CSTANJ CSPDWeek 2026

Bring Computer Science to Life: Fun & Easy CS for PreK-3
Ready to demystify computer science? Join us for an energetic, hands-on workshop designed specifically for early childhood and elementary educators! You don’t need to be a "tech expert" to build a strong foundation for your students in problem-solving, logical thinking, and creativity.

Grounded in active learning and constructivist theory, this session shows you how to seamlessly weave CS into the subjects you already teach, like Math, Literacy, and Science. We’ll explore a mix of "unplugged" activities—using movement and storytelling—and "plugged" experiences with kid-friendly robots and platforms.

What we’ll cover:
Foundational Skills: Simple ways to teach algorithms, loops, and events.
Device-Free Magic: Playful lessons from Barefoot Computing and CompuTales that work even when the Wi-Fi doesn't!
Standards-Aligned: See how these activities map directly to New Jersey’s CS standards.
Ready-to-Go Tools: Walk away with practical lesson plans and the confidence to foster digital citizenship and computational thinking from day one.

Whether you have a full lab or zero devices, you’ll leave with the tools to make CS the most exciting part of your students' day!

This session will start with the Makey Makey basics and progress to include creative projects and coding.

Welcome to the world of Makey Makey! We will begin with some basics of using Makey Makey by testing everyday items for conductivity and building simple circuits. We will proceed to incorporate project ideas that will get you thinking creatively, and end with how to integrate Scratch coding to level up your Makey Makey game.

You will need a USB-C to USB adapter if you do not have a big rectangular USB port on your laptop. See this sample.

This workshop is for teachers interested in starting a robotics class in the middle or high school setting. We will use Vex robots to learn how to build and program robots. Join us for an information session then go to the Robotics Playground to get some hands-on experience.

Robotics Playground offers a two session, open‑house learning experience designed for K–12 educators. Teachers are welcome to stop by at any time to explore robotics devices, engage in unplugged coding, and participate in hands‑on collaborative activities. With support from experienced facilitators, participants will uncover innovative strategies to strengthen computer science instruction and inspire student engagement in STEM.

Once you are done playing with our robots, please visit our exhibitors.

Gain foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to develop policy to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in educational settings with actionable strategies to inform classroom practices, staff expectations, and district-level decision-making.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the educational landscape, offering powerful tools to enhance teaching, streamline workflows, and personalize learning. However, along with the promise of AI come significant challenges that educators and school leaders must navigate carefully.

This professional development session, AI – Policy & Practice: Watch for the Pitfalls, equips participants with the foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in educational settings. Through an engaging blend of case studies, discussions, and practical examples, participants will examine the potential risks and ethical concerns surrounding AI use in schools—including data privacy, algorithmic bias, misinformation, and over-reliance on automated systems.

The session highlights the importance of clear, proactive school and district policies that guide AI adoption while prioritizing student safety, equity, and academic integrity. Attendees will explore model AI use policies, discuss real-world scenarios, and consider how to develop guidelines that balance innovation with caution. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to inform classroom practices, staff expectations, and district-level decision-making. Whether you’re an administrator or teacher leader, this session is designed to help you stay ahead of emerging issues while fostering a culture of thoughtful, ethical, and policy-aligned AI use in your school community.

Roll up your sleeves and dive into quick, tech-free STEM builds that spark creativity and engagement from the start. These playful engineering challenges are perfect for the STEM lab, makerspace, or classroom and can stand alone or extend into core learning goals across literacy, math, and science. After a high-energy, hands-on, team-based monster theme park build, we will explore a variety of ways to extend these quick builds into deeper learning aligned with classroom core learning goals. You will leave with inspiration, ready-to-use tools, and your very own monster.

In this highly interactive session, educators will experience how quick, tech-free STEM builds can serve as powerful entry points into deeper, standards-aligned learning across all teaching areas in the K–8 grade band. Participants will engage in a series of fast-paced, team-based engineering challenges using simple materials, beginning with a collaborative monster theme park build that incorporates elements of simple machines, design thinking, and spatial reasoning.

