Education Summit

PyCon US will be holding its 13th annual Python Education Summit in person!

  • When: Thursday, May 15, 2025
  • Time: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm EST
  • Where: David L. Lawrence Convention Center - Room 403/404

The Summit is a gathering of teachers and educators focused on bringing coding literacy, through Python, to as many learners as possible. We invite educators from around the world, representing all educational venues and sectors, to join us. Share your insights, learn new techniques and tools, and connect with fellow educators who share your passion for teaching and learning Python.

GOALS

The goal of the Summit is to unite Python educators from diverse backgrounds to:

  • Connect, Collaborate, and Learn: Share experiences, gain insights, and form connections for future collaboration.
  • Address Common Challenges: Identify shared issues and initiate discussions for teaching and learning Python.
  • Foster Community and Inclusion: Build and connect Python educators while promoting a supportive and inclusive environment.

Teaching in the Age of AI – Humanizing Python Education

Python's influence across industries highlights its value in CS education, but educators are experiencing a major shift in teaching and learning.

The rise of AI-powered coding tools has brought many benefits and limitations to teaching. Artificial Intelligence simplifies complex coding tasks and can be used to provide real-time feedback but in doing so students may not learn the critical skills necessary to become proficient Python coders. As students increasingly rely on these tools, we risk losing sight of what makes us human.

What skills or tools are we using to ensure that our students continue to learn how to be creative, empathetic, and critical thinkers - even with the rise in Artificial Intelligence?

We are calling on educators to share how Python is currently being taught in their classrooms. These lessons could include, but are not limited to:

  • Facilitate innovative thinking using AI-driven tools.
  • Design interactive lessons that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and authenticity.
  • Explore ways to harness AI-powered tools.
  • Share insights on the future of teaching and learning Python.

You are welcome to freely interpret this year's theme.

PRESENTING

We will have a track of talks during the morning session and a series of collaboration and tutorial sessions during the afternoon. We invite anyone interested in Python and education to submit proposals. Talks/collaboration ideas will be selected by a review committee.

Talks: 20-minute talk + 3 minutes of questions. We will be running on a very strict timeframe in order to get more talks into the program.

Collaboration/tutorials: These will be 30-60 minute work sessions, designed by a proposer. These may include:

  • a working group to review/edit some open-source material
  • to outline the needs or structure for a specific set of best practices
  • forming a plan for ongoing studies
  • a short workshop on a tool or technique, etc.

Examples: using Python-based hardware for learning, reviewing modules or assessments in an open-access book, discussing best practices for certain teaching techniques, etc.

Lightning talks and Birds of a Feather Sessions will allow for more experience to be shared and experienced.

Submit a proposal to speak at the Education Summit.

It is our hope that the Summit will serve as a catalyst leading into the rest of PyCon US to encourage even more interaction - hallway discussions, open spaces, lightning talks, and sprints.

Anyone attending this summit will gain a broader understanding of approaches, issues, resources, and challenges in teaching Python. They will also have the opportunity to contribute to the discussion and make connections with other teachers of Python from across the community.

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

The Education Summit takes place on Thursday, May 15th. Our current schedule is below, all in Pittsburgh (Eastern) time and sessions will be announced prior to the Summit:

Morning Session

  • 9:00 - Opening remarks
  • 9:15 - Teaching Python with GitHub Codespaces, Pamela Fox
  • 9:40 - Building an Integrated Computer Science / Web Development Pathway with Python, Chris Jones and Jeff Elkner
  • 10:05 - Teaching Python in Middle School with Physical Computing, Kung-Khoon Quah
  • 10:30 -Coffee/Tea/Snack/Stretch Break
  • 10:50 - From Blocks to Text: Empowering Creative Python Learning, Joshua Lowe
  • 11:15 - Ducks, interns, and Socrates: Using AI to enhance teaching and using Python - Reuven Lerner
  • 11:40 - The importance of context and audience in teaching Python, Benjamin Lear
  • 12:05 - Building AI EdTech Products in an Evolving Python Landscape, Husni Almoubayyed
  • 12:30 Lunch Break

Afternoon session

  • 1:30 - Afternoon Welcome
  • 1:45 Lightning Talks
    • Use Python and Data Science to Recycle Textiles
    • Up and Running with GitHub, GitHub Classroom, and GitHub Actions
    • Beyond "Hello, World!": A Conversation about First Impressions and Inspiring Persistent Pythonistas
    • ExecExam: A Tool to Facilitate Effective Executable Examinations in Python
    • Understanding Large Language Models
    • Automated and Configurable Programming Project Checking with Chasten
    • Linear Regression with Python CO2 compensation by sensors
    • Building and Deploying Course Websites with Python, Quarto, and Mkdocs
  • 3::00
    • Extended Sessions- Workshop
      • Use Python and Data Science to Recycle Textiles
      • Beyond "Hello, World!": A Conversation about First Impressions and Inspiring Persistent Pythonistas
  • 4:00 - Birds of a Feather
  • 4:30 - Closing

WHAT TO EXPECT?

We encourage all attendees to engage in the dialogue. We are excited to hear your questions, see your ideas, and experience your passion for education and Python. So please come willing to learn, participate, and teach.

If you have questions, please contact us.

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