It was a different pre-flight checklist: propeller guards instead of seat backs, battery charge instead of tray tables, and WiFi on instead of off. Once completed, Western MA CSTA members took flight, learning to use the Tello drone and Droneblocks app to teach students coding.

Interested in the new Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science license? Anne DeMallie, who works for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as the Digital Literacy and Computer Science Support Lead, walked educators through the process of applying for the new license and provided an update on the state's current K-12 computer science initiatives.

Micro:bits, decoders, and solar panels ... oh my! Led by subject matter experts from the National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center, Western Massachusetts CSTA teachers explored STEAM Fundamentals, a phenomenon-based, hands-on curriculum designed to engage elementary students in real-world applications of technology.