Date
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Time
3:00 PM - 3:50 PM
Location Name
RL 9
Name
Once Upon a Debug
Description

Subject Areas: ELA, Math, and Digital Literacy Purpose: To demystify CS for K-5 teachers by integrating technical concepts into daily literacy blocks using picture books and unplugged pedagogy. Description & Content: CS doesn't require a screen. In this interactive session, participants explore how to use picture books to introduce algorithms, loops, and conditional logic. We will demonstrate how narrative structures mirror computational thinking, making CS accessible for all learners. Objectives & Engagement: Participants will: Identify CS concepts within existing classroom literature. Practice hands-on, unplugged activities (e.g., "debugging" a character’s routine or "if-then" story branching). Develop a toolkit of lessons aligned with Massachusetts DLCS Standards. Attendees will be actively engaged through collaborative "story-coding" simulations and small-group brainstorming to adapt these strategies for immediate classroom use.

Session Type
Traditional Workshop
Track
Computer Science
Secondary Track
Creativity and Design
Primary Audience
Elementary School
Secondary Audience
Librarians
Fall Conference Strands
Educate
MA DLCS Strands
Computing and Society, Digital Tools and Collaboration, Computational Thinking