2024VSTE Annual Conference

Hear from a team using peer coaching to integrate computer science in rural middle school social studies classrooms. Examine strategies for blending storytelling and computer science using unplugged activities and a plugged programming tool called Twine. In this session, you will learn how to identify the focus areas for CS peer coaching and how to successfully implement peer coaching as a means of widening your school's CS integration impact. As computer science gains momentum worldwide, educators are tasked with learning and integrating this new content. In addition, they are often pushed into peer-coaching roles without adequate systems for helping peers understand computer science and weave it seamlessly into their content. This session tackles these major issues. While our experiences have been geared toward middle school teachers, CS peer coaching is a useful strategy for all grades. Learn from our successes and see how we have overcome barriers!

The BBC Micro:Bit is a flexible, inexpensive microcontroller well-suited to classroom explorations of coding and computer science in grades 5-12. In this session, participants will explore instructional strategies for facilitating project-based, student-led learning with the Micro:Bit in computer science-focused as well as CS-integrated (i.e., cross-curricular) settings. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities with Micro:Bit and the MakeCode coding environment, explore instructional resources to support open-ended learning experiences with students, and analyze lesson plans that integrate the Micro:Bit into CS and cross-curricular CS integrated learning experiences.

Discover the potential of Twine for crafting interactive narratives across subjects! Educators will explore how Twine, a powerful tool for computational storytelling, can be used to engage students in exploring complex concepts across various disciplines.

Join us for a comprehensive exploration of the recently updated computer science standards.  This session will dive into the key changes and additions introduced in the new guidelines, providing valuable insights for educators at all levels.  We'll compare and contrast the 2017 and 2024 versions, highlighting new concepts, topics, and areas of focus.  Additionally, we'll discuss practical strategies for aligning your curriculum and instruction with the new standards, including lesson plana and resources specifically designed to support your teaching.

In this CodeVA-supported session, participants will learn about earning an add-on endorsement in computer science by challenging and passing the CS Praxis Exam. Participants will explore the concepts addressed on the exam, access resources to support preparation, and learn about the ways in which the Praxis exam aligns (or does not align, in some cases) to CS teaching across grade levels.