What would happen if generalist K-5 teachers had the technical support to build custom digital tools integrating computing concepts across other fields of study? This could open new avenues for students to learn computational thinking, without compromising time spent in other important subject areas. Furthermore, it could grant teachers the same level of creativity in developing computing resources that they have in other curriculum areas, rather than being limited by available resources or by their own lack of expertise. With this poster, we will cover our approach to co-designing digital tools with K-5 teachers for the primary goal of integrating computing concepts into a variety of other subject areas. We reflect on the observations we made throughout the collaboration and how they impacted our approach moving forward. Additionally, we will highlight some of the tools that came out of the collaboration and how co-designing a specialized digital tool from the ground up granted teachers the flexibility to explore ideas beyond integrating computer science concepts, including student accessibility, engagement, and social emotional learning (SEL).

In the K-5 setting, introduction of computer science (CS) through integration with other content areas is a promising pathway to expand CS access in a manner which is meaningful, accessible, sustainable, and scalable. We have developed a suite of planning tools to support CS-novice elementary classroom teachers (N = 44) to develop CS-embedded units through iterative planning and feedback. A unit template, grounded in best practices like Universal Design for Learning and Understanding by Design, progresses through foci on CS Connections, Unpacking, Instructional Resources, Assessment, and Supports & Meaning to teach CS and another area side-by-side. A matched set of checklists prompt self-reflection while rubrics define high-quality attributes for use in self, peer, or expert feedback. Our experience using these tools has been positive; 100% of survey respondents agreed the tools were successful in supporting the design process (N = 19). Our experience with these tools has shown a proof-of-concept for elementary classroom teachers as designers of CS-embedded units. Grounded in and responsive to teachers' real-world target content area curriculum expectations, these units offer a path to institutionalizing CS.

Teacher dispositions have strong empirical and theoretical ties to teacher motivation, professional choices, and classroom practices. The attitudes and beliefs of teachers can mediate students' access to and experience with computer science (CS) instruction. This paper presents a baseline study to illuminate initial characteristics, beliefs, and experiences with CS of an elementary school teaching population in multiple districts across two states. As part of their onboarding to a large CS outreach project, U.S. teachers (N = 791) from partnering elementary schools (N = 28) completed the T-ABC, a survey instrument designed to measure teachers' beliefs about CS education, growth-mindset and self-efficacy. Prior CS professional development experiences were associated with statistically significant differences in the CS Beliefs and Self-Efficacy dimensions of the T-ABC. We present and discuss an additional principal component analysis producing a seven factor model, with psychometric overview of factor extraction and loading. Further we begin to define emergent factors such as teacher determination, teacher fear, and epistemologically confused positivity from this analysis. Identification and measurement of teacher dispositions enables further analysis of how teacher beliefs may support or hinder effective practice in CS instruction, how teacher populations may differ, and how identified dispositions may change with exposure to various CS learning experiences.

Instrument development is an important step towards unlocking the analytical power of teacher attitudes and beliefs towards Computer Science (CS). Teacher dispositions have strong empirical and theoretical ties to teacher motivation, professional choices, and classroom practices. To determine consensus desirable attitudes and beliefs, we analyzed 17 key documents produced by 12 national and international organizations associated with CS and the CS education reform movement. An analysis of 98 relevant coded segments yielded four dispositional targets: an equity orientation, a teacher growth mindset, and key beliefs regarding (career) outcomes and epistemology of CS. Statements crafted for these targets as well as self-efficacy were reviewed through an expert panel (N = 5) and a pilot study (N = 22) before the T-ABC was administered to elementary teachers in a large grant-funded outreach project (N = 772). Psychometric analysis demonstrates high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89) and satisfactory extraction and loading onto a three factor model, with CS beliefs, growth mindset, and self-efficacy as major factors. Identification and measurements of teacher dispositions enables further analysis of how teacher beliefs may support or hinder effective practice in CS instruction, how teacher populations may differ, and how identified dispositions may change with exposure to various CS learning experiences.

In the quest to study and deliver Computer Science (CS) education reform, attention to gate-keeping teacher characteristics is imperative. Broad research in teacher education has demonstrated that teacher dispositions are an important driver of teacher motivation, professional choices, and classroom practices. Identification and measurements of teacher dispositions enables further analysis of how teacher beliefs may support or hinder effective practice in CS instruction, how teacher populations may differ, and how identified dispositions may change with exposure to various CS learning experiences. We analyzed 17 key documents produced by 12 national CS organizations using a grounded theory methodology to identify desirable attitudes and beliefs associated with CS and the CS education reform movement. The documents included standards, corporate research reports, advocacy tools for CS education, and organizational documents of professional associations for CS and CS Education. The analysis yielded several important dispositional targets for description and measurement in the area of teacher attitudes and beliefs. An analysis of 98 coded segments related to dispositions yielded consensus attitudes and beliefs. Professional documents in CS highlight an equity orientation, a teacher growth mindset, and identify key beliefs regarding (career) outcomes and epistemology of CS. It is possible, based on this analysis, to create a profile of a teacher who demonstrates the attitudes and beliefs of a reform-aligned CS teacher, the CS "Champion''. Instrument development along these factors is an important next step towards unlocking the analytical power of teacher attitudes and beliefs.

As a prerequisite to ACM-IEEE CS1/CS2 curricula, common objectives of a CS0 course are: (i) to introduce CS to students who are interested, but do not have any prior CS skills, (ii) support student success while adapting to college life, and (iii) improve recruitment and retention of CS majors using the 'common first year' theme of many STEM programs. A previous CSO survey course at our institution focused on abstract logic, without any hands-on component, resulting in a CS0 "gate" course- a dull first encounter with computer science for most and an 'extremely fun and interesting' course for the few with pre-existing abstract thinking and reasoning skills. The missed opportunity to engage more students with CS, and thereby contribute to program viability and growth, spurred curriculum renewal. Given the existence of multiple high-quality offerings of CS curricula geared toward P-12 students, including at the AP-level, and also relying on our existing institutional partnership with a national non-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to CS in schools and addressing patterns of underrepresentation, we have implemented a new course based on a Computer Science Principles curriculum. This poster provides details of implementation as well as student experience and feedback with the first cohort of this brand-new course.