The call for proposals for the 14th Annual CSTA Conference is now live. The conference will be held on July 14-15, 2014 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois (just outside of Chicago).
Serving as a member of the conference committee the past three years, I have been constantly impressed and inspired by the quality of the presentations from you, our members. The 3-hour workshops sessions, which run on the first day of the conference, have provided time for learning through hands-on exploration and extended discussion. The 1-hour sessions, which run on the second day, have provided sufficient time for the presentation and discussion of new technologies, educational initiatives, and classroom experiences. As the CSTA Conference has grown over the years, so has the number of proposals we receive. In 2013, there were 98 proposals for the conference (37 workshop and 61 presentation sessions), up from 55 in 2012. Due to the number and high quality of the proposals, we were able to add more workshop sessions and accommodate even more attendees in 2013.
This year, we are hoping to expand the opportunity to contribute even more by introducing a limited number of 20-minute mini-sessions to the program. These mini-sessions, which will focus on pedagogy and best teaching practices, will allow teachers who have great ideas to contribute without having to fill an entire hour. The plan is to bundle related mini-sessions in groups of three, to conform to the 1-hour time slots. That way, we can get more contributors involved and provide an even greater variety of perspectives at the conference. So, if you have a great idea, a nifty educational tool, a new approach to teaching a topic, or just an interesting experience that you think would be of interest to your peers, consider submitting a mini-session proposal for CSTA 2014.
Whether you submit or not, definitely mark July 14-15 on your calendar for CSTA’s premier professional development event.
Dave Reed
CSTA Conference Chair
College Faculty Representative, CSTA Board of Directors

As I sit down to work on the November 2013 issue of the Voice newsletter, it occurs to me what a significant transformation this issue represents. The CSTA Voice is going green! And along with a departure from nearly 10 years of print tradition, comes many new and exciting opportunities alongside the comfort and traditions you’ve come to expect.
The primary goal of the Voice is to provide analysis and commentary on issues relating to K-12 computer science education issues, resources for educators, and information for member. That’s not going to change.
If you value the printed copy of the Voice, you will be able to download and print a copy to slide on to the principal’s desk or read and dog-ear at your convenience. That’s not going to change.
I welcome your suggestions for topics and offers to write for the Voice. Your expertise and sights are what make the Voice a valuable resource for CSTA members. That’s not going to change.
But some things will change:

All things considered, this is the right move for us. I’m delighted with the change. I’m sure you will be too. Please let me hear from you soon with your topic ideas for the new green Voice.
Pat Phillips, Editor
CSTA Voice

Like many non-profit institutions, CSTA is always looking for new, more efficient ways to do business and for ways to keep CSTA membership free of charge for individual members. We also try to be proactive when it comes to addressing member concerns. Both of these factors have contributed to our decision to distribute the CSTA Voice electronically starting with the November 2013 issue.
The decision to cease printing and mailing the Voice was a difficult one for the CSTA Board of Directors. We know that there are a number of members who value receiving their printed Voice every two months. But rising costs and requests from our members to be more environmentally conscious made this change inevitable.
CSTA’s membership continues to grow by more than 25% per year and as a result, our CSTA Voice circulation is closing in on 16,000 copies per issue. This means we have to print 96,000 copies of the Voice per year and pay the postage for 96,000 mailings to 124 countries. With recent increases in printing and postage, our costs have already edged over $60,000 per year and were certain to keep increasing. Our choice was clear, start charging members for the CSTA Voice or change our distribution model.
Over the last two years we have also been receiving increasing requests from our members to “green” our publication distribution processes and policies. And so we have moved to online distribution for all of our key reports, documents, and resources. Up until now, the Voice has been the only exception to this strategy. But as one member said in a recent email, “It makes no sense for a technology-focused organization like CSTA to keep killing trees to print and mail the Voice when most other organizations are going to electronic distribution”.
So as of the November issue, we are moving to online distribution of the Voice. Every two months CSTA members will receive an email with an electronic publication containing briefs of all of the Voice articles in that issue. You will then be able to click through to read the articles that interest you. If you want a complete copy of the issue, you will still be able to download it directly from the CSTA website and each e-issue will provide the download link.
We know that this is a big change for CSTA members, but we hope that you will see it as proof of our commitment to making our community accessible, affordable, and environmentally responsible.
Deborah Seehorn
Chair, CSTA Board of Directors
Chris Stephenson
CSTA Executive Director

Many of us spend a lot of time trying to convince those around us (colleagues, school administrators, district leaders, politicians, etc.) of the importance of computer science education for all students. I have certainly staked much of my identity to doing just this, and I know many readers of this column are the same way.
If you’re like me, you’ve also wondered why it is so hard to show people something that seems so a priori obvious: that computers and digital technology have changed the world so profoundly that for the foundational knowledge that makes this technology possible to affect education in something besides a superficial fashion is inconceivable.(1)
Thanks to recent efforts like those of Code.org the public view of computer science, or at least technology education in schools, seems to be shifting from the view that mere exposure and access to technology (the “if you build it, they will come” model) is some kind of magic bullet that will make students “better with computers.” As educators, we know that increasing and improving both the teaching and learning of CS is going to be essential if we are to truly meet our nation’s need for computer science talent. But, what exactly needs to be in place for that to happen?
The results of a study just released by the University of Chicago’s Center for Elementary Math and Science Education (CEMSE) and Urban Education Institute might help shed some light on the necessary supports needed, and what the barriers are to providing quality computer science education learning opportunities for students. The CS in Schools report builds off the results in the Teacher Capacity Survey which surveyed nearly 800 CS teachers, with in-depth interviews with both administrators and teachers. In interviews, both teachers and administrators signaled that misconceptions about computer science, low prioritization of computer science as a course, and limited availability of CS teachers are three huge barriers to providing CS opportunities to our students.
In addition to these three common barriers, teachers also identified two other challenges they face: isolation and lack of instructional materials. Interestingly school administrators identified another: the competition CS courses face “against” other courses in their schools. Teachers and administrators both agreed on the importance of teacher professional development. And teachers also identified the five other important supports: professional networks, online resources, school-provided materials, support from universities, and student interest.
Read more and hear responses from teachers and administrators in their own words here. Do these barriers and supports to ring true to your school?
Baker Franke
CSTA Leadership Cohort Member
(1) This is almost a verbatim quote from John Dewey who was struggling with similar changes brought about by the industrial revolution 100 years ago. See: John Dewey. “The School and Social Progress.” University of Chicago Press (1907): Chapter 1: The School and Society. pp 20-21.
University of Chicago Laboratory High School (Chicago, IL)