These “STEM Starters” are intentionally designed as low-floor, high-engagement experiences that can be implemented in STEM labs, makerspaces, or classrooms as stand-alone activities. They are accessible to all educators, regardless of STEM background, and scaffolded in a way that builds educator confidence and capacity over time. At the same time, they offer high ceilings and wide walls, allowing for deeper exploration and creativity for more advanced learners.

A key focus of the session is how these quick builds can bridge STEM programs and classroom instruction. Educators will explore how highly motivating, hands-on builds created in a STEM lab or makerspace can be extended into the classroom to support core, standards-based learning goals. We will model a variety of ways to connect builds to literacy through storytelling and descriptive writing, to math through measurement, geometry, and scaled models, to science through forces, motion, and engineering design, and to technology through presentation tools such as ChatterPix, Book Creator, stop motion animation, and Canva.

Throughout the session, participants will experience strategies for differentiation, collaboration, and student-centered facilitation that support diverse learners and multiple entry points. The session will also highlight how these quick builds can transition from playful exploration to structured academic applications without losing student engagement.
Participants will leave with ready-to-use activities, practical strategies for integrating hands-on STEM into existing curricula, and a clear framework for extending quick builds into deeper classroom learning. Most importantly, they will walk away with inspiration, increased confidence in facilitating hands-on learning, and tangible model, and a STEM-Starter Challenge Card Deck they can immediately bring back to their students.

Robotics Playground offers a two session, open‑house learning experience designed for K–12 educators. Teachers are welcome to stop by at any time to explore robotics devices, engage in unplugged coding, and participate in hands‑on collaborative activities. With support from experienced facilitators, participants will uncover innovative strategies to strengthen computer science instruction and inspire student engagement in STEM.

Once you are done playing with our robots, please visit our exhibitors.

Gain foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to develop policy to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in educational settings with actionable strategies to inform classroom practices, staff expectations, and district-level decision-making.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the educational landscape, offering powerful tools to enhance teaching, streamline workflows, and personalize learning. However, along with the promise of AI come significant challenges that educators and school leaders must navigate carefully.

This professional development session, AI – Policy & Practice: Watch for the Pitfalls, equips participants with the foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in educational settings. Through an engaging blend of case studies, discussions, and practical examples, participants will examine the potential risks and ethical concerns surrounding AI use in schools—including data privacy, algorithmic bias, misinformation, and over-reliance on automated systems.

The session highlights the importance of clear, proactive school and district policies that guide AI adoption while prioritizing student safety, equity, and academic integrity. Attendees will explore model AI use policies, discuss real-world scenarios, and consider how to develop guidelines that balance innovation with caution. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to inform classroom practices, staff expectations, and district-level decision-making. Whether you’re an administrator or teacher leader, this session is designed to help you stay ahead of emerging issues while fostering a culture of thoughtful, ethical, and policy-aligned AI use in your school community.

Roll up your sleeves and dive into quick, tech-free STEM builds that spark creativity and engagement from the start. These playful engineering challenges are perfect for the STEM lab, makerspace, or classroom and can stand alone or extend into core learning goals across literacy, math, science, and civics. After a high-energy, hands-on, team-based creature and habitat design challenge focused on animal adaptations, habitats, and the meaning behind scientific names, we will explore ways to extend the learning into cross-curricular PBL that can integrate literacy, math, physical science, or technology based on class resources and teaching goals You will leave with inspiration, a ready-to-use STEM-Starter Card Deck, and a cardboard “beastie” of your own design!

In this highly interactive session, educators will experience how quick, tech-free STEM builds can serve as powerful entry points into deeper, standards-aligned learning across all teaching areas in the K–8 grade band. Grounded in research-informed pedagogy and active learning principles, participants will engage in a series of fast-paced, team-based engineering challenges using simple materials, beginning with a collaborative creature design challenge where participants analyze clues from animal phenotypes and scientific names to backward design a likely habitat, incorporating elements of adaptation, environment, and survival.

