Program

NJEXCEL's Teacher Leader Certification program

Anne Kohart

NJEXCEL is the state- approved, innovative, non-traditional certification program with distinct models leading to a Certificate of Eligibility for Principal, Supervisor, Director of School Counseling Services,* School Administrator, or Teacher Leader.  Master's Degree Required, K-12.

Integrating the Standards in Stations

Chelsea Clarke

Learn how to integrate the grades 3-5 NJCSDT standards into hands-on stations. Work with similar grade level teachers to plan your stations for your classroom. 

Help Your Elementary Students Become Cyber-Smart!

Ellen Fishter

This presentation will cover: 

• What is Cybersecurity?

• Principles of Cybersecurity

• About Data Security & Passwords

• Data Security Threats

• National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

• Cybersecurity Goals & Skills

Building Robots with Arduino

Dalton Fowler

Learn how to create problem solving robots using the Arduino platform and C++.

Code and Create: Exploring the Magic of Machine Learning for Kids

Ryan Evans

The workshop will start by introducing the basics of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), and discuss how it is transforming the way we interact with technology. We will explore how machine learning algorithms are used in everyday applications like voice assistants, image recognition, and personalized recommendations. 

The presentation will then move into a hands-on learning activity using the Machine Learning for Kids platform. The activity will involve creating an AI device that will respond to kind or mean messages. Attendees will learn about natural language processing and how artificial intelligence devices are trained to understand and respond to user input. We will also explore extension activities and modifications can be used to address the multiple learning styles of students.

Curriculum Considerations in Designing Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Courses

William Grillo

There is an ongoing need for high school students to understand the fundamentals of "crypto." Many school districts are beginning to offer courses that unpack this knowledge base, but many school administrators struggle to develop curriculum. Is this a financial innovation? Computer science innovation? The answer is both and so much more. The purpose of this presentation would be to offer K-12 stakeholders a broad overview of what our students need to know before downloading and interacting with crypto and blockchain technologies. 

Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Academy

(Pre-registration required)

Exploring Programming (formerly CS0), Recommended for middle school and after-school clubs, python

CS1 Introduction to Programming, Recommended for high school, NON-AP

CSP, Recommended for classrooms learning APCSP

The CMU workshops will meet all three days (August 8 - 10) 10:30 am - 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. You must attend all three days.

CSTA Reflective Teacher Standards

Kimberly Curran Smith

Participants in this session will collaboratively unpack the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers. Through discussion and specific examples, participants will leave this session with a better understanding of the standards and new ideas for improving their pedagogical practice. This session will be a facilitated discussion targeting selected strands in the standards. Participants will reflect on their own practice and what they have seen in other computer science classrooms. The session will include new resources from the Reflective Teachers Workgroup.

Praxis Review

(Pre-registration required)

Ben Isecke

Are you worried about getting ready for the Praxis II Computer Science test in advance of NJ's 2027 CS teacher certification?  Ben Isecke's five session intensive will help you get into shape.  The course will meet during the three virtual days of NJCSPD week for a total of 15 hours and will have one more session two weeks later. Come and get prepped!

The Praxis workshop will meet all three days (August 8 - 10) 9:00 am - 3:00 pm with an hour break for lunch. You must attend all three days.

3D Computer Science with Tinkercad Codeblocks 

Kimberly Curran Smith

Learn to use Tinkercad Codeblocks to fuse Computer Science skills with Design Thinking concepts in a 3D environment. This K to 12 workshop covers setting up a Tinkercad classroom, understanding the workspace, and lesson plan examples for NJ Computer Science & Design Thinking standards using Tinkercad Codeblocks in any classroom. Participants will "tinker" with codeblocks for 3D design, micro:bits, Arduino, and Python languages. Classroom teachers will learn how to use Tinkercad Codeblocks  for hands-on computational thinking and spatial reasoning skills. 

Scratch Jr.

Jahaira Ortiz and Karen Wester

Learn how to use Scratch Jr. in the PreK-2 classroom. Please download the Scratch Jr. application prior to Tuesday's workshop.

