5 resources to get students coding. In a recent post, Washington Post columnist Valerie Strauss writes that coding is something like "cursive 2.0" — a practice that will soon become compulsory in schools across the nation. There are currently 25 states that allow high school students to count computer science classes as math or science credits, and the motivation for coding classes only increases when considering the openings for plush jobs that require the skills, which many workers lack. So what can schools do to catch up?
A number of apps and Web-based platforms have popped up to help meet the challenge, including the five below. 1. Designed by researchers at Tufts University, Scratch Jr is a free iPad app that teaches coding skills to students as young as 5 years old. 2. Tynker allows students third grade and up to learn programming by playing with "LEGO®-like visual code blocks. " 3. Charging $2 per student, Gamestar Mechanic is aimed more at computer game design than hard coding. 4. 5. 21 Things Every 21st Century Teacher Should Do This Year. The Past mixing with the Future #selfie A new school year always brings about new ideas and hopeful ambition for teachers. However, it’s almost 2015. Gone are the days when we can use the excuse that “we don’t do technology”. Part of being a teacher in the 21st century is being creative in integrating academics and learning into student’s digital lives.
With access to content being ubiquitous and instant in student’s out of school lives, we can either reject their world for our more traditional one, or embrace it. While some of the ideas that follow may seem a bit trendy, it’s never hurts to model ways to interact with all this new media as a covert way of teaching digital literacy and citizenship. And so, I present the 21 things every 21st century teacher should try in their classroom this year: 1. One of the best ways to engage student (and family) interaction with your classroom is to have a class blog. 2. Just like a blog only smaller. 3. The ultimate form of flattery is imitation. Whiteboard.
Discover your first Tweet. Story about some rocket, Is the this a u.s.a rocket?