2024 Virtual Fall Conference
The Oregon Computer Science Teachers Association (OregonCSTA) is an organization of teachers training teachers in Oregon since 1984. Our main focus is professional development in the areas of computer science and engineering education for K-12 educators and extended program volunteers.
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Next chance for Professional Development….
Spring Conference
April 12, 2025
George Fox University
Registration and details coming soon
This event has concluded. Thank you to all who attended.
2024 Virtual FALL CONFERENCE
October 5, 2024
9:00-12:30pm
Keynote Speakers
9:00-9:10a
Sean Glanz, OregonCSTA Board member & National CSTA NW Regional Manager
CSTA membership and resources
Slide Deck
Learn about all the wonderful resources the national CSTA has to offer through different levels of membership.
9:10-9:15a
Rosemary Fama, NCWIT
Slide Deck
Aspirations in Computing Award applications are OPEN! Encourage your students to apply before Oct 29th!
9:15-9:30a
Andrew Cronk, Oregon Department of Education
ODE Computer Science Initiative Update
Slide Deck
The ODE CS Initiative is a thing and will help bring high tech education to the student masses in Oregon. Andrew Cronk will lay out the latest and greatest development in the plan and how you can prepare for this cool statewide program.
9:30-10:30a 1st block concurrent sessions
Arduino, Philip Clark
Slide Deck
Grade level: Secondary
Learn how to include Arduinos into your high tech classroom or club. Start turning code into action with these ;physical computing devices.
Blackbird: Javascript instruction, Ness Blackbird
Grade level: Secondary
If you are looking for a very accessible coding curriculum, this is the session for you. Our online system teaches only real, text-based coding, but hundreds of middle and high school teachers with no coding background have successfully used it. Countless students have learned to code with our curricula, including thousands in required classes — not selecting for students who have the confidence and support to choose a coding class. A French teacher will attend the session to let you know about her experience learning and teaching coding. In addition to an extended curriculum which teaches only coding, we have standards-aligned middle-school math and science curricula which use coding as a way to teach the core material.
Exploring Computer Science, Michelle Balmeo and Kendra DeWater
Slide Deck
Grade level: Secondary
Learn about a high school level introductory computer science class with a focus on equity, inquiry, and computer science concepts. This class provides multiple entry points for students at any level, and engages them with high-interest lessons and student led learning.
VEX Robotics, Greg Smith
Slide Deck
Grade level: Secondary
Learn how the VEX Robotics Competition can inspire your students with hands-on engineering challenges, teamwork, and leadership opportunities, all while providing a pathway to state, national, and world competitions! No experience needed!
Remembering the Computer in Computer Science, Cady Geer
Slide Deck
Grade level: Secondary
IT fundamentals and beyond, leveraging and extending cyber.org resources in the classroom. Bring back the hardware, networking, and other real-world topics outside of coding without having to start from scratch.
10:30-11:30a 2nd block concurrent sessions
MicroBits, Rick Bush
Slide Deck
Grade level: Secondary
The master teacher microbit man will show you how to “jazz” up a middle school high tech classroom with the wizardry of Microbits.
K-5 Computational Learning Activities, Brenda Selby and Holly Phillips
Slide Deck
Grade level: Elementary
In this session, educators will gain access to numerous resources that can be used in the general education setting or a STEM based classroom including offline coding, robotics, and code-based applications. We will provide examples and opportunities to explore and connect with other teachers.
CS as High School Math 2+1 credit, Stephanie Partlow
Slide Deck
Grade level: High School
Come learn how to take your CS160/Computer science principles-like class and add in high school and discrete mathematics to make it count towards a student’s three required credits of math for their high school diploma! You do not need to be endorsed in math to make this happen: We will cover a couple of ways this can work. The best fit is a computer science principles-like class that covers a variety of topics in computer science (binary/hex, boolean logic, data science, AI, the Internet/networks, security/encryption, algorithms, etc) while also teaching the fundamentals of coding (in any language, but we particularly like Python). You will get a folder with a variety of computer science activities already aligned to math standards that you can drop into your current units as well as tips and tricks I learned while piloting this over the past year.
