The importance of providing all children with the opportunities to learn key computer science skills is often a really legitimate emphasis among STEM-minded instructors. We know how vital these skills may turn out to be for a larger number of them. Empowering students to learn these skills early and perfect them often could also help open up career opportunities later on.
In these last few weeks before winter break, it’s easy to get distracted from learning. And we get it—everyone needs a break! In the meantime, though, we put together this list of festive projects from some of our favorite STEM tools. Kids can make a mold for a chocolate dreidel, have a robot snowball fight, or even craft custom snowflake garlands with these holiday activities.
Scratch is a great first language for programming different robotics tools or simply introducing children to some of the most important fundamentals of coding. On our store, you’ll find a large selection of STEM tools specifically for coding with Scratch, including the mBot-S, Finch Robot 2.0, Strawbees STEAM kits, Edison Robot, Makey Makey, and a whole lot of others.
The always-popular micro:bit V2 comes with many noteworthy technology features, like a built-in speaker, built-in microphone, and a touch-sensitive logo that’s also programmable. Students can try numerous projects when programming the micro:bit with MakeCode and incorporate these unique tech features in their programs, adding interactive invention to STEM.
Most school administrators will be happy to give their approval for starting a school robotics club but you’ll still have to show a clear value proposition in your proposal. Once you get approved, research some classroom robots and find lesson ideas, you’ll be ready to firm up the key logistics, including where you’ll meet, how often, and how to tie these experiences to learning.
One of the biggest focuses in 21st century education is on teaching coding and computer science. When integrating such efforts into these classroom lessons, however, there are even often plenty of opportunities for including math angles. So, while covering core CS concepts, like logic, variables, or functions, these tools help teachers connect math and coding in fun ways.
Sometimes, makers simply feel completely inspired to bring STEM projects to another level. Oftentimes, 3D design and creation fit right into facilitating such experiences for students of all ages but those who’ve mastered some of the basics tend to crave new challenges. And, that’s perfectly fine since, as we’ll learn, the 3Doodler PRO+ pen provides that extra power.
For this Rising Resources post, we explored the classroom communication app known as ClassDojo. It is quite popular and one of the main reasons it continues to be such a valuable classroom resource is that it really enables educators to move away a from one-size-fits-all model. They can even use it to share content with students, improve classroom culture, and more.
All indications are that coding competencies will continue to open up many promising professional opportunities for today’s students. Coding’s not the only skill that will separate them, however, as we see how soft skills remain equally important but, based on what we see from the workforce, students who build up their coding skills won’t be learning something outdated.
MakerEd is a technological and creative learning revolution that centers on a pedagogy designed to help children bolster significant skills like decision making, responsibility, relationship management, community engagement, creative thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and more through hands-on projects that create connections between their heads, hearts, and hands.
