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Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on training teachers to integrate computational thinking (CT) practices into disciplinary instruction. However, many current approaches involve a "top-down" method, where CT concepts and teacher training are dictated by external CT “experts,” often in an abstract and generalized manner, rather than being developed collaboratively or contextually with the teachers. These approaches typically treat CT as a set of abstract concepts, which can fail to promote a holistic understanding of the purposes and disciplinary value of CT. Consequently, teachers may feel less inclined to integrate CT into their regular teaching practice beyond the confines of professional development sessions. Furthermore, teachers are frequently positioned as novices awaiting the transmission of relevant CT knowledge rather than as agentive knowledge-builders with valuable expertise. This can undermine their autonomy, ownership, adaptability, and long-term commitment to implementing CT effectively in their teaching practice. We propose an alternative, “bottom-up” approach to supporting teachers in CT integration through a collaborative partnership between researchers and practitioners. We share evidence that this partnership led to understanding CT as inherently contextualized and productive for disciplinary problem-solving. 

Traditional professional development aimed at integrating computational thinking (CT) into K-12 classrooms frequently fails to link abstract technical terminology with teachers' personal experiences or real-world situations, which can impede overall teacher understanding and effective classroom implementation. This paper investigates an alternative method that employs personal storytelling to introduce CT to educators. We discovered that storytelling helped build emotional connections and prompted deeper reflections on CT concepts. Participants shared how CT appears in various settings, including teaching, parenting, and outdoor activities, which transformed their understanding and forged significant connections between theory and practice.