• The CSN Playground is focused around ideas, issues and practical examples which support our mission of teaching and learning about computing. We are focused on both the newly released ISTE Standards for Educators of Computer Science as well as the ISTE Standards for Students, both of which are extensively driven by the Computational Thinking framework.

• Here is our general playground guidance from ISTE's program committee:  All playground content is meant to be educator led. Vendor presence is not acceptable. This is an opportunity for educators to share how they are using tools in their classroom. It is not an exhibitor hall. Product presence in playgrounds is acceptable as long as the equipment is being used in the playground by presenting educators.  

• We want all exhibits to identify aspects of Computational Thinking they support and be primarily staffed by educators and students. Areas included are computer science and information technology areas. From a degree, program or career perspective, this would include the ACM Curriculum areas of Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Information Systems and Computer Engineering.

• Our members come from a very diverse educational component – many are teachers in the classroom, but we also have teacher educators, media specialists, some in education services (such as consultants or providers of outside content). Our membership draws from many of the 26 Professional Learning Networks (PLNs). Our members are looking for ways to to encourage the creative use the technology including its modification and adaptation, by students solving interesting, relevant and new problems in the classroom. In this way we meet our mission of teaching and learning about computing.

• As indicated earlier, for ISTE 2019 our Playground will again focus on Computational Thinking (CT). The knowledge, skills, dispositions and vocabulary are defined and exemplified in three documents from ISTE's Computational Thinking page of resources.
• Operational Definition of CT (includes knowledge, skills and dispositions)
• Concepts/Vocabulary and Progression Chart
• Concepts/Vocabulary and Discipline Chart

PLAYGROUND

• Time and location: Sunday, June 23, 2019 from 1:30pm-4:30pm, located opposite the main registration area with heavy traffic as people register for the conference.
• we have 4 presentation areas with interactive screens for projecting data along with an area for 12 tables of size 4'x4' and about 10 six-foot rectangular tables used as project demonstration/ exhibit areas
• Leaders: Joe Kmoch <joe@jkmoch.com> and Karen North <knorth@me.com>, Pamela Ossario <possorio@houstonisd.org> and Heidi Williams <heidi@stretchinstructor.com>

• Playground Title: Computational Thinking in Computer Science, STEM, STEAM and CTE
• Playground Description for Program:
• Interact with student teams showing projects highlighting core CT concepts. They represent programs in the Philadelphia area. See the future in these students!
• Purpose and Objective
• The purpose is to have each of our exhibits identify both concepts and dispositions of Computational Thinking which their project highlights primarily and secondarily. The mapping to the CCSS Mathematical Practices should be clear from this. Both informal education (ala 4-H, Boys & Girls Clubs) and formal classroom education will be seen.
• Outline
• The participants in the playground will determine any short presentations they will make to visitors; by necessity, these will be short but informative to the visitors. The playground area is laid out in a kind of buffet-style where visitors can pick and choose who they want to talk to and what they want to see
• Standards addressed
• There is a distinct and close mapping between the CCSM Mathematics Practices and the Computational Thinking Dispositions and Concepts. Through the student projects which will be primarily grades 4-12, the dispositions on display will be
• Confidence in dealing with complexity
• Persistence in working with difficult problems
• Tolerance for ambiguity
• The ability the deal with open ended problems
• The ability to communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal or solution
• These are consistent and are mapped to the 8 CCSM Math Practices.

• Plan
• Our plans now include
• engaging informal education groups that have STEM or CS or IT programs which students would demonstrate
• including one or more tabletop robotics with student demonstrations (e.g., Bee-Bots/Pro-Bots, Spheros)
• finding a college team that has created an outreach program aimed at middle and/or high school students
• involving one or more winners of the Philadelphia area NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing competition to demonstrate their current work
• engaging workshop leaders for the Code.org K-5 computer science program and the Code.org APCSPrinciples curriculum
• possibly engaging representative USFIRST Robotics Teams at each of their levels: FRC, FTC, FLL and FLLjr.
• possibly engaging a representative VEX Robotics Team
• We will focus our Playground with the dual notions that this is all about Computational Thinking and that computing careers (largely computer science based) will make up about 70% of all new STEM jobs over the next half dozen years at least.

Previous Playgrounds

2010: Denver;

2011: Philadelphia;

2012: San Diego;

2013: San Antonio;

2014: Atlanta;

2015: Philadelphia;

2016: Denver;

2017: San Antonio;

2018: Chicago;

2019: Philadelphia

2018-2019 Philadelphia Contacts page 

2014-2015 Philadelphia Contacts page

Chicago participants are on a spreadsheet in the Playground-2018 folder within CSN Computer Science Network/ISTE-2018