Recent articles
Make CS accessible to all students with physical computing
09/14/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Robotics, STEM & STEAM
The notion that computer science education is essential for all is picking up steam in the United States; however, we still are a long way from making it accessible and equitable for all.…
Find ideas for learning with tech in our back-to-school guide!
08/03/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Digital Citizenship
For many educators, the school year has already begun or is just around the corner. We know a lot of you are already thinking of ways to make this year different, better, more engaging for your students — and yourself.
Why not commit to trying one new thing this year to get…
5 things you can do to bring computer science to all your students
07/24/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking
There’s no doubt that in today’s world, computer science (CS) is foundational knowledge for all students and coding is a foundational skill — just like reading and writing. Yet many schools, especially those in low socioeconomic areas, don’t teach computer science because of a lack…
Embed computational thinking into PBL
07/17/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, ISTE Standards for Students, STEM & STEAM
Like many of my students, my daughter, Anisa, is very familiar with using electronic circuits to make designs …
4 ways to make CS for all a reality
05/24/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Digital storytelling, Literacies, Makerspaces, professional learning
Kimberly Lane believes that in the digital age, computer science (CS) should be right up there with reading and writing as a foundational skill.
Lane, blended learning specialist for Lancaster Independent School District near Dallas, walks the talk by helping educators…
8 competitions to get your students fired up about STEM
04/23/2019
Topics: Coding & robotics, Robotics, STEM & STEAM
Quick! How do you get students interested in STEM?
The answer, unfortunately, isn’t easy to pinpoint. With the exception of a small number of math, science and computer whizzes, most middle and high school students — particularly…
Students build coding skills block by block
04/19/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Gaming, Robotics
New knowledge is constructed by building on what we already know, making connections by tinkering with new combinations of familiar blocks.
In the same way that a musician improvises new melodies, or a poet constructs new juxtapositions of sounds, words and images, students…
Computer programming in 4 steps
03/20/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Robotics
At the secondary level, core computer science (CS) concepts and practices are taught in courses typically within the…
Coding, robotics programs are engaging learners worldwide
03/15/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Robotics
On a recent visit to a class in Sitka, Alaska, we watched second grade students gain incredible experiences in digital age skills. The teacher, Cindy Duncan, believes in teaching young children to code, so she begins the year by introducing the students to…
4 ways to help students get workforce-ready
01/10/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Digital storytelling, Literacies, Makerspaces, professional learning, Project-based learning
Being a student should be a little like being an apprentice preparing for life in the real world. But when school is nothing like the future workplace, that goal is impossible to reach.
So what will the real world be like when students enter the workforce? We hear a lot about…