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Resources | Transformative Deaf Education

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Provide resources related to social change and language acquisition

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ECE Summit XII Poem by Dr. Onudeah Nicolarakis 

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ECE Summit XII Poem by Dr. Onudeah Nicolarakis 

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Day 1: Integrating STEAM in ECE with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children 

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Day 1: Integrating STEAM in ECE with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children 

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HSDC.org
https://www.facebook.com/HSDCFamilyRoom
https://www.instagram.com/hsdcfamilyroom/
rosenpreschool@HSDC.org

Our wonderful consultant Deb Curtis has many books - see here: https://www.redleafpress.org/cw_contributorinfo.aspx?ContribID=40&Name=Deb+Curtis
She also has a facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2554793464813380

We will also be presenting at this learning stories conference this month: https://hilltopcc.com/institute/lsc21/

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KSD's Language Assessment Program-Deaf/Hard of Hearing Presentation

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KSD's Language Assessment Program-Deaf/Hard of Hearing Presentation

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ECE Summit XII Breakout Session Take Away Sheet for Panel #1

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ECE Summit XII Breakout Session Take Away Sheet for Panel #1

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ECE SUMMIT XII Breakout Session Take Away Sheet

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ECE Summit XII Breakout Session Take Away Sheet for Panel #2

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ECE Summit XII Breakout Session Take Away Sheet for Panel #2

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A Guide for Parents and Teachers

Recent eventshave led many parents and teachers to seek out resources to address issues of race and inequality with young children. We share with you here an excerpt from the book Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. The book offers practical guidance to early childhood educators (including parents) for confronting barriers of prejudice, misinformation, and bias about specific aspects of personal and social identity; most importantly, it includes tips for adults and children to respect each other, themselves, and all people. Read more about anti-bias education. Also, see the Movement for Black Lives platform and Teaching Black Lives Matter.
By Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards
Adults sometimes ask: Aren't prejudice, discrimination, and anti-bias adult issues? Why bring children into it? In one sense, these are adult issues. Adults have the power to create, to teach, to maintain bias-and to eliminate it. In another sense, because the realities of prejudice and discrimination begin to affect children's development early, it is developmentally appropriate to address them in our work with young children.

Young children need caring adults to help them construct a positive sense of self and a respectful understanding of others. They need adults to help them begin to navigate and resist the harmful impact of prejudice and discrimination. A person's early childhood years lay the foundation for a developmental and experiential journey that continues into adulthood. With appropriate adult guidance, this foundation will be a strong one, providing the base for the next stages of healthy development and the skills a person needs to thrive and succeed in a complex, diverse world.

Anti-bias education is an integral part of the "bricks and mortar" of emotional well-being and social competence, as well as an emotional foundation upon which children fully develop their cognitive capacities. A healthy sense of self requires that children know and like who they are without feeling superior to others. Understanding and liking one's own personal and social identities open up the possibilities of building caring connections with others. Thinking critically about stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination takes away barriers to comfortable and respectful interactions with a wide range of people and gives children a tool to resist negative messages about their identities. Strong cognitive development is also enhanced when children develop curiosity, openness to multiple perspectives, and critical-thinking skills.

[Below are some topics to explore with your children. Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves has strategies, activities and ideas to spark discussion on each of these topics.]

Strategies for learning about physical differences and similarities

Creating a rich anti-bias learning environment sets the stage for discussion and activities about racial and other physical differences and similarities. The richer the environment, the more likely children will ask questions, even in classrooms where the staff and children come from similar racial backgrounds.

In all activities, highlight that physical diversity among people is desirable, and that all colors, shades, and shapes of people are beautiful. Talk about differences in a tone of delight and interest. Create a vocabulary that encourages children to look at themselves and others and admire their sameness and their uniqueness. Just as we do not wait until a child asks questions about how to read before planning how to provide a range of literacy learning opportunities, anti-bias education is the teacher's responsibility, not the child's, to initiate.

Caution-Never single out one specific child when you do activities about the physical characteristics linked to racial identity. Every activity should be about all of the children, as everyone has a racial identity. Moreover, doing activities about all children reinforces that differences and similarities can be found within each racial identity group as well as across groups.

Exploring skin color, hair, and eyes
Children are active observers of physical characteristics. As they become familiar with some of their own features and those of their classmates, help them to have vocabulary and ideas to understand sameness and difference. There are many ways to involve children in discovering similarities and differences among themselves, their teachers, and their families.

