JoinPLI #5
National Conference in Indianapolis • November 4, 2026
Full-Day Workshop
Bringing Computer Science to Every Student Through OpenSciEd Science
Wednesday, November 4 • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
All participants will receive breakfast and lunch.
About the Session
What if students could learn computer science through science—without adding a single minute to your schedule? In this session, experience how OpenSciEd + Computer Science units integrate coding, sensor-based systems, and engineering design directly into phenomenon-based science learning. Participants will step into the role of students as they investigate why floods and droughts are happening more often in Unit 7.6 + CS, designing and prototyping technology to explore and solve real-world challenges. Through this hands-on experience, see how inquiry-based coding helps students unlock the “black box” of technology and engage deeply in science and engineering practices. We’ll also make explicit connections to classroom implementation, showing how this approach expands access to computer science, creates meaningful career connections, and strengthens student sensemaking. This session is ideal for both current OpenSciEd users and educators new to the curriculum.
Key Takeaways
- Experience how students engage in sensor-based systems, coding, and engineering design to explore and make sense of phenomena
- Try out an OpenSciEd + Computer Science unit and build familiarity and confidence to begin exploring or piloting it in your own classroom—integrating computer science without adding instructional time or sacrificing science learning
- Learn how students “unlock the black box” of technology by designing tools that support sensemaking and solution-building in phenomena-based science
In Partnership With:
Presenter
Michael Novak
Michael Novak is a science education consultant and co-lead of Sensemakers Collaborative, LLC, where his work is largely done in partnership with OpenSciEd. He also serves as adjunct faculty in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, teaching science methods courses. Novak previously led full-time development of the storylines instructional model for the Next Generation Science Storylines project at Northwestern (nextgenstorylines.org) and has served as a unit lead for dozens of middle and high school units for the OpenSciEd Developers Consortium (openscied.org). He is a former Golden Apple Award-winning middle school science and mathematics teacher in Illinois.
Dominique Poncelet
Dominique Poncelet holds geology degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the University of Akron (MS) and transitioned to K–12 science education through the University of Oklahoma’s Science Education Center. With a grounding in constructivism and three-dimensional science standards, she has spent over a decade teaching middle school science in Oklahoma City Public Schools, fostering classrooms where curiosity, collaboration, and growth mindset thrive. An early OpenSciEd field test teacher, she now serves as a Professional Learning Facilitator and Designer/Writer, supporting teachers nationally and internationally. She has contributed to state test review committees and served as a panelist for the National Assessment Governing Board and NAEP. Recognized with the Willie O. Reynolds Award for Excellence in Science Teaching (2024) and as a 2025 Oklahoma State Finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, she remains dedicated to refining her practice and honoring the brilliance of young scientists.