Posted by CSTA Conference Committee on May 23, 2023
At CSTA 2023 we have multiple sessions dedicated to teacher wellness and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for educators. But if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start — you’re in the right place!
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Let’s admit it: Being a teacher is hard work! But a computer science teacher has a unique set of obstacles to contend with on top of the usual challenges of education. From creating integrated lessons to advocating for the existence of CS classes, you may feel that you have a lot on your plate. Add this to the fact that many CS educators are new to the field, and you might find yourself looking for some much-needed support.
The CSTA Annual Conference is a gathering of the world’s largest computer science department to find community and further your professional development. This year, we have multiple sessions dedicated to teacher wellness and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for educators. But if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start — you’re in the right place! We’ve compiled a list of featured sessions that focus on teaching you the tools to better support yourself, as well as a few sessions with tips for administrators on how to support their CS staff.
Featured Sessions for Teachers
Embracing the New Frontier: A CS Integration Strategy that Begins with the End in Mind
Presented by Whitney Dove during Workshop A, July 11 at 1 p.m. ET, our first session explores a progressive model for cross-curricular CS integration that allows you to start where you are and grow where you want to go!
Educators understand that students struggle to grasp new knowledge and skills when they lack a concrete, real, relevant anchor for their learning. So it’s no surprise that initiatives to integrate computer science (CS) into other content areas make good theoretical sense to educators. Practically, though, it can be a scary proposition. This session introduces a model for cross-curricular CS learning that allows teachers to select the areas of focus that best align with their specific needs and contexts. Our approach organizes CS integration into four models. In the Separate Silos model, CS standards are divided up across subject areas and taught within those subject areas. The Purposeful Parallels approach divides CS standards among certain subject areas, with other subject areas purposefully supporting CS learning. Cross-Curricular Cohesion groups CS standards with standards from other disciplines, organizing both into cohesive storylines across subject areas. In the Interdisciplinary Immersion model, CS standards are woven into standards from other disciplines and taught through interdisciplinary project-based learning. In this session, educators will explore specific examples of lessons and units from each model. They will then brainstorm and plan integrated lessons that can be applied to their unique work contexts.
Building Computing Identity and Self-Efficacy in K-5 Teachers
Elizabeth Bacon and Kevin Driscoll are teaching us to create professional development that honors and leverages elementary teachers’ strengths. Catch them during Breakout F, July 13 at 11:55 a.m. ET.
Teachers are experts: experts in teaching, experts in learning, and experts in creating community. In this session, we’ll explore how to use a strengths model to support new-to-CS elementary teachers. We’ll dive into some professional development activities that leverage teachers’ experience and expertise while exposing them to new content and discipline-specific CS pedagogy. As we examine the challenges in developing the elementary teaching force, we’ll look at how a professional development program that values teachers as professionals can support even the most hesitant of elementary teachers in building their computing identity.
Preventing Burnout in CS Education
Jen Manly and Jared O’Leary are helping us learn how to prevent burnout to stay mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy during Breakout D, July 12 at 2:50 p.m. ET.
Teacher burnout has always been a problem in the field of education; however, the past couple of years has exacerbated the issue. With teacher shortages continuing to be an issue across the nation, we need to discuss strategies for preventing burnout in the field. In addition, computer science teachers face unique challenges when it comes to finding work-life balance. In this session, we will provide a summary of strategies that more than 50 CS educators have shared in interviews on the #CSK8 Podcast, as well as best practices and ideas from productivity science. Attendees will not only learn from other CS educators, but will share their own strategies for staying mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy, even in today’s education landscape.
Building the Bench: Growing CS Teacher Capacity through Coaching and PD
Presented by Laura Gray, Laura Ventura and Sallie Holloway during Breakout B, July 11 at 4:15 p.m. ET, attend this session to learn strategies for building your bench of CS teachers.
In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in policy and legislation requiring access to CS education. However, when policy meets reality, schools are often unsure of how to meet the requirements. Who will teach these courses? How do we know when our CS education is effective? With very few teacher pipelines for CS, schools must be creative and intentional to help career changers and teachers from other content areas find success as CS teachers. This session empowers educators to “build the bench” of CS teachers, providing inclusive, high-quality CS instruction for students in all types of school districts. In this session, we’ll share some of the strategies used by Gwinnett County Public Schools to meet the challenges of implementing CS education and build our bench of CS teachers. As our needs (and our team) evolved over time, so did our coaching and professional development models. Examples include teacher leader models, certification and endorsement PD, model lessons and workshops, resource curation, professional learning communities, and one-on-one coaching. Participants will learn about each model, how to implement it, and the resources needed to bring a similar model to their own schools or districts. Whether or not your school has formal systems for supporting CS teachers, there is a coaching or PD model that can work for you.
