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.
STEM learning experiences can be truly powerful and can help shape how children develop their 21st century skills. And, now, EdTech manufacturers regularly supplement their products with full curriculum resources that may include the lesson plans, activities, and more. Designed so all teachers can lead lessons more effectively, STEM curricula can really enhance learning.
We’ve put together this in-depth list of some top STEAM solutions for 2024 summer camps whether you are teaching coding, flying drones, or perhaps practicing engineering. These proven tech tools are perfect for helping kids continue developing their STEM skills even outside of the classroom. Plus, you can even get a free consultation with us to start planning your camp.
Here are the most sought-after STEAM tools of the year—tools that helped the Eduporium family teach everything from magical makerspace moments to amazing coding creations. The Ozobot and Bee-Bot helped to foster CS skills, while Glowforge’s laser printers enlivened makerspaces, Expeditions 2.0 put kids right in the action, and the micro:bit V2 made learning flexible.
When exploring the wide scope of ready-made micro:bit projects, kids can incorporate its assorted built-in features, like the microphone or a speaker, while developing valuable programming and computer science skills using the MakeCode editor. Speaking of the graphical MakeCode platform, if the environment is new to you, it works with plenty of other STEAM tools, too.
Coding and arts education may not seem like they truly align all that much but, thanks specifically to the versatile Hummingbird Robot from BirdBrain, students can certainly combine them through impactful projects. Plus, with the fully capable Finch Robot 2.0, children in all K-12 grades can code and create with ease. And, there’s highly effective PD tools for teachers, too!
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.
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.
