Center members, Dr. Maya Israel, doctoral student, Andrew Bennett, and Dr. Michael J Johnson presented at the Google Blockly Summit in Seattle, Washington on June 4, 2025. Maya and Andrew’s session, “Professional development for K–5 teachers to tailor the POUR principles to their use cases,” emphasized that in order for students with disabilities to participate in and succeed in computer science education, technologies and materials must be accessible. Michael J. Johnson presented, “Modality and Materiality: A Teacher’s Framework for Evaluating and Choosing CS EdTech.” Dr. Johnson shared the beginning of the Programmable Learning Framework (PLT), which breaks down PLTs by their modal and material properties, guiding teachers in answering reflective and evocative questions on the properties of a PLT and how it would influence their students and learning environment. This approach is promising as if an educator knows what type of learning environment they are working in or want to establish, they can more easily find the right tool for the job that will support their endeavors. Our team was excited to share their research and speak on to best support teachers, students, and technology integration in the classroom. The Blockly Summit provided an opportunity to network and learn across disciplines and Blockly-related projects. Thank you Google Blockly for supporting our research and letting us share it!
CS Everyone Presents Accessibility Research at the Google Blockly Summit 2025
