Background:
As computational thinking and programming become increasingly integral to K-12 education, teacher preparation programs must equip future educators with digital literacy and interdisciplinary teaching strategies. Pre-service teachers, especially those without programming backgrounds, benefit from structured learning experiences that enhance their confidence and self-efficacy in teaching computational concepts. Research suggests that creative, hands-on, and low-barrier programming environments, such as flow based programming (FBP), can make computational concepts more accessible to educators across disciplines. This paper presents the experience of a workshop teaching Mflow, a flow-based music programming platform, to pre-service teachers with no prior programming experience.

Purpose:
This study examines the effectiveness of a flow-based music programming workshop in enhancing pre-service teachers’ confidence, engagement, and perceptions of programming’s educational potential.

Methods:
The workshop was conducted at California State University San Marcos as part of an arts integration course. Led by an expert from University of San Diego, the session introduced a flow-based music programming tool through a reverse engineering approach. 45 Participants collaboratively explored the platform’s functionalities, engaged in guided discussions and hands-on activities, and concluded with a sound composition project incorporating environmental sound collection. Data were collected from pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys, measuring participants' programming experience, willingness to learn programming, and self-efficacy in teaching computational concepts. Additionally, qualitative analysis of open-ended responses was conducted to identify key themes related to participants’ perceptions of FBP’s role in education.

Findings:
Data analysis revealed significant improvements (p < .001) in participants' confidence, engagement, and perceptions of programming’s educational potential. Participants expressed increased willingness to learn programming and integrate it into their teaching. Qualitative findings highlighted enthusiasm for incorporating programming into music education, recognition of FBP’s accessibility and creative potential, and reflections on instructional strategies for classroom implementation.

Implications:
As the demand for 21st-century teaching skills grows, teacher preparation programs must incorporate accessible and engaging programming experiences to build confidence in computing integration across disciplines. This study demonstrates that embedding FBP into teacher education provides future educators with interdisciplinary, technology-enhanced pedagogical strategies. The findings reinforce the value of FBP in fostering engagement, creativity, and computational learning in K-12 classrooms, contributing to ongoing efforts to prepare educators for the digital age.

Keywords: Professional development, Undergraduate, programming.