FIRST Robotics: LEGO and FIRST Tech Challenge for classroom and clubs, Craig Hudson
Slide Deck
Grade level: Secondary
FIRST robotics make students think outside-the-box… hands-on building, coding and learning with gracious professionalism. Students apply computer science through thttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1pCB9jMo9GGRXJiE84JTKqKKHAONyKq4L/view?usp=sharingheir choice of graphical languages, Python or Java. Learn from a “top of the pyramid” tournament manager on how to make FIRST robotics magic happen in classes and clubs.
11:30-12:30p 3rd block concurrent sessions
Everything OGPC, Pete Steinfeld
Slide Deck
Grade level: All
How to start an OGPC game design in-class or out of school clubs to compete with the rest of the numerous teams in Oregon.
TinkerCAD: Digital Building Blocks Made Easy, Jacob Niebergall
Slide Deck
Grade level: All
This class is for anyone interested in entering the 3D printing realm. In this session we will explore an incredible digital design tool called TinkerCAD. In this short session you will get hands on, creating your own simple digital model and create a virtual class for your students. This is a program accessible for anyone ages 6 to 96. Come ready to build!
code.org, Lindsay Pierce
Slide Deck
Grade level: All
Find out how Code.org and AVID con add curriculum and resources to your CS programs K-12.
Game Design: Scratch, Shawn Patrick Higgins
Grade level: 4-12
All things Scratch: curriculum, projects, levels and support.
* This session will be face-to-face!
October 11, 10a-3p @ Silverton High School. Lunch will be provided.
Register for this special session HERE.
Deeper Dive into Teaching Python, Don Kirkwood
Grade level: Secondary
Learn from the Python teaching guru himself, longtime CS teacher Don Kirkwood. Prepare to have your Python curriculum itch scratched with the extended deeper dive.
2024 Summer SuperQuest: VIRTUAL!
Join us for our flagship Professional Development SuperQuest program.
Save the dates and join us ONLINE for free! Registration is CLOSED! This event has been completed.
August 5-8 and August 12-15, 2024
Register for as many specific sessions as you wish!
SESSIONS
Immersive Realities: creating VR/AR class programming
Mon, August 5 @ 10am-12pm REGISTER
Instructor: Jay Schnoor & Marcus Nigrin
Dive into the world of 3D development with your students, designed to harness the powerful capabilities of Blocksmith XR and Unity for your classroom. Whether you prefer a self-guided journey or the structured guidance of an educator-led curriculum, this course adapts to fit your needs as a teacher. Throughout the session, you will see how your students will gain hands-on experience in creating interactive 3D projects that culminate in a Unity-based application, ready to showcase their new skills. Help your students transform their creative ideas into virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. Prepare them to unlock new opportunities in gaming, education, and beyond as they step into the realm of immersive technology.
Computer Science Optional Standards Update from ODE
Tues, August 6 @ 2-4pm REGISTER
Presenter: Andrew Cronk
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is in the process of developing computer science academic standards that will be an optional resource for schools. In this session, participants will be able to preview the work in progress and share feedback on the draft standards prior to their release. The standards will be for K-12, so all grade levels are welcome.
Modern App Design with Python and PyQt6
Wed, August 7 @ 2-4pm REGISTER
Instructor: Chris Winikka
Start making GUI apps in python using one of the best UI libraries out there: Qt. Get an overview the various widgets and layouts available through my video series and companion GitHub repository. Each video has a companion starter code on GitHub with a challenge and solution code. I’ll cover various widgets and layouts and demonstrate how to get user input and make something happen with the click of a button. I’ll also cover adding styles and even employing Google fonts You’ll want at least a basic understanding of code and Git skills.