Focus on children's confusion about their own skin color
If, when you invite the children to make self-portraits, a child chooses colors that do not correspond to his actual skin, eye, or hair coloring, consider gently encouraging the child to choose the color closest to his skin color.

Expanding awareness of racial similarities and differences
After helping children become aware that the people within their family are alike and different, it is important to expand their knowledge and awareness to groups of people beyond those in the classroom and neighborhood. As children grow, they move into ever wider and more diverse settings, and we want them to be open to and respectful of all kinds of people they may encounter.

Fostering critical thinking and respectful relationships

Positive and accurate learning experiences about human differences and similarities help to give children a foundation for resisting incorrect and harmful messages about themselves and others. Preschoolers are ready to begin thinking critically about the accuracy and fairness of the information and images they encounter. They also have the capacity to use their developing empathy to understand that unfair behavior hurts people and can learn respectful ways of interacting with others. Teachers can use the following strategies to promote young children's development of these understandings and competencies.

Cultivate children's empathy and ways to deal with the hurt of stereotyping. Read books that depict children experiencing unfair treatment based on their racial identity.

Tell persona doll stories about a discriminatory incident between dolls, engaging children's empathy and problem-solving skills.

Intentionally plan activities to counter potential overgeneralizations or existing stereotypes in the children's general environment.

Support children as they demonstrate awareness of stereotyping.

Engage children in group action. It is empowering when we help children take something that is "unfair" into something "fair." Sometimes this involves addressing personal conflict, helping a child speak up for another child. But it is particularly powerful when children act together.

If we want children to thrive in a diverse world and choose to stand up for themselves and others, then we must choose to help young children make sense out of the confusing and often emotionally charged messages they receive about themselves and others. The commitment to support each child to develop pride and self-confidence and deep connections with others calls on us to foster all children's healthy racial identity. When we give children language to discuss their identities in an atmosphere of interest and delight, and the tools for addressing the unfairness they will inevitably encounter, then we know we have helped children construct a strong foundation for the next phases of their lives.

Early Childhood Books for Teaching about Racial Identity
More titles for young children about racial identity.

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Teaching Young Children about Race - Teaching for Change

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A Guide for Parents and Teachers Recent events have led many parents and teachers to seek out resources to address issues of race and inequality with young children. We share with you here an excerpt from the book Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves.

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TEACHING CENTRAL AMERICA

More than seven million Central Americans reside in the United States today, yet the lack of resources in most schools on Central American heritage make the rich history and literature of the region invisible. Teaching for Change has launched a campaign to encourage and support teaching about Central America. We have collected lessons, book lists, biographies of noted historical figures, and readings for free use by classroom teachers. Learn more.

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More than seven million Central Americans reside in the United States today, yet the lack of resources in most schools on Central American heritage make the rich history and literature of the region invisible. Teaching for Change has launched a campaign to encourage and support teaching about Central America.

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Free STEAM & Arts Integration Lesson Plans 

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Free STEAM & Arts Integration Lesson Plans 

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Institute for Art Integration and STEAM

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The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

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FREE STEAM & ARTS INTEGRATION Lesson Plans These free arts integration lessons are a perfect way for you to get started with arts integration and STEAM, or to enhance

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Early Childhood Education Toddler/Preschool Art Lessons for 2-5 year olds

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Find art lesson plans, activities and crafts for toddlers and preschoolers between 2 and 5 years old. Early Childhood Education for Pre-K 2-5yrs.

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Mainstream Education: Ways to use Deaf Culture in the Art Curriculum 

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Mainstream Education: Ways to use Deaf Culture in the Art Curriculum 

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Mainstream Education:Ways to use Deaf Culture in the ARt curriculum

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In teaching a lesson that utilizes a multicultural approach, this one showcases and highlights the beauty of henna art from India in addition to the beauty of the hand from Deaf culture. It combines elements from two cultures to create a piece of art that is simple and memorable. While many of your deaf and hard of hearing students may not come from an Indian background, it is still a great opportunity to teach a type of art that exists that will make a connection to their own personal Deaf backgrounds in the art classroom.

Goals: To develop an awareness of henna as an art form in many cultures, primarily India, and it's cultural significance.

