Stockton University’s Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center (SRI & ETTC) received a $280,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Education to continue training K-12 teachers on the state’s mandatory computer science standards.
The grant is part of a larger initiative that has awarded Stockton’s Computer Science Coastal Hub more than $1.5 million since 2022, training over 800 teachers in free workshops.
The workshops aim to demystify emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for educators, many of whom feel intimidated by the new subject matter. Patty Weeks, the director of the SRI & ETTC, recalls a similar sense of anxiety when computers were first introduced to classrooms decades ago. “There’s a lot of fear about AI now,” she said, “and [we’re] trying to educate the educators about how AI can be positive.”
Beyond the screen: ‘unplugged’ lessons
The training goes beyond traditional computer use. One of the AI workshops, for example, featured an “unplugged” exercise where teachers simulated how machine learning works. In the exercise, one teacher acted as an AI, learning to categorize flashcards based on a set of rules. This helped demonstrate a key concept of AI: its answers are only as good as the data it’s given.
Deepa McCabe, a computer science teacher and librarian in the Ocean City School District, sees this hands-on approach as essential. “Teaching students how to be the creators of the tech… helps them understand it more and where it could go wrong,” she explained.
Equipping teachers with tools and support
The grant money is used to remove common “stumbling blocks” for teachers, according to workshop instructor Michelle Wendt. The hub provides free resources, including lesson plans, networking opportunities, and a lending library with tools like programmable robots and Chromebook tablets. The goal is to ensure that all teachers—not just those in STEM fields—have the skills and support to bring computer science to their students.
“This Stockton program is filling the gaps and helping to empower classroom teachers,” McCabe said. Joann Case, a K-4 technology teacher at Endeavor Elementary School, said the workshops help her stay current in a constantly changing field. She wants her students to “see themselves as the programmers of the future.”