Make your intro to computer science class count as a high school math graduation credit
Mon, August 12 @ 10am-12pm REGISTER
Instructors: Stephanie Partlow & Don Kirkwood
Changes to the Oregon high school math standards have opened up the opportunity for computer science to count towards a student’s three required credits of math under the “quantitative” math pathway. Bring your curriculum, lesson plans, and unit maps. We will help you match current Oregon HS math standards and college discrete math standards to the lessons and activities you already have. We will also share a variety of computer science activities already aligned to math standards that you can drop into your current units as well as tips and tricks we learned while piloting this over the last year. You do not need to be endorsed in math to make this happen: We will cover a couple of ways this can work. The best fit (that we’ve found so far) is a computer science principles-like class that covers a variety of topics in computer science (binary/hex, boolean logic, data science, AI, the Internet/networks, security/encryption, algorithms, etc) while also teaching the fundamentals of coding (in any language, but we particularly like Python).
Artificial Intelligence: The good, the bad and the ugly of harnessing it for the classroom and beyond
Mon, August 12 @ 6-8pm REGISTER
Wed, August 14 @ 2-4pm REGISTER
Instructor: Jacob Niebergall
Explore the big three AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) with hands on, real time prompt engineering. Bring your zaniest, dumbest, and most profound questions to test the limits of our future Robot Overlords! This class is for newbies and anyone who wants to explore the capabilities and limitations of current GenAI models.
CAD in the Classroom and Digital Fabrication
Mon, August 12 @ 2-4pm REGISTER
Thurs, August 15 @ 10am-12pm REGISTER
Instructor: Clark Farrand
Overview of Classroom CAD options/appropriate applications, grading methodologies and projects. Discussion of “Maker Space” digital fabrication/rapid prototyping technologies and potential projects
Godot 2D/3D game design engine similar to Unity and Unreal Engine. Free and FERPA compliant
Tues, August 13 @ 2-4pm REGISTER
Instructor: Bob Eckstein
Godot is a relatively new open-source game engine that is completely free, and requires no signup account to use. Simply download the application for any number of platforms and start building your game! This session will give an example of both a simple 2D and 3D game, complete with node and scene setup, an animation tree, and auxiliary programming logic using GDScript, a custom language for games nearly identical to Python.
ROV-Underwater Robotics
Tues, August 13 @ 6-8pm REGISTER
Instructor: Heidi Lent
Introduction to MATE ROV underwater robotics competition that starts at a very basic level with soldering motors onto a tether and further connected to a control box. This then can progress to advanced students creating their own control boxes with quite a bit of coding involved. Students Design & build an ROV. They also research, write, and create a marketing poster for competition that prepares them to orally present to engineers. Participants walk away with renewed interest in a fun way to incorporate soldering, and competing while learning about the Health of the Ocean and how ROVs can help. Advanced students can use 3D modeling, coding Arduinos, and so much more – start small – go big!
Intro Python – easy and fun to learn and teach, never asked, “Why do we have to learn this?”
Tues, August 13 @ 10am-12pm REGISTER
Instructor: Don Kirkwood
Intro to Python with a fun, tested, graphical approach that has been used with 7th -12th grades.
Intermediate Python – through AP course topics
Wed, August 14 @ 10am-12pm REGISTER
Instructor: Don Kirkwood
This session will overview intermediate topics: 1. Lists: pedagogy, purpose, types, sorts, searches. 2. Classes: purpose, syntax, uses. If time permits can discuss how classes lead to advanced data structures.
e-Car Challenge
Wed, August 14 @ 6-8pm REGISTER
Instructor: Srividhya (Sri) Sundaram
Tata Consultancy Services’ Ignite My Future –– where creative problem-solving meets technology to solve real-world problems. We know that 65% of elementary students will end up in a job that doesn’t exist yet – a computational thinking mindset prepares them for any career they will have in the future. Learn how to incorporate the seven strategies of computational thinking into your curriculum using Ignite My Future’s free transdisciplinary lessons and resources. Engage your students in STEM and CS with IMF’s Behind the Scenes. These exclusive lessons and videos help teachers and students enter the world of Formula E’s all electric racing with a behind the scenes look into the Jaguar TCS Racing Team. Attendees walk away with a digital backpack of ready to use lessons and strategies they can apply in any K-12 classroom!