Coding has become much more prevalent and accessible throughout K–12 education—helping to make it less scary for a lot of students and teachers. Though it has endless applications in today’s professions, learning to code has also probably never been quite as simple. Thanks largely to classroom robots, adults, teens, and children can learn new coding skills every day.
Teachers could use Blockly coding to teach kids about inputs and outputs on a very basic level before progressing to various, more advanced coding concepts, like loops and logic. Best of all, there are a bunch of great STEM tools for introducing kids to Blockly programming, like the Dash Robot, the Ozobot Evo, Finch Robot 2.0, Edison Robot, and the Tello EDU drone.
Educational leaders can leverage esports to help create lots of worthwhile experiences for students, including on both the social and academic sides of things. Since it’s now a varsity sport in many high schools, students can combine their interests and skills in team-centered competitions, find their place in school communities, and maybe even earn a college scholarship.
While educators won’t necessarily need official curricula or detailed project guides in makerspaces, these suggestions, however, are great examples of unique maker supplies, including different types of 3D printers, coding kits, electronics tools, and design equipment. So, we’re excited to walk through some less common makerspace tools for creating high-quality learning.
Helping students learn through both independent and guided experiences can enable them to view their education differently. When we use the term ‘scaffolding,’ we’re typically referring to any targeted teaching and learning approaches that gradually evolve and ultimately empower students to lead their own learning, which is very relevant in hands-on STEM experiences.
Educational leaders and school librarians routinely team up on repurposing traditional library rooms into versatile, multi-purpose facilities. There are so many benefits to this but it’s often largely tied to the importance of STEAM education and popularity of various makerspace kits. So, this week, we are exploring some top STEM supplies that also double as library supplies.
Many robotics tools also have virtual options, which help allow students to continue learning and programming while they’re at home or perhaps after school. In fact, many of those platforms often help improve accessibility of technology by removing the need for a physical robot, increasing equity in multiple ways. So, read on for our recommendations for virtual CS tools.
You might hear this a lot, but almost every school makerspace may feature unique learning and building materials. Because makerspaces are found all throughout the K–12 grades (and even college), an elementary makerspace will often look a whole lot different than one you’ll see in a high school. So, using the right supplies at the right times makes a significant difference.
While other pandemic-induced issues, like inequity, isolation, relationships, and SEL have been crucial focal areas, the effects of too much screen time on their daily development have also caught up with many students. As we continue to hone in on student mental health concerns, it’s often important for parents and educators to keep digital wellbeing in focus for kids.
Aside from the likely guarantee that both parents and administrators will be skeptical, there could be a handful of possible issues with starting a school esports program. Ultimately, however, there truly are a long list of positives associated with interscholastic esports, like students building career skills, becoming part of a community, and fostering new relationships with peers.