Not your Mama’s Book Club: STEMy Rom-Com to the Rescue
Weslica Johnson tells us everything you need to start a virtual or in-person STEM book club through a poster presentation that will be available through the entire conference.
Start your own STEMy book club to help students of all genders build cultural and linguistic awareness, employ intentional reading and writing strategies, engage in respectful social and academic discourse, and meet some new STEM role models. Our book club is not your typical monthly sit-and-chat discussion with snacks. Members don’t just read and talk about a book, but instead write down their thoughts, talk with someone else who has read the book, and then write again about how their thinking has changed. This focused writing strategy brings students deeper into the text, while exploring new STEM vocabulary words and discovering how those words are useful in other contexts. We use Google Classroom or Canvas to engage both in-person and asynchronously. This session shares all the resources you need to get started: permission slips, discussion questions, tutorial videos on vocabulary building, and a guide to the focused writing strategy. This semester’s chosen book is The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.
“C”ing Yourself Teaching CS
Jessica Holloway helps us discover the “two C’s” that help educators develop a positive identity as a CS teacher during Mini Session C, July 13, 12:50 p.m. ET.
Do you see yourself as a computer science teacher? Do you support CS integration with teachers who don’t see themselves that way? Many teachers feel so intimidated by the idea of teaching or integrating computer science that they avoid it. This mini-session focuses on the “two Cs” that help teachers develop a positive identity as CS educators: confidence in CS platform use and competence to understand CS standards and integrate them into other content areas. Guided by an innovation coach who supports CS education across K–12 schools, we’ll share ideas for promoting the “two Cs” to help teachers form their own CS identity. We’ll start with competence (the first C), exploring ways to improve teacher fluency with CS standards and curriculum integration. Next, we’ll promote confidence (the second C) through purposeful play with coding platforms and languages, offering coaching support throughout. At the end of the session, participants will have time to ask questions and discuss what they have learned.
Featured Sessions for Administrators
Supporting CS Educators through Equitable Leadership Practices
Julie Flapan, Steve Kong, Jean Ryoo, Sophia Mendoza, Lauren Aranguren, Paula Nazario, and Roxana Hadad are showing us how to support teacher PD, form community partnerships, and pass school board resolutions. Find them during Breakout D, July 12 at 2:50 p.m. ET.
As the CS for All movement gains traction, school leaders need professional development resources that build their schools’ capacity for equitable CS. This session shares the work of a research-practice partnership wherein education leadership worked with researchers to create a workshop and associated equity guide for administrators. We’ll discuss school-based implementation with case studies that explore how to build teacher capacity, partner with families and local industry, and get a CS-focused resolution passed through a large district’s school board. Panelists will share their cases, discussing how their specific contexts framed their implementation efforts and how a multifaceted approach to CS implementation can keep equity at the forefront of these efforts.
You Can Do It! How to Help the Novice Teach and Integrate CS
Molly Plyler is giving practical and research-based strategies to help novice CS educators believe they can learn CS. Learn more during Mini Session A, July 12 at 1:20 p.m. ET.
With K–12 computer science education legislation sweeping the country, how can district leaders, building administrators, teacher leaders, and mentor teachers help classroom teachers implement new CS mandates, even when those teachers have never had formal CS training? As educational leaders work to support novice CS teachers, what does the research show is most effective in helping these teachers learn, teach, and integrate computer science in their classrooms? In this session, you’ll hear practical, research-based strategies that influence teacher self-efficacy. Participants will learn how best to support novice CS educators so they truly believe they can do it.
“C”ing Yourself Teaching CS
Jessica Holloway helps us discover the “two C’s” that help educators develop a positive identity as a CS teacher during Mini Session C, July 13, 12:50 p.m. ET.
Do you see yourself as a computer science teacher? Do you support CS integration with teachers who don’t see themselves that way? Many teachers feel so intimidated by the idea of teaching or integrating computer science that they avoid it. This mini-session focuses on the “two Cs” that help teachers develop a positive identity as CS educators: confidence in CS platform use and competence to understand CS standards and integrate them into other content areas. Guided by an innovation coach who supports CS education across K–12 schools, we’ll share ideas for promoting the “two Cs” to help teachers form their own CS identity. We’ll start with competence (the first C), exploring ways to improve teacher fluency with CS standards and curriculum integration. Next, we’ll promote confidence (the second C) through purposeful play with coding platforms and languages, offering coaching support throughout. At the end of the session, participants will have time to ask questions and discuss what they have learned.
Register for CSTA 2023
Be sure to head to the full conference program to read more about these recommendations and plan which sessions you want to attend. If you haven’t registered for the annual conference yet, head over to the CSTA 2023 Home Page to secure your spot. We hope to see you there for three days of professional development, community, and learning!
