Opening Keynote: Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing
Presented by Jane Margolis & Joanna Goode
Margolis and Goode discuss their research on why so few African-American, Latino/a, and female high school students are learning computer science. They argue that their study of computer science education reveals how inequality is reproduced in this country, despite the national hope and wish for technology to be a great equalizer. Margolis and Goode describe the building of a K-12/university interdisciplinary partnership with administrators and teachers of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the several interventions that have resulted.

Closing Keynote: Bridging the Great Divide Between University and K-12: Why Everyone Matters
Presented by Debra Richardson
Richardson discusses how bridging the divide between K-12 and higher education is our collective responsibility. Understanding this three-part divide--Knowledge, Information, Digital--helps to develop the tools required to build the bridge from both ends to meet in the middle. Bridging the knowledge divide attempts to educate K-12 educators about what students need in their toolbox in preparation for college. Bridging the information divide seeks to encourage two-way communications between the different levels in education. Bridging the digital divide addresses how to hurdle the challenges such as gender, race, culture, and economics. This talk explores why it matters for K-12 teachers and principals, parents and counselors (both K-12 and college), and college faculty to communicate with each other and understand the computer science discipline at all levels.

CS for all Students Using Differentiated Instruction
Presented by David Burkhart
We need to reach all students when teaching CS, but how? Some students can be difficult to reach. Come learn how you might apply differentiated instruction to your classroom to reach those difficult students. Participants will have an opportunity to share and brainstorm how they might use differentiation in their CS classroom.

Building Effective Leadership at the Grass Roots
Presented by Gail Chapman, John Harrison, Stephanie Hoeppner & Deepa Muralidhar
How do you build a community powerful enough to change the face of computer science education in your state? In its first year of existence, the CSTA Leadership Cohort has accomplished a great deal in terms of advocacy and outreach with various stakeholders responsible for computer science education. Panel members will discuss the activities in which they have participated and share practices that have been successful.

Partnering with Local Colleges to Get Grants
Presented by Steve Cooper
Few K-12 school districts partner with their local colleges. Even fewer partner with their local colleges to obtain federal grants. This session will explore National Science Foundation grant programs that are particularly appropriate to K-12 school district/university partnerships.

Transitioning from Alice to Java
Presented by Steve Cooper
While Alice has taken off in popularity, it is still not considered a professional development language. Thus, for teachers wishing to give their students experience in programming with a "real" language, it is necessary to introduce a language such as Java. This session will cover transition issues moving between teaching with Alice 2 and then teaching with Java.

Teaching Computing with Culturally Situated Design Tools
Presented by Ron Eglash
This session explores ways of making math and computer science education more culturally relevant for students. Culturally Situated Design Tools (CSDTs) are an NSF-funded suite of free applets based on ethnomathematics: the mathematical knowledge embedded in cultural designs such as cornrow hairstyles, Native American beadwork, Latino percussion rhythms, and urban graffiti. CSDTs allow students to use these underlying mathematical principles to simulate the original cultural designs, create new designs of their own invention, and engage in specific math and computing inquiries.

Teaching Tips We Wish Someone Had Told Us Sooner
Presented by Barb Ericson, Deepa Muralidhar, Robb Cutler
All teachers have a set of teaching tips that they pick up over the years. Barb, Robb, and Deepa will each share their top ten things that they wish others would have told them sooner. Then, we will open it up to the teachers in the audience to share their tips.

Making Computer Science Normal
Presented by Dan Frost
As a course in kindergarten through 12th grade, Computer Science isn't normal like Math, English, Art, and Physical Education are. Or is it? In this session we'll examine how and why CS is different, and discuss what can be done to make it more normal.

Attracting Girls to Computing: Strategies, Barriers and a Role Model Project
Presented by Barbara Boucher-Owens
This session highlights the most successful strategies for attracting females to computing. After a brief recap of the depressing data, this session delineates steps that are leading to successful recruiting of students into the field, tempered by many caveats. The final focus will be on a role model project, the Computing Educators Oral History Project, which utilizes personal stories of females told through audio interviews. This project may serve as a template for garnering the stories of young women who have commenced on paths leading to computing careers.

