Are My Students Prepared for Employment in AI and Computer Science?

Outline

0–10 minutes | Welcome & Context: Setting the Stage
Content:
Introduce presenters and share brief backgrounds as Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows.

Provide an overview of the current landscape of AI and Computer Science in K–12 education.

Pose guiding question: “How can we better prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow?”

Engagement:
Quick audience poll about participants’ comfort level with AI integration.

Invite attendees to share examples of how AI/CS currently appears in their classrooms or schools.

10–25 minutes | Learning from the Field: Insights from the AEF Program
Content:
Share lessons learned from working within the Department of Defense and national STEM programs.

Highlight models of collaboration between educators, industry, and federal agencies that connect classroom learning to career pathways.

Discuss the intersection of professional development (Shane’s focus) and student engagement (Kyle’s focus).

Engagement:
Audience Q&A moments after key examples.

Peer-pair reflection: “What partnerships or programs could help your students connect to real-world CS applications?”

25–40 minutes | Strategies and Resources for Classroom Integration
Content:
Demonstrate practical strategies for integrating AI and CS concepts across disciplines.

Showcase free or adaptable resources (e.g., Hour of AI, MakeCode, AI for Education lessons, or competition frameworks).

Connect strategies to ISTE Standards for Educators (Learner) and Coaches (Change Agent).

Engagement:
Small-group exploration: Participants rotate through 2–3 “micro-activity stations” (digital demo, lesson idea brainstorm, or scenario analysis).

Share-out of key takeaways from each group.

40–55 minutes | Action Planning and Reflection
Content:
Guide participants to develop an action plan for integrating one new AI or CS approach in their setting.

Provide a simple planning template or digital form to capture next steps.

Engagement:
Pair-and-share discussion of action steps.

Invite volunteers to share their commitment aloud

55–60 minutes | Closing & Call to Action
Content:
Summarize key ideas: connecting teacher PD and student engagement to workforce readiness.

Encourage participants to stay connected and explore fellowship, mentorship, and partnership opportunities.

Engagement:
Final interactive poll or word cloud: “One word to describe how you’ll use AI/CS in your practice.”

Provide QR code or link to shared resource folder.

Outcomes

Apply insights from the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship to connect classroom practice with real-world STEM and AI initiatives.

Apply approaches from teacher professional development and student engagement models to enhance classroom learning.

Access ready-to-use resources inspired by national STEM programs to enrich teaching and learning.

Build confidence in creating authentic, career-connected learning experiences that prepare students for future workforce opportunities.

Supporting research

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355411372_Computer_science_teacher_professional_development_and_professional_learning_communities_A_review_of_the_research_literature

https://stemeducationjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40594-025-00548-0

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3304221.3319779

https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3427595

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/research-experiences-teachers-engineering-computer-science?

https://tsl.mit.edu/fellowships/inspire-cs-ai/