Rock CS 2025 | Rocky Mountain Computer Science Conference for P-12 Educators: Full Schedule

Rock CS is a professional development event designed by Adams 12 Five Star Schools and St. Vrain Valley School District.

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TBA

Stretching Minds and Bodies: Exploring Problem-Solving in Action

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

This session will get you and your students moving mindfully. Learn techniques and activities that combine students' problem-solving skills with physical challenges, connecting their minds and bodies to Computer Science concepts in a safe and inclusive environment. The session will begin with breath-awareness practices and move into computer science activities out of our seats! Come prepared to stretch your mind and body through cooperative learning strategies and hands-on activities!

Speakers

Cassandra Bryning

Business and Computer Science Teacher, Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Cassandra has taught Computer Science and Business in elementary, middle and high school classes for over 10 years. For the past 4 years, she has been a part of the team that planned and implemented Adams 12 Five Star Schools’ online school: Five Star Online Academy. In 2024 she... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

1-hour presentation

Intended Audience 3-5 teachers, 6-8 teachers
Skill Level BEGINNER: Limited or no experience or prior topic knowledge; no prerequisite skills required.
Topic Block Programming, Classroom Practice / Pedagogy / Instructional Strategies, SEL- Social Emotional Learning AND Unplugged
Device Compatibility Android Device, Chromebook, iOS Device, Mac Computer, Windows Computer

TBA

Teaching Test-Driven Development with AI-generated Code for HS Students

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

In this session, teachers will learn 5 test-driven development strategies they can teach HS students to use with AI-generated Python code (unit tests, edge cases, assert statements with descriptive statements, before/after validation, test iteration).

Speakers

Aaron Verstraete

Christine Liebe

Professor of Practice, Colorado School of Mines

Christine Liebe, Ph.D., is a Professor of Practice in the Computer Science Department at Colorado School of Mines, Director of the Teach@Mines Program, and a K-12 licensed educator. She developed the first K-12 CS pre-service courses in Colorado.

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

1-hour presentation

Skill Level INTERMEDIATE: Basic core competency or knowledge of the topic; some prerequisite skills or knowledge required.
Topic Artificial Intelligence (AI) including Machine Learning, Classroom Practice / Pedagogy / Instructional Strategies, Text-based Programming
Device Compatibility Android Device, Chromebook, iOS Device, Mac Computer, Windows Computer

TBA

Protecting the world from Bifrost, a cybersecurity escape room

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

We would like to have teachers participate in an interactive experience, learning the building blocks of cybersecurity knowledge that they can take into their classroom. After some activities we will have them complete the cybersecurity escape room. This is a portable activity that teachers can use and customize to meet their classroom activities and reinforces student learning and assimilation of knowledge to apply it in a real-world scenario. This workshop would cover binary, cyphers, steganography, and cyber ethics and concepts in hands on activities.

Speakers

Gretchen Bliss

Director of Cybersecurity Programs, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Gretchen is the Director of Cybersecurity Programs at UCCS and leads national efforts to support early-career faculty through mentorship and collaboration.

Terri Johnson

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

2-hour workshop

Intended Audience 6-8 teachers, 9-12 teachers, Administrators
Skill Level BEGINNER: Limited or no experience or prior topic knowledge; no prerequisite skills required.
Topic Cybersecurity / NSA, Equity and Inclusion, Classroom Practice / Pedagogy / Instructional Strategies

TBA

Using AI for engagement, support and balance

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

In this session teachers will learn 3 key ways to engage their students, support their students, and have better balance as a teacher utilizing AI tools. We will look at how to use AI for research by first doing a practice task as a group, then I will provided an example of how I use it with students and finally teachers will have a chance to dive through additional resources and examples to come up with ways they can incorporate it into their own classrooms. Next we will look at ways that AI can support differentiation in the classroom. First we will do a practice case study, then I will provide an example of how I use it in the classroom and then teachers will have the chance to dive deeper into resources and examples to determine their own personal usage of the tools. Finally we will look at how to incorporate choice into the classroom using AI. We will experience a SchoolAI space, then I will showcase how I use it with students and from the teacher perspective. And then teachers will have time to dive deeper into additional tools and examples and determine how they want to use it in their own classrooms.

Speakers

Katelynn Ryan

I am a secondary social studies teacher for a fully virtual and synchronous K-12 school. I have presented at the Colorado Council for Social Studies Conference on this topic as well as for Rocky Mountain Junior Achievement/Economic Literacy Colorado professional development on the... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 TBA

2-hour workshop

Intended Audience 3-5 teachers, 6-8 teachers, 9-12 teachers
Skill Level BEGINNER: Limited or no experience or prior topic knowledge; no prerequisite skills required.
Topic Artificial Intelligence (AI) including Machine Learning, Cross-curricular Integration/CS Integration in non-CS Classes, Classroom Practice / Pedagogy / Instructional Strategies
Device Compatibility Android Device, Chromebook, iOS Device, Mac Computer, Windows Computer