CSTANJ CSPDWeek 2026

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.

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.

Join this hands-on workshop to explore how coding with CoDrone can engage students in learning computer science concepts through flight-based challenges. Participants will program drones to complete interactive tasks while building skills in sequencing, loops, and problem-solving. No prior coding or drone experience is required.

Bring computer science to life through flight-based, hands-on learning in this interactive workshop focused on coding with CoDrone. Participants will explore how drones can be used as an engaging platform for teaching core programming concepts such as sequencing, loops, conditionals, variables, and debugging. By programming drones to complete structured challenges, educators will experience how abstract coding concepts translate into visible, real-time actions, helping make computer science more accessible and motivating for students.

Throughout the session, participants will engage in scaffolded activities that begin with basic drone control and progress toward more complex, mission-based coding tasks. These experiences are designed to model how educators can introduce computational thinking in a way that is both developmentally appropriate and highly engaging for learners with no prior coding experience. Emphasis will be placed on inquiry-based learning, problem-solving, and iterative design as participants test, refine, and improve their code to achieve specific flight objectives.

In addition to hands-on exploration, the workshop will highlight practical strategies for integrating drone-based coding into existing curricula across grade levels and subject areas. Participants will examine how these activities align with computer science standards and support interdisciplinary connections in math, science, and engineering. Guidance will also be provided on classroom management considerations, grouping strategies, and resource planning to ensure successful implementation.

By the end of the workshop, educators will leave with a clear understanding of how to use drones as a tool for teaching computer science, along with ready-to-use activity ideas and a foundational plan for integrating coding with drones into their own instructional settings.

Robotics Playground offers a full‑day, 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.

How do we move students from being passive consumers of technology to active creators? Join us for a fun, hands-on dive into the BBC micro:bit—the pocket-sized computer.

In this hands-on session, we will review the hardware and software that make physical computing with micro:bit possible. You’ll be provided with simple ideas on how to integrate the micro:bit across your entire curriculum, from Science, Math, Communications, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). During this session you will also build, download, and play a logic-based game using Microsoft Makecode. The game will help us explore pattern recognition and machine learning.

Overview of what a micro bit is

Examples of a lesson or activity that can be enhanced by adding in micro bits in the subject area of science, robotics, math, social emotional learning, communications.

Introduction to basic micro:bit functions using the Meet Your micro:bit activity, with printed hand outs for this

Educators will be provided with presentation slides that have access to sample lessons in various subject areas.

Practice: Attendees will learn to program their micro bit and then play Rock, paper, scissors game

Extension for more advanced users & real-world connection is linking this to the ideas presented by Elliot Lichtman in his book The Computer Always Wins.
Chapter 10 Rock, Paper… Paper, Learn how computers detect patterns in this game of random choice, Pattern recognition is something a computer is king of. Can you develop an advantage in this seemingly unbiased game by adding functions to your “code” such as boring, sore loser, or reluctance?

Join this hands-on workshop to explore how coding with CoDrone can engage students in learning computer science concepts through flight-based challenges. Participants will program drones to complete interactive tasks while building skills in sequencing, loops, and problem-solving. No prior coding or drone experience is required.

Bring computer science to life through flight-based, hands-on learning in this interactive workshop focused on coding with CoDrone. Participants will explore how drones can be used as an engaging platform for teaching core programming concepts such as sequencing, loops, conditionals, variables, and debugging. By programming drones to complete structured challenges, educators will experience how abstract coding concepts translate into visible, real-time actions, helping make computer science more accessible and motivating for students.

Throughout the session, participants will engage in scaffolded activities that begin with basic drone control and progress toward more complex, mission-based coding tasks. These experiences are designed to model how educators can introduce computational thinking in a way that is both developmentally appropriate and highly engaging for learners with no prior coding experience. Emphasis will be placed on inquiry-based learning, problem-solving, and iterative design as participants test, refine, and improve their code to achieve specific flight objectives.

