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.
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but, based on what we see from the workforce, students who build up their coding skills won’t be learning something outdated.
The great thing about educational robots is that they encompass the entire span of K–12 grades. By that, we mean that there are educational robotics tools available for kindergarteners just as consistently as there are robotics tools available for 12th graders. So, here’s the list of all our favorite options for classroom robotics kits for students across all different grade levels.
While it’s considered unique in the world of early education STEM learning, the Cubetto Robot is also fabulously effective. Students as young as three years old can use this device-free robot to start to understand core coding principles and begin developing new, useful logic and computational skills in preschool classrooms. Explore our tips and tricks for getting started!
By combining the powerful brain of the micro:bit V2 with its flexible robotic core and modular parts, the Hummingbird Bit can help you lead classroom STEAM experiences that are one par with teaching using some of the more extravagant robots out there. The kits are actually real affordable, however, and offer a ton of versatility and value for kids throughout the K-12 grades.
Many children love to have STEM experiences in their education and many teachers love creating those opportunities. They don’t typically just fall into place, however, and, like all lesson plans, require careful design. In STEAM education, impactful lessons and activities are almost endless, which often makes it easier for teachers to find or create something that’s relevant.
Students can use the Root rt0 without any prior coding experience or prior experience using their standard Root model. The rt0 is compatible with the iRobot Coding app, which students can access on iOS or Android devices as well as others. There’s also the online iRobot Code platform, which kids can use to practice programming without a physical robot.
Sometimes, teaching kids about coding can get complicated. Even with all of these excellent coding solutions that are available for K-12 teachers and their students, it can sometimes feel challenging to pinpoint how exactly to start. So, in this post, we’re exploring the SpriteBox Coding platform, a CS app that educators can use to introduce coding in early elementary school.
Joining us in the broadcast from the Terrapin team were Bill Glass and Luis Noreiga, who led some insightful demos for attendees. If you have thought about using the Bee-Bot, Blue-Bot, or Tuff-Bot in your STEM teaching, we definitely recommend checking out the replay! You can learn all about the Terrapin robots, accessories, and their unique online coding emulators.
BlocksCAD is a tool that allows students to use blocks of code to engineer completely digital designs while they work on building their tech, invention, and other crucial STEM literacies. Educators can use BlocksCAD to shape an entire class or unit or to supplement existing instruction and sign up for the plan that’s best for what both them and their students need to thrive.
There is a huge deal of focus on coding in elementary school, and rightfully so but, this week, we wanted to go a little beyond the traditional classroom coding adventures that we love. Besides the always popular platforms, like Scratch and MakeCode, some more complex programming languages, like JavaScript, Python, and HTML, provide older kids with new opportunities.
