Why teach coding in school?
Whether you're a technophobe or a geeked-out early adopter, there's no denying that the world is run on computers, and the language of computers is code. It seems only natural that there's a wave of interest in the idea of teaching kids to code -- some say it should be a requirement in every school. I think no one would argue that every kid is cut out to be a programmer, but a basic understanding of code couldn't hurt. In fact, this knowledge could give a leg up in an increasingly technology-centric society. Hopefully this playlist of videos will help you learn more about some of the people and organizations who are working to change the opportunities available for kids to learn code. Video Playlist: Teaching Kids to Code Watch the player below to see the whole playlist, or view it on YouTube. What Most Schools Don't Teach (05:44) This video by Code.org went viral a year ago. More Resources on Teaching Coding Ready to jump in to play with some code in your own classroom? see more see less
Acknowledging kindness
This weekend on #INZPirED we shared our favourite teachers on Twitter. It's become the de-facto Who's Who of the Twitter education world. As the tweets started rolling in, one thing emerged and that was a theme of kindness and acknowledgement. It made me think more on the role of kindness in the schools. Can we tap into kindness to help our wards become better learners? Establish a relationship through kindness By showing them kindness during their times of distress especially when they have not got that concept for the umpteenth time whilst the class has moved on or when they have forgotten their homework or equipment or so on. Below are some direct benefits of being kind, children have (Sourced from the RAK Foundation) What about staff? Lest we forget the other main body in schools, staff. Is there need for kindness or empathy training in schools? No but there is great deal more to gain through role modelling kindness both to students and staff from the top down. *Durlak, J.
Lasso the Moon Say Thank You to Your Child's Teacher in the Most Memorable Way
2.5K Flares Pin It Share 2.2K 2K+ Facebook 204 Twitter 8 StumbleUpon 1 Google+ 7 2.5K Flares × Steps and Tips to Complete this Gift Project 1. Email out the questionnaire to each parent and ask them to send the child’s answers back to you by x date. Give yourself plenty of time. People will be late, it takes time to input all the info into the online software, and then you have to wait for printing and shipping. ***You may want to consider a little clause that if you don’t receive a response by your due date, then that child’s contribution will not be included in the gift. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Lastly, here is the huge list of questions to ask the children about their teacher. Sample Questions for your “About My Teacher” Questionnaire What is your favorite thing about Mrs. Last year’s book turned out utterly amazing. Good luck on YOUR one of a kind gift! Meet Carey You can find Carey on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Do you love Carey’s photos as much as I do?
Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi Podcast Interview with Kara Swisher
It’s easy to mistake computer science for programming, and Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi says that even the kids who will never work for Google or Microsoft should be educated in digital literacy. Partovi joined Re/code Executive Editor Kara Swisher on the latest episode of “Re/code Decode,” where he argued that we should start imparting the basics of computer science to kids in elementary school. “We don’t teach biology or chemistry to kids because they’re going to become surgeons or chemists,” Partovi said. “We teach them about photosynthesis and that water is H2O, or how lightbulbs work, just to understand the world around us. Vjeran Pavic for Re/code He explained that reforming education to introduce digital concepts has been, unsurprisingly, easier said than done. “How do we train the current, existing workforce of teachers so that every school has a course?” You can also hear Kara this Friday on “Too Embarrassed to Ask,” her new podcast with Lauren Goode from The Verge.
Give Classroom Photos Some Flair with the Moldiv Collage App
Overview It wasn’t too long ago that photo editing was the business of dedicated professionals and cashed up amateurs. It would take hours of work and a studio of expensive equipment to turn flat photos into creative and beautiful works of art. Now, all we need is the phone in our pocket! Moldiv Collage Photo Editor is one of the most popular free photo editing apps, and with its amazingly simple interface comes a powerful and fun tool that both teachers and students can use to create collages, patterns and unique designs. Name: Moldiv Pricing: FreeCompatibility: iOS / AndroidAccess: No signup requiredPrivacy: Standalone app A Quick Look In Practice 1. Because it’s so quick and easy to put together a collage or collection of images using Moldiv, try using the app to add a splash of multimedia to add engagement and color to your teaching resources. 2. Let’s face it, most of us aren’t born with that flair for design and style. 3. 4. 5. Links and Next Steps
How and Why to Teach Your Kids to Code
January’s Favorite Education and Instructional Technology YouTube Videos
In this month’s best of YouTube cull, sink your senses into videos exploring multimedia learning, hybrid learning, and the potential of flipped learning. Consider the realities of the #edtech ‘revolution’ and get inspired by the transformational power of technology … How to optimize students’ learning? Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning … Richard Mayer, a professor at the University of California, discusses how to optimize learning when presenting learning content by reviewing the “Multimedia Learning Theory”. THIS Will Revolutionize Education (or will it?) Many technologies have promised to revolutionize education, but so far none has. School District shares their Hybrid Learning model While this is essentially a commercial for pahli.org (the Pennsylvania Hybrid Learning Institute), it is absolutely worth watching if you want to get a sense of the potential for a well constructed and delivered hybrid learning program. The Transformational Power of Education Technology Print This Post
Cargo-Bot – iPad
The first game programmed entirely on iPad® Be Logical. Play Cargo-Bot Presenting Cargo-Bot. The first game programmed entirely on iPad using Codea™ Get it for free on the App Store. Cargo-Bot is a puzzle game where you teach a robot how to move crates. It features 36 fiendishly clever puzzles, haunting music and stunning retina graphics. Built with Codea Cargo-Bot is the first game on the App Store developed using Codea, an iPad app for rapidly creating games and simulations. Get Codea on the App Store. Cargo-Bot was developed by Rui Viana using Codea. Fred Bogg coded the entire music engine using Codea's sound API, as well as composing the Cargo-Bot score.
Two Ways to Bookmark Favorite Links from Twitter
One of the best things about Twitter is the wealth of links that teachers share with each other. It can be hard to keep track of all of the links that you might find while watching a hashtag like #edchat or #edtechchat. I tend to open a link then bookmark it with Evernote's web clipper. My process involves opening a link in a new window then bookmarking it. It's not the most efficient process, but it works for me. Packrati.us is a service that makes it easy for you to bookmark your favorite links that you share and that others share with you on Twitter. If This Then That has been featured here in the past.
