It’s the start of a new month, so that means we have some news regarding our EdTech grant from last month. For the month of February, we’ve awarded our grant to Michelle Shea, who’s a librarian at Texas A&M University Central—the first time we’ve given the award to somebody in higher education!
We have awarded our final $500 EdTech grant of the year (and of the decade!), closing out 2019 with over $5,000 worth of technology contributions to schools and teachers around the country! For the month of December, we’ve awarded our grant to Ellen Peterson, a STEM and technology teacher at the Smithfield Middle School in Smithfield, VA.
The Ozobot Evo offers one of the best introductions for young students to learn the foundations of coding without the need for a screen and can help them build towards learning other programming concepts by first mastering block coding. Read on to see how their class packs make it even better.
You might know that Sphero’s robots can be programmed using engaging computer science concepts and the Sphero Edu app while littleBits helps kids understand the important elements of circuitry by snapping together their magnetic blocks to construct circuits. What you might not realize, however, is that Sphero and littleBits are now one.
The Root robot can help children of all different ages learn key tech and programming skills by introducing them to coding gradually. Teaching and learning with Root, however, is made much more effective when educators are masters themselves. So, the iRobot Education team has created Root Academy—an all-encompassing educator PD tool.
For one week in December, we put a little bit of an extra emphasis on the importance of computer science and teaching students coding skills so that they may excel in an economy that’s driven by technology. There are hundreds of ways that school and district leaders can help their students participate in Hour of Code activities and so many creative options.
![Eduporium Experiment | Building The pi-top [3]](https://www.eduporium.com/media/wordpress/61b9515c5af5c7fcc047553617a97448.png)
The pi-top [3] laptop helps teachers create some exciting opportunities for kids to not only engineer their own modular laptop but to invent, code, and create an endless number of projects, too. We decided to put together our laptop and produce a light and sound show. And, as we can attest, even if kids are new to coding, the instructions help them with all the projects.
The kit is designed for students between 6-13 years old to engineer on their own as they learn how it works. With over 100 creative challenges, games, and stories available for kids to try, there are plenty of opportunities for engagement post-build. Students can create their own art, games, and music as well as learn to code!
The Sphero SPRK+ Power Pack is a safe, mobile, charging station for 12 SPRK+ robots. It is available for purchase empty (if you already own the robots) or with 12 SPRK+ robots, plus maze tape, stickers, charging cables, classroom posters, and turbo covers. This Power Pack is compatible only with the SPRK+ robots and not the Sphero BOLT.
Building video games can sound like a real challenge—especially with how computer science careers are commonly perceived. It’s true—it does take a lot of skill and practice to become a computer programmer, but that doesn’t mean kids should turn their backs on a great opportunity. That’s where Bloxels comes in.