These “STEM Starters” are intentionally designed as low-floor, high-engagement experiences that can be implemented in STEM labs, makerspaces, or classrooms as stand-alone activities. They are accessible to all educators, regardless of STEM background, and scaffolded within a structured framework that builds educator confidence and instructional capacity over time. At the same time, they offer high ceilings and wide walls, allowing for deeper exploration and creativity for more advanced learners.

A key focus of this session is highlighting easy, low-barrier ways for all educators to bring meaningful STEM experiences into their classrooms, regardless of background or available resources. These quick builds are designed to be immediately implementable while building both student engagement and educator confidence, and can also serve as a powerful entry point that bridges STEM programs and classroom instruction, extending into deeper, standards-aligned, cross-curricular learning. Educators will explore how highly motivating, hands-on builds created in a STEM lab or makerspace can be extended into the classroom to support core, standards-based learning goals. We will model a variety of ways to connect builds to literacy through storytelling and descriptive writing, to math through measurement, geometry, and scaled models, to science through animal adaptations, habitats, ecosystems, and how movement and structure support survival, including the role of forces and motion, and to technology through presentation tools such as ChatterPix, Book Creator, stop motion animation, and Canva.

Throughout the session, participants will experience strategies for differentiation, collaboration, and student-centered facilitation that support diverse learners and multiple entry points. The session will also highlight how these quick builds can transition from playful exploration to structured academic applications without losing student engagement, reflecting a developmentally aligned progression from exploration to application.

Participants will leave with ready-to-use activities, practical strategies for integrating hands-on STEM into existing curricula, and a clear instructional framework for extending quick builds into deeper classroom learning. Most importantly, they will walk away with inspiration, increased confidence in facilitating hands-on learning, and a tangible model they can immediately bring back to their students.

For this workshop - attendees will be provided Mini-maker kits and a deck of challenge cards ($12.50 value per attendee)

This session will give high school teachers a clear understanding of what vibe coding is, why it matters for the future of education, and how to begin building your own classroom tools. Hands-on segments will give participants the chance to start building a real project they can take back to their students.

Note: You need a Google account with access to Google AI Studio. If you are using a school Gmail account, confirm that you can access Google AI Studio and it isn't blocked by your district before arriving on August 3rd.

This session will give lower elementary school teachers a clear understanding of what vibe coding is, why it matters for the future of education, and how to begin building your own classroom tools. Hands-on segments will give participants the chance to start building a real project they can take back to their students.

Note: You need a Google account with access to Google AI Studio. If you are using a school Gmail account, confirm that you can access Google AI Studio and it isn't blocked by your district before arriving on August 3rd.

This introductory session will show how 3D design and printing can support computer science, engineering, and robotics in hands-on and meaningful ways. See a 3D printer in action and explore how students can use x, y, and z coordinates, design original solutions, and print robot parts or develop STEAM design projects that solve authentic problems while building skills such as sequencing, abstraction, decomposition, algorithm design, and debugging. This session is open to all attendees. A separate full-day deep-dive 3D printing workshop will also be available for those who want a more hands-on experience, and attending this introductory session is not required in order to participate.

Educators will get a practical look at how 3D design and printing can connect computer science to engineering, robotics, and hands-on problem-solving. Participants will explore how students can use 3D design tools to better understand x, y, and z coordinates, think spatially, and create original designs that can be printed, tested, and improved. A 3D printer will be on hand during the session so attendees can see the process in action while considering how these tools can work in real classroom settings.

These design experiences support important computer science concepts and practices found in the standards, including sequencing, abstraction, decomposition, algorithm design, and debugging. As students plan, design, test, and revise, they break larger problems into smaller parts, focus on key features, follow and refine steps, and learn from failure through iteration. They also see how digital design connects to real-world applications when they create prototypes, print robot parts, or develop STEAM design projects that solve authentic problems.

