Coding is, of course, a hugely important area of 21st century education. Whether they're as young as Pre-K or ready to enter college, coding is extremely relevant to almost every student's future. Thankfully, millions of educators and administrators realize the importance of teaching kids to code. Whether it's a curricular requirement or part of an informal school club, programming experiences are amazingly valuable for students. There's also plenty of options, so educators can find something without complicated or pricey features. In this section, you'll see a lot of different topics related to K-12 coding. These include features on particular STEM tools, insights on coding integration, skills students can develop and more. There's also something for teachers of all grade levels. Whether you teach the early grades or have students with the foundation to take the next step, you'll find helpful resources for teaching coding in the classroom.
Coding is truly an experience that all K-12 students can have. Starting in the early grades, students can code screen-free with a tool like the Cubetto Robot. Then, they can start to increase their coding skills and explore Blockly environments using tools like the Dash Robot, Ozobot Evo, and many others. From there, students can explore a bunch of different languages, like Snap!, Scratch, MakeCode, and more and, eventually, expand their skill sets by exploring text-based languages, like JavaScript and Python. All the while, the STEM solutions we advocate for also allow students to learn the most important coding concepts, like loops, variables, inputs, conditionals, and syntax. With a natural progression that leads to increased computer science competencies and enhanced future readiness, it's tough to understate the relevance of coding experiences in the classroom.
Sometimes, teaching kids about coding can be complicated. Even with all of the excellent coding solutions that are available for teachers and students, it can sometimes be tough to decide where to start. So, in this Rising Resources post, we’re exploring SpriteBox Coding, a mobile app that educators can use to introduce coding in early elementary school.
The Cubetto is a wooden robot that educators can use to introduce kids to coding at as early as three years old. Perfect for students in preschool, Pre-K, and kindergarten, it features a 4-part system that helps ease kids into learning coding concepts and creative thinking skills. Plus, with the Cubetto bundles, it’s easy to integrate across a whole classroom.
Afterschool STEM programs and camps have been around forever but they’re sometimes mainly for child care purposes. Recently, however, we’ve seen shifts in kids actually wanting to participate in enrichment programs to continue developing their STEM skills outside of school. And, the best part is that they often truly enjoy these STEM experiences.
The benefits of robotics in education are far-reaching in both the short and long term. Of course, using robotics tools helps kids learn some of the most important coding basics in a way they can understand. Now, robotics is inclusive of almost all students and the features of classroom robotics tools more effectively meet both student and teacher needs.
The Root Robot from iRobot Education is among the most versatile educational robotics tools. With three levels of coding and something for everyone from pre-readers to veteran programmers in its iRobot Coding platform, educators can leverage impactful STEM projects, incorporate new coding concepts, and help students with their CS development.
For students, learning to code is both essential and accessible. With so many age-appropriate classroom coding tools available, helping students see the possibilities, benefits, and enjoyment they can get from robotics and coding education isn’t even impossible for educators to accomplish. Plus, the benefits of coding education are increasingly extensive.
Joining us from the Terrapin team were Bill Glass and Luis Noreiga, who led some interactive demos for attendees. If you’ve never tried teaching with the Bee-Bot, Blue-Bot, or Tuff-Bot before, we definitely recommend checking out the replay! You can learn all about the Terrapin robots, accessories, and online coding emulators. Check it out inside!
Brian’s mission is to help all educators get comfortable with using more technology in their instruction—specifically technology tools that help students develop relevant skills. By sharing insights and focusing on how problem-solving technology fits into education, Brian’s community has grown, especially with his Code Breaker and Block Breaker books.
With the DroneBlocks app and curriculum, students can program the flight paths and movements of the Tello EDU using simplistic drag-and-drop blocks. They could also utilize DroneBlocks for programming some of the more advanced DJI drones, like the Phantom 3, Phantom 4, Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and the regular Tello drone. Read on to learn more!
Each of the UBTECH Education robotics kits—Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced—are very engaging for students, offering opportunities for hands-on engineering, coding, and problem-solving using the unique components and sensors. This week, we’re breaking down each of the kits, including what comes in the packages, the curriculum, and more.
