The K-5 Computer Science Standards Workshop featured hands-on model lessons like graphing with Skittles and cup stacking algorithms to build educators' content knowledge and pedagogical skills. Participants reported increased confidence in teaching CS concepts, and findings were published in Technology & Engineering Education journal.
By Anna Lasek, Communications Assistant at Rutgers CESP
As computer science (CS) is developing in K-12 education across the U.S., states like New Jersey are implementing CS learning standards starting in elementary school. While this move promises to expand access and equity in computing education, it also tests preparedness. What can we do to prepare educators, especially those without a background in CS, to effectively teach these concepts?
A recent professional learning initiative led by the Rutgers Center for Effective School Practices (CESP) addressed all of these factors straight on. CESP designed a workshop dedicated to building the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of educators who are implementing New Jersey’s K–5 Computer Science Student Learning Standards to the curriculum.
Why start early? Computer science education isn't only to prepare students to work as software engineers or computer programmers. CS education allows students to develop nuanced approaches to problem-solving and cultivates a computational thinking mindset that will be useful, if not necessary, for any career path in our technology-driven world. Early exposure to computing can reduce gender-based stereotypes and promote equity by engaging all learners.
However, access to CS education remains uneven. In New Jersey, despite 88% of high school students attending schools that offer CS, only 7.1% enroll in foundational courses. Disparities vary among various demographics including among female students, Black and Hispanic students, and students with disabilities. CS in the elementary curriculum allows educators to address these gaps earlier.
The CS Standards Workshop: An Overview
The K–5 Computer Science Standards Workshop was created in direct response to these needs. Key features of the workshop included:
Model Lessons: Participants experienced standards-aligned lessons firsthand, such as:
Graphing with Skittles: A colorful, hands-on data visualization activity using bar graphs and spreadsheets.
Cup Stacking Algorithms: A tactile introduction to algorithmic thinking and decomposition using plastic cups and directional symbols.
Immediate Application: Following each lesson, educators reflected on how it could be adapted to their classrooms and collaboratively developed new lesson plans in breakout groups.
Active Learning & Collaboration: Each day included structured opportunities for discussion, co-creation, and reflection—practices known to improve retention and pedagogical transfer.
Independent Quest: Between the two workshop days, participants explored a CS standard in greater depth and contributed resources or ideas to a shared digital repository.
Virtual and Asynchronous Support: Materials were mailed to participants ahead of time, and a shared drive of resources remained accessible after the workshop for ongoing collaboration.
What We Learned
Valuable insights from various educators were shared in surveys and collaborative documents. Before the workshop, the biggest perceived challenge was lack of CS subject knowledge. Other systemic challenges like overloaded curricula and limited instructional time were seen as harder to overcome. However, this workshop provided educators more knowledge and understanding of what CS is, how to navigate various challenges, and how to teach the subject matter to students more effectively.
Importantly, attendees expressed strong interest in continued CS-focused PD and sought more lessons, tools, and guidance on equity and inclusion.
Moving Forward
Building educator capacity and understanding is critical foundation to offering high-quality, sustainable CS education. As CS enters elementary spaces, all educators should receive organized and intentional professional learning to develop their own content and pedagogical knowledge around CS. It gives educators the opportunity to digest all of this information and share it with their students effectively.
The success of this workshop also offers insights for PD providers, policymakers, and school leaders. Key takeaways include:
Professional learning should be active, applied, and collaborative.
Teacher preparation must account for the diverse roles delivering CS content.
Workshops must prioritize DEIA from the start to ensure CS instruction is inclusive and accessible.
Ongoing support and shared resource hubs are useful resources for educators and should be accessed throughout.
As more states adopt K–12 CS standards, we can equip educators not only to teach CS—but to teach it well. You can read more about the K–5 Computer Science Standards Workshop in our article, Building Elementary Computer Science Educators' Capacity: A Workshop to Improve Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, published in Technology & Engineering Education (Vol. 2, Iss. 3).