This session will share classroom examples, practical entry points, and manageable ways to bring 3D design and printing into computer science instruction. It is intended as an introduction that can be attended by anyone interested in the topic. A separate full-day deep-dive 3D printing workshop will also be available for educators who want a more hands-on experience with the tools, design process, and classroom applications. Attendance at this introductory session is not a prerequisite for participating in the full-day workshop.

Ready to launch a robotics program but not sure where to start? This hands-on workshop provides a comprehensive roadmap for bringing VEX Robotics into your middle or high school classroom. After a foundational briefing on curriculum integration and equipment logistics during the morning session, we’ll move to the Robotics Playground for an immersive build-and-code experience. You’ll gain practical experience assembling hardware and programming movement, leaving with the technical confidence and instructional strategies needed to transition from an empty lab to a fully functional, student-led robotics environment.

Join LEGO Education for a hands-on session that brings Computer Science and AI to life through engaging, accessible learning experiences. Explore how to support all students with tools that make complex concepts approachable, while building critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Participants will work directly with new LEGO Education Computer Science & AI solutions and leave with practical, classroom-ready strategies to integrate meaningful, standards-aligned learning into any environment.

This engaging, hands-on session is designed to explore how educators can effectively support all students with accessible, inclusive solutions for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. As schools continue to navigate the increasing importance of computational thinking, digital literacy, and AI awareness, this session will provide practical strategies and tools to bring these concepts to life in meaningful and equitable ways.

Participants will have the opportunity to work directly with LEGO Education’s newest Computer Science & AI solutions, experiencing firsthand how hands-on, inquiry-based learning can deepen student understanding and engagement. Through guided exploration, educators will discover how these tools empower students to move beyond passive learning—encouraging them to build, test, iterate, and problem-solve as they develop critical skills aligned to modern standards and future-ready competencies.

This session is intentionally designed to model instructional practices that promote active learning, collaboration, and creativity. Educators will learn how to scaffold complex CS & AI concepts in ways that are approachable for diverse learners, ensuring that every student—regardless of background or prior experience—can participate and succeed. From foundational coding principles to emerging AI concepts, participants will explore how to integrate these ideas into existing curricula through flexible, standards-aligned pathways.

By the end of the session, attendees will walk away with actionable insights, classroom-ready strategies, and a clear understanding of how to implement iterative, student-centered learning experiences that make Computer Science and AI both accessible and impactful. Whether you are just beginning your CS journey or looking to expand and enhance your current programming, this experience will equip you with the tools and confidence to bring meaningful, hands-on innovation into your classroom.

This session will start with the Makey Makey basics and progress to include creative projects and coding.

Welcome to the world of Makey Makey! We will begin with some basics of using Makey Makey by testing everyday items for conductivity and building simple circuits. We will proceed to incorporate project ideas that will get you thinking creatively, and end with how to integrate Scratch coding to level up your Makey Makey game.

You will need a USB-C to USB adapter if you do not have a big rectangular USB port on your laptop. See this sample.

This session will give upper elementary and middle school teachers a clear understanding of what vibe coding is, why it matters for the future of education, and how to begin building your own classroom tools. Hands-on segments will give participants the chance to start building a real project they can take back to their students.

Note: You need a Google account with access to Google AI Studio. If you are using a school Gmail account, confirm that you can access Google AI Studio and it isn't blocked by your district before arriving on August 3rd.

Learners are already interacting with AI through everyday tools like voice assistants, face recognition, and recommendation systems. This session explores how educators can introduce AI concepts in developmentally appropriate ways—starting with unplugged play, moving into ethical discussions, and building toward early prompt engineering and machine learning experiences. Participants will leave with practical strategies, tools, and lesson ideas for Elementary and Middle School classrooms.

During COVID-19 some students logged on. Others disappeared. The digital divide did not create that gap. It revealed it. Artificial intelligence is doing the same thing right now.

This session uses the Art as the Classroom framework to examine how the absence of AI curriculum functions as a systemic failure and offers educators practical strategies for building AI literacy before the gap becomes a canyon. Participants will leave with concrete tools they can implement immediately without waiting for district permission.