In addition to hands-on exploration, the workshop will highlight practical strategies for integrating drone-based coding into existing curricula across grade levels and subject areas. Participants will examine how these activities align with computer science standards and support interdisciplinary connections in math, science, and engineering. Guidance will also be provided on classroom management considerations, grouping strategies, and resource planning to ensure successful implementation.

By the end of the workshop, educators will leave with a clear understanding of how to use drones as a tool for teaching computer science, along with ready-to-use activity ideas and a foundational plan for integrating coding with drones into their own instructional settings.

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.

Many younger learners disengage from script-based programming before mastering foundational concepts. This session demonstrates how physical computing with Microbits bridges that gap—teaching identical computational foundations (variables, loops, conditionals, functions, even basic OOP) through tangible, immediate feedback rather than abstract syntax.

We'll explore three interconnected tools:
Microbits as a Foundation-First Platform — How to scaffold the same concepts from your Python curriculum (Load → Structure → Analyze → Visualize → Interact) using hardware as the "output" instead of a terminal or visualization library. Real demo of a 6th-grade dance routine project.

The Challenge Creator App — An interactive tool built with Claude that generates differentiated microbit challenges on demand. You'll see how it works live: upload a challenge template, select a difficulty level, and get a fresh, student-ready problem.

Standards-Aligned AI Curriculum Co-Design — The system behind the tool: how to prompt Claude with your CSTA and NGSS standards framework, lesson templates, and Python curriculum scope, so it generates challenges that are pedagogically consistent AND standards-aligned. We'll discuss prompt engineering for reproducibility and what happens when you iterate.

The result: fewer students lost to syntax frustration, stronger conceptual foundations, and reusable, scalable challenge generation.

Standards to highlight:
CSTA 2-AP-10 (decomposition via functions)
CSTA 2-AP-12 (variables and data types)
NGSS MS-ETS1-1 (design and iteration)

Physical computing offers a powerful antidote to early disengagement from programming. When younger learners struggle with script-based syntax, they often abandon computational thinking altogether—even though they possess the foundational concepts needed to succeed. This session presents a pedagogical framework and toolkit for teaching core programming concepts through Microbits, where every keystroke produces immediate, tangible feedback.

The Core Problem:
Students aged 11–14 frequently hit a motivation wall in text-based programming. The abstraction between code and outcome feels disconnected; errors are opaque; success feels distant. Simultaneously, physical computing platforms like Microbits offer rich, real-time feedback—but many educators treat them as separate from "real" programming curricula. This session bridges that divide.

What Participants Will Learn:
1. Teaching Identical Foundations via Hardware
We'll map the same computational concepts from a rigorous Python curriculum—variables, loops, conditionals, functions, and even basic object-oriented principles—onto Microbits. The "Load → Structure → Analyze → Visualize → Interact" pipeline works just as well when your output is a servo, an LED, or a sensor reading as when it's a pandas DataFrame. Live demo includes a 6th-grade choreographed dance routine project that teaches sequencing, state management, and event-driven logic without a single print statement.
2. The Challenge Creator App: AI-Powered Differentiation
A custom interactive tool—built collaboratively with Claude—generates fresh, difficulty-leveled microbit challenges on demand. Participants will see it in action: upload a challenge template, select a target grade level and difficulty tier, and receive a student-ready problem within seconds. This solves the scaling problem: how do you maintain pedagogical consistency while creating enough variety to prevent boredom and support differentiation?
3. Standards-Aligned Curriculum Co-Design with AI
Behind the Challenge Creator lies a replicable prompt-engineering workflow. By feeding Claude your CSTA and NGSS standards framework, lesson plan templates, and Python curriculum scope, you can generate challenges that are both pedagogically sound AND officially aligned—without manual mapping. We'll discuss:

How to structure your knowledge base for Claude (what goes in, what stays out)
Prompt patterns that produce reproducible, high-quality challenges
When to iterate vs. when to trust the system
Privacy and intellectual property considerations

Why This Matters:
The goal is not to replace teacher judgment—it's to automate the routine, freeing you to focus on formative assessment, student confidence-building, and iteration. Participants will leave with a replicable framework they can adapt to their own hardware platforms, grade levels, and curricula.

