Member Spotlight: Melissa Cook
Melissa Cook is the Secretary of CSTA Washington for 2025-26, elected to a two-year term in June 2025.
Below is the Member Spotlight article on Melissa that initially appeared in the Feb 2025 CSTA Washington Connector.
Member Spotlight: Melissa Cook
Melissa Cook is an Instructional Technology Integration Program Specialist for the Kent School District (enrollment: 25,752), where she has taught since 2013. She holds a Master’s in Digital Education Leadership from Seattle Pacific University and has taught for 18 years. Melissa is passionate about empowering educators and students to integrate technology in meaningful ways, fostering innovation, creativity, and equitable access to digital tools that prepare students for the future.
CS Courses 2023-24
This past school year Melissa taught a variety of courses including physical robotics classes, utilizing micro:bits, Hummingbird robotics, and Finch robots, Minecraft for Education Basics and student workshops, including the Cyber Secure Campaign, Minecraft Inclusive Schools Challenge, and Hour of Code. Additionally, she co-facilitated the Digital Learning Ambassador Program, a collaborative cohort where teachers learn innovative strategies for integrating technology into their classrooms.
Extra-Curricular STEM Activities and Initiatives
Melissa supports the STEAM Lending Library, which features various robotics kits and provides training and resources that help teachers integrate STEAM into daily instruction. Additionally, Melissa creates opportunities for students to explore computer science and cybersecurity through initiatives like the 15 Days of Computer Science “advent” calendar during CSEd Week and Cyber Secure Choice Boards tailored to various grade levels.
Job Transition/Challenges/Opportunities
Due to budget cuts, the Kent SD Digital Learning Team was reimagined as a smaller Instructional Integration team and shifted from a coaching model to a more systems-focused approach. Rather than daily interactions with teachers and students and co-developing tool-specific workshops with teachers, the team’s current focus is on integrating technology into established frameworks and providing targeted professional development.
How can CSTA Washington better support k-8 teachers
“As a former elementary school teacher, I am hopeful that PSCSTA can play a vital role in advancing coding education for ALL students, especially at the K-8 level. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of dedicated instructional time for computer science in elementary schools, despite the existence of Ed Tech Standards. This responsibility often falls to librarians, who may not have the passion or resources to prioritize it. Many teachers are also unaware that these standards exist, leaving a significant gap in implementation.”
