As a middle school computer science teacher, I tell my 8th graders learning how to code helps them prepare for a world of work that doesn’t exist yet. Some students had experience using free coding activities for kids before stepping into my classroom while others were brand new to programming. Throughout the year, I loved…
computer programming
How to Teach Coding at Home with Game Changers Kits
This 4-H National Youth Science Day post is sponsored by HughesNet “I don’t understand why we’re not using the computer if this is a computer science class,” one of my 8th grade students groans as he sits down at his computer while I pass out papers. Despite being tech savvy online, the teacher in me…
How to Teach Coding and Robotics to Middle Schoolers
This post is sponsored by Wonder Workshop In the past few years we’ve seen growing emphasis on STEM education and rightfully so. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “over 800,000 new STEM jobs were added to the U.S. economy” between May 2009 and May 2015.” “Computer occupations made up nearly 45 percent of STEM…
Dear Future Coders: 4 Pieces of Advice for Tween & Teen Technologists
Thank you to Capital One for sponsoring this post As a former classroom teacher, I can distinguish between social chatter and productive chatter. Social chatter was typical in my first-grade classroom as kids were transitioning between parts of the day or weren’t engaged in classroom tasks and had the power to create a ripple effect of off-task…
Dear Parents of Future Technologists: Advice from a Mom of a STEM-Loving Daughter
Thank you to Capital One for sponsoring this post An image has the power to propel us back in time and unleash an array of emotions when it pops up during the most unexpected moments. Earlier this week I was scrolling through photos and came across the image of my daughter sitting in a metal…
Code Your World Kits to Teach Computer Programming at Home!
This 4-H National Youth Science Day post is sponsored by HughesNet One of the best ways to foster an interest in STEM is to expose kids to a variety of different experiences and I love how 4-H has provided engaging activities to introduce kids to computer science and coding with the support of organizations like…
4-H Code Your World Makes it Easy for Non-Tech Savvy Parents to Teach Computer Science
This post was written by me through an activation with HireInfluence on behalf of 4-H. Although I received compensation for participating in the campaign, all thoughts and opinions are my own. From the food we eat, gadgets we love, medicine we depend on, and the music we enjoy, computer science is all around us. There’s…
Parents: Learn to Code with Your Kids on 4-H National Youth Science Day Throughout October
This 4-H National Youth Science Day post is sponsored by HughesNet Regardless of your personal relationship with science, it’s important to provide our kids with many different experiences that expose them to a variety of STEM topics. It’s no secret that STEM education is important but it’s also critical for building future leaders and ensuring…
5 Components of Successful STEM Programs for Middle Schoolers
Thank you Capital One for sponsoring this post. How do you introduce kids to coding in a way that will keep them interested in learning the meaningful skills that they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow? You invest in their education like Capital One has done with its Future Edge initiative. Last week,…
How to Get Kids Interested in Coding & 7 Free Resources That Teach How to Code
This post was written as part of a compensated partnership with Microsoft Over the weekend I sat down, flipped through The Washington Post, and was immediately drawn to a piece in the Opinion section titled “Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous.” Obsession? Dangerous? STEM? I can’t say that I ever thought that those…