The absence of artificial intelligence literacy in K-12 curriculum is quietly replicating the conditions that produced the COVID-19 digital divide. During the pandemic, students without access to devices and reliable internet disappeared from their own education while their peers advanced. Research now confirms that the same pattern is emerging around AI literacy. According to The 74 Million, 68% of teachers received no formal AI training during the 2024 to 2025 school year. Only 14.13% of U.S. school districts had established formal AI policies as of May 2024 (Zhou et al., 2025). A RAND Corporation study found that teachers and principals in higher-poverty schools are significantly less likely to use AI tools or receive guidance, and only 6 in 10 high-poverty districts will have trained teachers by fall 2025 compared to nearly all low-poverty districts. This is not only an economic divide. It is a curricular and institutional one that affects students across income levels whose schools have not yet integrated AI literacy into classroom practice.

This session applies two original frameworks developed by the presenter to examine and respond to this growing gap. Glass House Conditioning, a positional model of conditional belonging, provides a theoretical lens for understanding how institutions condition students from marginalized communities to accept exclusion from emerging technologies as normal rather than as a systemic failure requiring intervention. Art as the Classroom, a pedagogical framework examining culture and creativity as vehicles for learning when formal institutions fall short, offers a practical bridge for educators seeking to introduce AI literacy through the cultural touchpoints students already inhabit including music production, content creation, social media, and gaming.

Participants will examine current national data on AI literacy gaps across K-12 education, explore the intersection of Glass House Conditioning and digital equity, and apply the Art as the Classroom framework through structured discussion, individual reflection, and a collaborative scenario-based group activity. The session closes with a commitment exercise designed to help educators identify one concrete AI literacy strategy they will implement before the next school year begins.

Join LEGO Education for a hands-on session that brings Computer Science and AI to life through engaging, accessible learning experiences. Explore how to support all students with tools that make complex concepts approachable, while building critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Participants will work directly with new LEGO Education Computer Science & AI solutions and leave with practical, classroom-ready strategies to integrate meaningful, standards-aligned learning into any environment.

This engaging, hands-on session is designed to explore how educators can effectively support all students with accessible, inclusive solutions for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. As schools continue to navigate the increasing importance of computational thinking, digital literacy, and AI awareness, this session will provide practical strategies and tools to bring these concepts to life in meaningful and equitable ways.

Participants will have the opportunity to work directly with LEGO Education’s newest Computer Science & AI solutions, experiencing firsthand how hands-on, inquiry-based learning can deepen student understanding and engagement. Through guided exploration, educators will discover how these tools empower students to move beyond passive learning—encouraging them to build, test, iterate, and problem-solve as they develop critical skills aligned to modern standards and future-ready competencies.

This session is intentionally designed to model instructional practices that promote active learning, collaboration, and creativity. Educators will learn how to scaffold complex CS & AI concepts in ways that are approachable for diverse learners, ensuring that every student—regardless of background or prior experience—can participate and succeed. From foundational coding principles to emerging AI concepts, participants will explore how to integrate these ideas into existing curricula through flexible, standards-aligned pathways.

By the end of the session, attendees will walk away with actionable insights, classroom-ready strategies, and a clear understanding of how to implement iterative, student-centered learning experiences that make Computer Science and AI both accessible and impactful. Whether you are just beginning your CS journey or looking to expand and enhance your current programming, this experience will equip you with the tools and confidence to bring meaningful, hands-on innovation into your classroom.

These informal, end‑of‑day meetups give K–12 educators a dedicated space to connect with colleagues who teach similar grade levels. Teachers can share insights from the day’s sessions, compare classroom experiences, discuss challenges, and exchange practical strategies that support computer science and AI learning. Whether you’re looking to reflect on new ideas, troubleshoot with peers, or build ongoing professional relationships, these meetups offer a supportive environment for meaningful conversation and collaboration.