Web Design Course: Creating Tool Builders
Presented by Pat Phillips & David Burkhart
As a course in kindergarten through 12th grade, Computer Science isn't normal like Math, English, Art, and Physical Education are. Or is it? In this session we'll examine how and why CS is different, and discuss what can be done to make it more normal.

Computational Thinking - A Problem Solving Tool for Every Classroom
Presented by Pat Phillips
Computational thinking is an analytical tool for problem solving with models and methods from computer science. It should be a subset of the analytical skills students have in math, science, social studies, the humanities and more. Computational thinking is a fundamental skill for everyone, not just computer scientists. Learn how to include computational thinking strategies in your classes and how to encourage your colleagues to engage their students in meaningful computational strategies.

SAS Programming for High Schools
Presented by Deborah Seehorn
Are you looking for a high school course that will provide your students with more rigor and relevance while preparing them for high skill, high demand career opportunities? SAS Programming for High School could be for you! SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and SAS programmers are in high demand in technology, marketing, financial services, and many other sectors. Attend this session to learn how North Carolina has integrated SAS Programming into the high school curriculum and how you can participate in the program. Also available for download are a brochure about SAS Programming and an informational flyer about SAS.

Using Game Maker to Motivate and Engage Students
Presented by Fran Trees
Game development offers high school computer science teachers opportunities to teach computer science concepts through exciting and effective student-centered learning strategies. This session will introduce resources and techniques to add game development to your present curriculum. Gaming units can be added at the end of, or the beginning of, the introductory course you are now teaching.

Inheritance, Polymorphism & Interfaces
Presented by Fran Trees
Inheritance is arguably one of the most powerful features of an object-oriented language. Conceptually inheritance is easy to understand and is something that we encounter all the time in our lives. Unfortunately, that does not necessarily imply that inheritance is easy-to-teach or easy-to-learn in the introductory programming environment. This session will provide teachers with an overview of inheritance, polymorphism, and interfaces and provide usable classroom exercises and examples.

Scratching the Surface Of Computer Science With Scratch!
Presented by Michelle Venable-Foster
This session will introduce a creative way of teaching computer science programming using the Scratch programming environment, a drag and drop programming environment created by the Lifelong Kindergarten group of MIT's Media Lab. Scratch can be used to introduce programming topics and problem-solving skills to students as young as 8 years old! Scratch provides a creative and intuitive way for instructors to present programming algorithms, and yet allow the students to express their autonomy by creating original computer games, digital stories, and interactive media. You will leave with a framework on how to engage students by using Scratch and its online community to foster an appreciation for programming without them even knowing it!

Navigating the Professional Certification Maze
Presented by Anita Verno & Alfred Thompson
Do certifications have a place in K-12 Computer Science? Join us for a lively discussion of the pros and cons of professional certifications. We will focus on the CompTIA A+, Oracle Certified Associate, and Microsoft certifications. Discussion issues will include vendor neutral vs. vendor specific certifications and the value of certifications in the job market.

Making CS Happen in K-8
Presented by Anita Verno, Michelle Hutton & Dan Frost
Computer Science education should begin early and continue throughout high school and beyond. Successful CS education in high school cannot exist without a solid foundation in K-8. Learn about CSTA's proposed K-8 computer science curriculum, join the discussion about its viability and appropriateness as preparation for high school course work, and provide final thoughts before the curriculum is complete. Additional materials are available for download here and here.

Public Policy & Advocacy: The Long Road Ahead
Presented by Cameron Wilson
Too few students have the opportunity to take engaging and rigorous computer science classes in high school. There is little diversity among those that do. And too few opportunities exist for professional development for teachers. Many factors contribute to these problems, but a critical one is getting policy makers at all levels of government to understand why exposing students to a rigorous computing curriculum is critical at the K-12 level and why it isn’t happening now. This presentation will look at the complex education policy environment; discuss current strategies to get computer science noticed and counted; and the need for a long-term national, state and local strategy of engagement if we are going to reform computer science education at the K-12 level.