Google CSFirst Using Scratch

Sherry Gick, Five Star Technology Solutions

Learn how to use Scratch in a controlled environment with Google CSFirst for Grades 4+.

Elementari

Nicole Li

K-12 teachers will learn how to incorporate coding and storytelling into the curriculum on the Elementari.com platform. Learn how to make stories come to life. 

Earsketch Creating and Producing Music with Coding

Alicia Testa

Middle School students will learn how to create songs for social justice using Earsketch.

CS is Not Just Coding: Exploring The Other Four Computer Science Standards

Paige Besthoff and Regina Nadbielny

Do you teach algorithms and programming while avoiding the four other CS concepts? Are you looking for fresh new ideas to bring CS into your classroom? This workshop is for you! We’ll chat about the four “other” CS concepts: computing systems, impacts of computing, data and analysis, and networks and the internet. Participants will try out hands-on activities, hear from teachers who have implemented these concepts in their classrooms, and get resources to bring the full range of CS concepts to their own classrooms.

Codes, Ciphers and Remainders

Hal Stern

Intro to ciphers and cryptography

Disney CodeIllusion

Learn about the Disney CodeIllusion platform by doing some hands-on activities. K-12

What’s the Code and Stylus, We STEM program

Kendall Schuchman, Clinical Research Associate Global Clinical Operations

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

This presentation focuses on sharing two activities with elementary and middle school teachers to spark students’ interest in STEM2D and teach basic science concepts.

What’s The Code is a coding design activity, where students work in teams to execute and interpret codes using a tapping grid (Polybius Grid) to sharpen their communication and listening skills as they learn basic coding concepts. In addition to problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity, students use interpersonal skills needed in STEM2D careers such as presenting ideas, negotiating, organizing, and working as a collaborative team.

Build Your Own Touch-Screen Stylus is an activity that introduces engineering and physics to students. They will learn that the foundation of engineering is creating a solution for a particular problem. In this case, we ask students what the problems of only using a finger to use your touch-screen device may be (e.g., your fingers get dirty, you don’t have precision, etc.). After using a pipe cleaner and water to create a working stylus, students are introduced to Electrostatic Principles as the stylus acts as a conductor, transmitting an electrical charge between the student’s hand and their phone screen.

You will need a cotton swab, pipe cleaner, straw, and a square of aluminum foil during this workshop. If you are attending in-person on Monday, these items except for aluminum foil, will be in your swag bag.

Engaging High School Students in Computer Science through an Extended Biology Crossover 

David Amiel, Yasemin Kinak, Jordyn Stanley

In this session, we will share a series of lessons developed that combine a required high school freshman biology class with students in computer science electives. In participating in learning activities that tie biology content directly with computer science and computational thinking, these lessons are aimed at recruiting and retaining more learners in CS.

Meet Qweebi

Aman Bansal and Vivek Seetharaman

Want to bring Design Thinking into your Computer Science curriculum. Love the idea of engineering and STEM activities but don't have the room to store materials or projects? Then Qweebi is for you. Come learn about this FREE virtual platform that runs on Chromebooks as well as other devices.

Adding Physical Computing to Introductory Computer Science Courses

John DeGood

At The College of New Jersey, the introductory course CSC 215: Computer Science I for Science and Engineering was reimagined. Two replacement courses, CSC 216 (with C++) and CSC 217 (with Python) were developed. Both new courses incorporate physical computing using a common microcontroller breadboard which can be programmed in either embedded C++ or MicroPython. This presentation will review the rationale and benefits of the course redesign.

Why not Host a Hackathon?

Roshell Gordon

Participants will learn how they can run a virtual hackathon from start to finish.  Step away with enough information and resources to host one next year!

High School Teacher Meetup

Teaching CS can be a lonely experience!  Join other high school teachers in this informal meetup to discuss the challenges and opportunities we face!

Middle School Teacher Meetup

Teaching CS can be a lonely experience!  Join other middle school teachers in this informal meetup to discuss the challenges and opportunities we face!

Elementary School Teacher Meetup

Teaching CS can be a lonely experience!  Join other elementary school teachers in this informal meetup to discuss the challenges and opportunities we face!