CSTANJ CSPDWeek 2026

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.

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.

This hands-on session equips high school educators with sophisticated, device-free strategies to deconstruct complex computer science concepts. Move beyond the screen to explore rigorous activities that solidify foundations in algorithmic logic, computational thinking, and digital ethics through interactive modeling and collaborative problem-solving.
We will demonstrate how these unplugged methods align with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS-CS), providing teachers with high-leverage tools to bridge the gap between abstract theory and practical application. These strategies are not only perfect for "unplugged" days but are essential for deepening student comprehension of data structures, networking, and security—ensuring a robust learning environment regardless of hardware availability.

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.

What if students didn’t just use AI—but directed it? In this hands-on session, educators will learn how to guide K–5 students in creating 3D-style characters and stories using simple, accessible AI tools. This approach blends creative writing, storytelling, and computer science in a way that’s engaging, developmentally appropriate, and aligned to NJSLS-CS standards. Participants will leave with a ready-to-use lesson they can implement right away.

AI is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and elementary students need early, meaningful experiences that help them understand how it works and how to use it responsibly. This session introduces a classroom-tested, “creative first” approach to AI literacy that makes complex ideas accessible for young learners.

Using a simple, structured workflow, participants will learn how students can use AI tools (text, image, and voice) to create 3D-style characters and short story scenes—connecting naturally to skills in writing, design, and computational thinking.

Throughout the session, we will focus on practical strategies teachers can bring directly into their classrooms, including:
Prompting as a process
Teaching students that prompts are clear, step-by-step instructions—helping build early understanding of algorithms and logical thinking

Storytelling through design
Supporting students in developing characters, settings, and narratives while using AI as a creative tool—not a replacement for thinking

Human-centered AI use
Helping students understand their role as the creator, with an emphasis on decision-making, ownership, and responsible use

This is a highly interactive session where participants will experience the lesson as learners, then reflect as educators. Time will be built in for discussion, adaptation across grade levels, and planning for classroom use.

Participants will leave with:
A ready-to-use lesson plan
A clear, repeatable workflow
Strategies for integrating AI into existing curriculum without needing advanced tech skills or materials"

This virtual two-session professional development helps K–12 educators integrate computer science (CS) into their existing curriculum through interactive storytelling and AI-supported lesson design. Teachers explore how students can create and share projects such as choose-your-own-adventure stories, escape room games, and app-style experiences that combine writing, visuals, audio, and interactivity to deepen content learning across subjects.

Educators begin by experiencing a student-facing project and then use the Elementari AI lesson generator to create a standards-aligned lesson tailored to their grade level, topic, and instructional time. Each lesson includes a structured student writing organizer, built-in scaffolds (such as sentence starters and word banks), and assessment tools to support multilingual learners and diverse student needs. In the second session, teachers test and refine their lessons through peer feedback. By the end they will leave with a tested, classroom-ready lesson and a free upgrade to use Elementari will all their students.

This virtual 2-day (6-hour) professional development helps K–12 educators integrate computer science (CS) and artificial intelligence (AI) into their existing curriculum through interactive, cross-curricular lesson design. Using Elementari, teachers design lessons where students create and publish projects that connect coding with writing, storytelling, and content learning. The focus is on making CS integration practical, accessible, and aligned to diverse student needs, including multilingual learners.
By the end of the PD, educators will create a tested, classroom-ready Elementari lesson. Each lesson includes a standards-aligned plan, a student writing organizer with built-in scaffolds (such as sentence starters and word banks), assessment tools, and a clear strategy for classroom implementation.

Session 1: Experience Learning and Generate a Classroom Lesson
Educators begin by working through a guided Elementari activity from a student perspective. This experience demonstrates how coding supports writing and storytelling while introducing key CS concepts such as sequencing, events, functions, interactivity, and debugging.
Participants then explore how students create interactive projects such as choose-your-own-adventure stories, escape room games, and app-style experiences. These projects combine writing and coding with built-in supports such as structured organizers, scaffolded prompts, illustration libraries, and options for recorded voiceovers, music, sound effects, and multiple story paths. They will also review a range of student published projects from multilingual learners to students with diverse needs to see how all students can succeed and express themselves through writing and coding.
In the second half of the session, educators transition from learner to designer. Using the Elementari AI lesson generator, they input their grade level, topic, and instructional time. The tool generates a complete lesson, including writing supports, organizers, assessment materials, and standards alignment.

Session 2: Test, Refine, and Plan for Implementation
Educators review and analyze their AI-generated lessons, focusing on clarity, alignment, and accessibility. They evaluate how effectively the lesson supports student writing, content learning, and differentiation, and identify areas for refinement.
Participants also examine how the AI lesson generator works, including prompting strategies, how structured lesson components are generated, and how to evaluate outputs for accuracy, bias, and alignment to instructional goals.
Through peer feedback and collaborative testing, educators revise their lessons and strengthen scaffolds, differentiation, and student supports. They also explore classroom strategies such as peer feedback routines, group roles, and collaborative structures.
The session concludes with implementation planning. Educators determine where the lesson fits within their curriculum, how it will be delivered, and how it will support their students. Teachers leave with a tested, classroom-ready lesson and a clear plan for implementation.

This virtual two-session professional development helps K–12 educators integrate computer science (CS) into their existing curriculum through interactive storytelling and AI-supported lesson design. Teachers explore how students can create and share projects such as choose-your-own-adventure stories, escape room games, and app-style experiences that combine writing, visuals, audio, and interactivity to deepen content learning across subjects.

Educators begin by experiencing a student-facing project and then use the Elementari AI lesson generator to create a standards-aligned lesson tailored to their grade level, topic, and instructional time. Each lesson includes a structured student writing organizer, built-in scaffolds (such as sentence starters and word banks), and assessment tools to support multilingual learners and diverse student needs. In the second session, teachers test and refine their lessons through peer feedback. By the end they will leave with a tested, classroom-ready lesson and a free upgrade to use Elementari will all their students.