Relevant Standards:
CSTA 2-AP-10: Decomposition and function design
CSTA 2-AP-12: Variables, data types, and state
CSTA 2-AP-16: Implementing algorithms (loops, conditionals)
NGSS MS-ETS1-1: Engineering design process (define, design, test, improve)
NGSS MS-PS4-3: Wave properties and digital signals (if incorporating sensor work)

Audience:
Middle school CS/STEM teachers, robotics educators, and anyone scaling physical computing curricula. No prior experience with Microbits or Claude required.

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 workshop moves beyond using microcontrollers to designing intelligent systems. Educators will explore how AI, physical computing, and engineering design intersect through the CreateAI for micro platform, while also extending into Arduino Uno for more complex hardware applications.

Participants will deepen their understanding of how to scaffold from beginner physical computing (Micro:bit) to more advanced systems (Arduino + AI), while building classroom-ready projects that integrate:

Machine learning concepts

Sensor-driven decision making

Real-world problem solving

Standards-aligned computational thinking

By the end of the session, educators will not only build, but also design curriculum systems that scale across grade levels.

Introduction to AI with Micro:bit (CreateAI)
Tool Focus: CreateAI for micro

Activities:
Train a simple ML model (e.g., gesture recognition or sound classification)

Connect model to Micro:bit inputs/outputs

Test real-time predictions

Concepts Covered:
What is machine learning? (classification vs. rule-based coding)

Training data vs. hard-coded logic

Inputs → Model → Outputs pipeline

Classroom Connection:
How to teach AI without requiring math-heavy background

Age-appropriate explanations of bias and accuracy

Activities:
Build a game or interactive system using CreateAI:

Example: reaction game, smart pet, movement-based controller

Integrate:

Variables (state tracking)

Conditional logic based on predictions

Feedback systems (LED, sound, motion)

Arduino Deep Dive
Tool Focus: Arduino Uno

Activities:
Compare Micro:bit vs Arduino:

Built-in vs external components

Build a simple circuit:

LED + sensor input

Intro to text-based programming (Arduino IDE)

Concepts:
Voltage, pins, and circuits

Scaling complexity in hardware systems

When to transition students to Arduino


Deliverables:
Sample rubric (process + product)

Project scaffolding templates

Challenge Design System (Whole Group) Activities:
Walkthrough of Challenge Creator workflow

Participants design their own:

Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced progression

Generate a standards-aligned challenge using AI

Join this hands-on workshop to explore how micro:bits and Forward Education’s Climate Action Kit can bring climate change concepts to life in your classroom. Participants will engage in interactive activities, build simple sensor-based projects, and discover practical strategies for integrating climate science and coding across the curriculum. No prior experience with micro:bits required.

Microsoft MakeCode to control Finch Robots, modeling climate data, simulating environmental challenges, and designing solutions. This hands-on experience connects coding to real-world issues while building data literacy and problem-solving skills.

Participants will apply computer science and coding with purpose, using Micro:bit coded in Microsoft MakeCode to control the Finch Robot, modeling climate data, simulating environmental challenges, and designing solutions. This learning experience emphasizes real-world relevance by connecting coding to meaningful climate challenges that students can understand and care about. It promotes data-driven thinking as participants use sensors and coding logic to collect, interpret, and represent environmental data. At the same time, it builds problem-solving skills by encouraging learners to design, test, and refine solutions to complex, real-world issues.

Join this hands-on workshop to explore how micro:bits and Forward Education’s Climate Action Kit can bring climate change concepts to life in your classroom. Participants will engage in interactive activities, build simple sensor-based projects, and discover practical strategies for integrating climate science and coding across the curriculum. No prior experience with micro:bits required.