CSTANJ CSPDWeek 2026

Planting Ideas is a workshop designed for educators interested in agricultural, computer science and design thinking who want to bring real-world relevance in the classrooms. Using an agricultural-based innovative challenge as the anchor, this session models how authentic problems/topics can spark computational thinking, creativity and design. Teachers will walk away with lessons that include literature, videos and additional resources which are all adaptable. These are classroom ready resources that help students grow from curious thinkers into inventive problem solvers.

In this workshop, educators will explore how real-world agricultural challenges-adapted from the National Agriculture in the Classroom site are met in the classroom setting . This platform can be a powerful launchpad for computer science and design thinking as well as teaching agricultural concepts in the classroom.

Participants will engage in exploring activities that model the full design cycle: identifying authentic problems, analyzing constraints, brainstorming and creating solutions. Teachers can connect these experiences to core CS practices.

You will leave with classroom ready strategies, adaptable project prompts, and cross curricular ideas that help students apply CS and design thinking to meaningful, real-world contexts. Whether you teach in a classroom, computer science, STEAM or designed based topics, this session will help you cultivate a learning environment where ideas take root and grow.