This virtual 2-day (6-hour) professional development helps K–12 educators integrate computer science (CS) and artificial intelligence (AI) into their existing curriculum through interactive, cross-curricular lesson design. Using Elementari, teachers design lessons where students create and publish projects that connect coding with writing, storytelling, and content learning. The focus is on making CS integration practical, accessible, and aligned to diverse student needs, including multilingual learners.

By the end of the PD, educators will create a tested, classroom-ready Elementari lesson. Each lesson includes a standards-aligned plan, a student writing organizer with built-in scaffolds (such as sentence starters and word banks), assessment tools, and a clear strategy for classroom implementation.

Session 1: Experience Learning and Generate a Classroom Lesson
Educators begin by working through a guided Elementari activity from a student perspective. This experience demonstrates how coding supports writing and storytelling while introducing key CS concepts such as sequencing, events, functions, interactivity, and debugging.

Participants then explore how students create interactive projects such as choose-your-own-adventure stories, escape room games, and app-style experiences. These projects combine writing and coding with built-in supports such as structured organizers, scaffolded prompts, illustration libraries, and options for recorded voiceovers, music, sound effects, and multiple story paths. They will also review a range of student published projects from multilingual learners to students with diverse needs to see how all students can succeed and express themselves through writing and coding.
In the second half of the session, educators transition from learner to designer. Using the Elementari AI lesson generator, they input their grade level, topic, and instructional time. The tool generates a complete lesson, including writing supports, organizers, assessment materials, and standards alignment.

Session 2: Test, Refine, and Plan for Implementation
Educators review and analyze their AI-generated lessons, focusing on clarity, alignment, and accessibility. They evaluate how effectively the lesson supports student writing, content learning, and differentiation, and identify areas for refinement.
Participants also examine how the AI lesson generator works, including prompting strategies, how structured lesson components are generated, and how to evaluate outputs for accuracy, bias, and alignment to instructional goals.
Through peer feedback and collaborative testing, educators revise their lessons and strengthen scaffolds, differentiation, and student supports. They also explore classroom strategies such as peer feedback routines, group roles, and collaborative structures.

The session concludes with implementation planning. Educators determine where the lesson fits within their curriculum, how it will be delivered, and how it will support their students. Teachers leave with a tested, classroom-ready lesson and a clear plan for implementation.

This is part 2 of a two part session you must attend part 1 to attend part 2.

This interactive workshop helps middle and high school educators transform foundational AI concepts into practical classroom experiences. Participants will explore selected AI tools through hands-on applications, design student-ready activities, and learn how inviting a guest AI expert can strengthen both conceptual understanding and real-world relevance. The session offers a theory-to-practice model that educators can directly adapt for engaging classroom instruction.

This workshop presents a classroom-ready model for helping middle and high school educators move from foundational AI concepts to direct classroom application. The session begins with a concise conceptual overview of how AI tools can support creativity, critical thinking, and student-centered learning across different subject areas. Participants will then engage in guided hands-on activities using selected AI tools to design student-ready classroom tasks and mini-projects.

A distinctive component of the workshop is the integration of a live guest AI expert, demonstrating how real-world voices from academia or industry can strengthen relevance, increase student motivation, and connect classroom learning with authentic applications. The session concludes with strategies for adapting this theory-to-practice model into participants’ own classrooms through reusable activity structures, guest speaker formats, and age-appropriate AI learning experiences for students ages 11–18.

Hackathons are an educational tool, because not only does a problem get identified but the solution to the problem is often one that requires vast research. When the solution is implemented using student interest, it can provide the community with awareness to the problem posed and the solution created.

Running a Hackathon may sound overwhelming, especially if one has not been run in your school before. This workshop will provide you with details and guidelines necessary to run a hackathon in your school. Hackathons are an educational tool, if implemented using student interest and community problems can be very effective in educations attendees on solving problems using computer science. Hackathons should be passion driven, propose a solution to a problem in the community and educate the community members on the problem and proposed solution. From this workshop, you will gain knowledge on how to create, implement and improve a hackathon in your school.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming how we collect, analyze, and act on data—but how do we translate this into meaningful classroom experiences?

In this interactive session, participants will explore practical strategies for integrating AI into Data Science instruction using real-world datasets and accessible classroom tools. Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming how we collect, analyze, and act on data—but how do we translate this into meaningful classroom experiences?

In this interactive session, participants will explore practical strategies for integrating AI into Data Science instruction using real-world datasets and accessible classroom tools. Drawing from my immersive experience at the University of New Mexico, diving into Data Science + AI with Bootstrap as the sponsor (June 22nd-27th, 2026), this session highlights how educators can move beyond theory and empower students to:
1. Analyze real datasets using AI-supported tools
2. Identify patterns, trends, and anomalies
3. Make ethical, data-driven decisions
4. Understand bias, limitations, and responsible AI use
5. Participants will leave with ready-to-use lesson ideas, student project frameworks, and tools that support equitable and engaging AI learning experiences aligned to CSTA standards.

This interactive keynote (90 min.) explores the intersection of AI and our values as educators.

Pushing against narratives of AI's "speed," "efficiency," and "optimization," in the classroom, this session creates space for participants to slow down, reflect, and discuss the values that truly drive our teaching. Engaging with the Analog Inspiration card deck, participants will explore how to center human values, skills, and concerns when integrating AI, preventing its misuse, and navigating difficult AI-related scenarios. The session will provide practical strategies for building trust with students, disincentivizing academic misconduct, and designing AI-integrated assignments that put learning at the center.