Cleveland, OH
July 8-11, 2025
Conference Website
CSTA 2025 is your backstage pass to connect with the ultimate community of K-12 computer science teachers. Join us in Cleveland, where the city’s vibrant rock spirit sets the perfect stage for you to reconnect with your fellow educators.
Thursday, July 10
Equipping Teachers to Introduce AI Concepts Through Professional Development
Rebecca Ellis, Kenia Wiedemann, Jie Chao, William Finzer, Shiyan Jiang, and Carolyn Rosé
2:00 – 3:30 PM ET, Table 13 (Poster Pavillion – Exhibit Hall C)
We will underscore the critical role of specialized, sustained professional development for educators, especially those in underrepresented regions, in supporting equitable access to advanced educational tools. Focusing on a recent PD program offered to computer science teachers in a southern state, we’ll delve into the design, implementation, and outcomes of a workshop that empowered educators to introduce artificial intelligence concepts to their students. Sixteen dedicated teachers participated in this intensive ten-hour workshop and integrated a five-lesson AI curriculum into their classrooms, reaching nearly 900 students. Through this case study, we’ll explore how the PD was tailored to address specific challenges in diverse classroom settings, highlighting the strategies teachers used to overcome barriers and foster greater student interest in AI. High teacher engagement and positive student outcomes suggest that this was a successful model for broader educational impact. We’ll share insights on designing impactful PD in similar contexts, the unique challenges faced by educators, and our roadmap for improving scalability and sustainability to benefit more communities. We will also share the materials that the teachers brought to their students during their implementations.