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Tes
Like playing sport or taking part in the school play, coding teaches skills from which all pupils can benefit.
Computing has become a big part of the core curriculum in recent years, and anyone from government officials to celebrities are touting the idea that everyone should learn to code. For something that seems so complex and niche, can this really be the case? When we think about what coding is, for many of us, the stock image of a computer screen filled edge to edge with text springs to mind. While that is not an entirely inaccurate depiction, coding is so much more. Coding is used to design: websites, video games and smartphone apps are created with coding, and increasingly, homes, cars and offices will be run using codes.
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Quartz
So you want your kid to grow up to be Mark Zuckerberg? Get them started early. Toymakers are creating everything from board games to wooden logic puzzles to teach children — as young as three years old—how to code. Kano and Primo Toys sell play sets that mix hardware and software, creating a hands-on learning experience. Kano sells kits that teach children of all ages how to build the computers; Primo Toys sells Cubetto, which teaches toddlers to code with a wooden board, block pegs and a programmable robot.
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Wonder Workshop invites teams aged 6-8 and 9-12 to compete in the Wonder League Robotics Competition. Three rounds of missions require teams to design solutions to real-world science and technology challenges by programming Dash & Dot. Teams who become eligible for the Invitational Round compete for a $5,000 STEM-grant Grand Prize!
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WTOP
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has announced a plan to promote computer science education and accelerate workforce development in the field across the state. Hogan explained the need for the initiative by saying there are nearly 20,000 openings for computer-related jobs in the state, yet in 2015, for example, there were fewer than 3,000 computer science graduates statewide.
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The Tech Edvocate
If you're an advocate for interactive learning, or your students thrive with hands-on activities, a makerspace is a great way to keep students engaged. A makerspace is a collaborative work space for learning through physically creating different items. From 3D printers to Legos and cardboard, makerspaces come in all shapes, themes, and levels of sophistication. Makerspaces are tech-optional, but many makerspaces — especially in an era where technology is considered the currency for our educational and professional world — include the latest technological tools.
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Lose the boring coding platforms—bring coding to life with Vidcode. Vidcode teaches students how to code through their favorite hobby: video making. Get free resources today!
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EdTech Magazine (commentary)
Glen Irvin, a contributor for EdTech Magazine, writes: "Do you speak Minecraft? If you don't, I highly recommend taking a minute to ask your students about this popular computer game — now with an education edition. They will likely passionately describe adventures they've taken in this block-based open world, where the only limit to what they're able to create is their imagination. As a world language teacher, I'm always trying to find ways to leverage digital learning strategies to immerse students in the Spanish language and find engaging, meaningful experiences to be able to hone their language skills."
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Nibletz
There are a lot of apps, toys, robots and platforms designed to help teach children to code. Many offer programs for education that may include a standards aligned curriculum. All of them promise to teach STEM and STEAM and one way or another. Tynker is all of those things, and more. Tynker is an online platform with rich partnerships designed to help kids with valuable coding skills. They bill themselves as "Everything your child needs to learn computer programming the fun way! Ages 7+". Tynker goes out of their way to make sure that all of the activities within their platform are fun, and relevant.
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The Chronicle of Higher Education
We all have an interest in increasing the number of women who pursue technology careers. The demand for software engineers outstrips current supply and is expected to continue to grow. These are interesting, flexible, well-paid jobs that offer a chance to make an impact; women should have access to these careers. Yet the percentage of women graduating with computer science and engineering degrees is still the lowest (along with physics) of all the STEM fields. What can colleges do to support and prepare these students to pursue careers in the tech industry? Here are three key practices that have been shown to work.
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Knoxville News Sentinel
Kelaylah McAlpin has a problem. She told the cartoon ghost on her computer screen to move, but it won't. She stares at her computer screen, dragging and dropping different commands. "What are you missing?" asks Robert Winter, the computer science teacher at Carter Middle School. "The motion?" she replies, unsure. "Yes!" he says, nodding his head with encouragement. "You don't have anything to make it move." The two crouch over the computer screen and tinker with the language. Immediately, the cartoon ghost starts bouncing around the image of a haunted house that Kelaylah had plucked from Google Images.
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ACM, the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, delivers resources that advance computing as a science and a profession. CSTA appreciates ACM's ongoing support!
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