not grade-band specific
CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
4c. Design inclusive learning experiences, 4e. Plan projects that have personal meaning to students
4c. Design inclusive learning experiences, 4e. Plan projects that have personal meaning to students
CSTA K-12 Student Standards: Sub-concepts
Equity and Inclusion
Equity and Inclusion
Building Blocks for Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Education: No Computers Needed
Presented by Kimberly Smith and Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth
July 14, 9 a.m. to Noon
This session presents techniques and materials developed at the MIT Media Lab for teaching the foundations of computer science to children as young as five, without using any digital technology. Through physical materials and activities, without any screens, the session will explore such fundamental concepts as the binary number system, data structures, representation, loops, and Boolean logic. Our framework for understanding the fundamentals of computational thinking is broad, based on primitives, and independent of specific hardware. This session will present researched-backed methods for creating scaffolded building blocks that allow young children to learn the basics of how computers work, in ways that respect and contribute to their own unique development. Learn from educators who use tactile materials and techniques to teach computational thinking in their classrooms, integrating these materials and activities into a variety of learning contexts. Participants need no prior computer science knowledge or skills, and we’ll explain some of the basics of computational thinking in an accessible way, with practical examples. We will share simple, fun, do-it-yourself activities that participants can employ in their own classrooms right away. These activities engage young children in a sensory and developmentally enriching way, all while building a strong foundation for future exploration into computer science.
Grade Levels Addressed
3rd-5th Grade, Pre-K to 2nd Grade
3rd-5th Grade, Pre-K to 2nd Grade
CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences, 5c. Promote student self-efficacy
4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences, 5c. Promote student self-efficacy
CSTA K-12 Student Standards: Sub-concepts
CS Knowledge and Skills, Classroom Practice, Instructional Design
CS Knowledge and Skills, Classroom Practice, Instructional Design
Create with Microsoft MakeCode
Presented by Lisa Schwartz and Eric Santos
July 14, 1-4 p.m.
Learn how to expand computer science course offerings in middle school with the Microsoft MakeCode app and the micro:bit. This maker session is a hands-on introduction to the basics of coding and creating, allowing participants to create their own programs and leave with a curriculum and lessons to implement at their own schools. We’ll discuss how to incorporate Microsoft MakeCode into the curriculum for any subject area, and participants will walk away with their own micro:bit. You do not need to be an expert in computer science to teach these lessons!
Grade Levels Addressed
6th – 8th Grade
6th – 8th Grade
CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
4e. Plan projects that have personal meaning to students, 4f. Plan instruction to foster student understanding
4e. Plan projects that have personal meaning to students, 4f. Plan instruction to foster student understanding
CSTA K-12 Student Standards: Sub-concepts
CS Knowledge and Skills, Classroom Practice, Instructional Design
CS Knowledge and Skills, Classroom Practice, Instructional Design
Racing through STEM: Teaching Mechanics, Electronics, and Coding with the Build Smart EV Micro-Kart
Presented Jake Roark
July 14, 1-4 p.m.
July 14, 1-4 p.m.
This workshop gives educators the unique opportunity to build their own working scale model go-kart. After constructing the kart chassis, participants will install mechanical components like wheels, axles, and pulleys, learning about pulley ratios and their impact on torque and speed performance along the way. They will then install several electronic components onto the chassis (motor, breadboard, resistor, transistor, potentiometer, and LEDs) with the end goal of creating headlights, taillights, and a variable-speed motor for their karts. Finally, participants use a micro:bit microcontroller to control the actions of their light and motor systems via block coding. They will leave with not only a fully functioning Micro-Kart, but also resources and ideas for immediate classroom application.
Grade Levels Addressed
6th – 8th Grade, 9th – 12th Grade
6th – 8th Grade, 9th – 12th Grade
CSTA Standards for CS Teachers
4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences, 5a. Use inquiry to facilitate student learning
4b. Develop standards-aligned learning experiences, 5a. Use inquiry to facilitate student learning
CSTA K-12 Student Standards: Sub-concepts
Classroom Practice, Instructional Design
Classroom Practice, Instructional Design
Head to the CSTA Conference Website to learn more about this year’s workshops and programming, to register, and more!