Materials: 12" x 18" Tan Paper, Pencils, Sharpies, Markers, Colored Pencil

1. Students learn about the cultural and historical significance of Henna as a form of body art in India.

2. Students trace their hands multiple times (2-3 tracings per student) on the paper using pencil.

3. Using sharpies they can create patterns to fill in their hand tracings and then use either markers or colored pencils to color in their shapes even though henna art is typically monochromatic.

Grades: 3 - 6

Length: 3 Class Days

Topic: MY ASL in RED, YELLOW, and BLUE

Goals: To develop an awareness of the Deaf artwork style characterized by Nancy Rourke in addition to the use of American Sign Language in deaf art and De'VIA, as well as learning the primary colors on the color wheel.

Materials: 11" by 14" White Illustration Paper, Pencils, Brushes, Acrylic Paint, Aprons, Paper Towels, Cups

1. Students learn about the artist Nancy Rourke and her contributions to De'VIA and the Deaf community.

2. Students will be asked to draw an image that represents their personality such as their favorite memory, place, person, or how they see themselves as a self-portrait.

3. Sketches will be done on the provided white illustration paper in pencil.

4. Prep for painting by having the students put their aprons on, getting their three cups of paint (red, yellow, and blue), and a paper towel for cleaning the brushes or any spills.

5. Allow students time to work on their painting and let them decide where they want to apply the primary colors. Give assistance as needed and monitor their work.

6. Have them complete their painting and clean up.

This is just a fun simple activity that you can do with the younger students as part of a Halloween art unit. This lesson can be engaging for your deaf and hard of hearing student because it a more tactile and hands on project that uses their hands in order to complete the image.

Grades: Pre-K - 2

Length: 1 Class Day

Topic: Halloween Spider

Goals: To make a connection that spooky scary spiders are a part of the modern american Halloween culture while engaging the students in a physical hands on activity.

Materials: 11" by 14" Orange Construction Paper, Black Acrylic Paint, Googly Eyes, Elmer's White Glue, Silver Glitter, Aprons, Paper Towels, Paper Plates

1. Students review how spiders can be scary especially during Halloween!

2. Students put on their aprons and grab a paper towel.

3. Two students will share one paper plate filled with black paint and take turns dipping their palm into the paint, making sure it covers their whole palm and all their fingers.

4. Carefully press their hand on the orange paper in the correct position.

5. Repeat again in opposite direction so that hand prints look like the image above.

6. When a student is done creating their spider have them wash their hands off and help as needed.

7. After spiders are done drying, glue two googly eyes on each spider.

8. Using the Elmer's glue, create a spider web on one corner of the paper for each student.

9. Students can pour silver glitter on top of the glue and then shake the extra off to create glitter spider webs.

10. When done, allow project to dry and then clean up.

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Sample Curricula for Deaf/HH Students: Elementary Art: Pre-K - 6

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In teaching a lesson that utilizes a multicultural approach, this one showcases and highlights the beauty of henna art from India in addition to the beauty of the hand from Deaf culture. It combines elements from two cultures to create a piece of art that is simple and memorable.

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STEM COBB

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Welcome to our final week of digital learning! We are thankful that you've continued to check in and try out these awesome STEM activities at home! This week, we are taking our last look at life cycles by focusing on birds. Young students should be able to determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area- including birds (S2L1.a)! We are also going to fluently adding and subtracting within 20 using mental strategies (MGSE2.OA.2). Let's get into it!

Materials : eggs cardboard (corrugated works best) toothpicks

As we've done each week- let's start by learning from a great book! Here's one we like!

Now let's take what we know about chickens and see if we can apply it to another bird's life cycle. Try out this online game to see if you can correctly order the life cycle of a parrot! Click on the picture to open the game (Parents: requires Adobe Flash Player)

Finally, let's do some engineering! The most fragile part of a bird's life cycle is certainly the while they are inside an egg. Birds are GREAT at building soft and protective nests to keep their eggs safe. In our home, we normally keep eggs for eating! What if we didn't have the amazing egg cartons that keep our eggs from rolling around and getting broken!

Ask yourself, can I build a simple device to keep eggs from rolling using just cardboard and toothpicks? For this challenge, you only get 20 toothpicks and a rectangular piece of cardboard (parents, cardboard should be about the same size as an egg carton). Brainstorm ideas for how to keep your egg from rolling around. Think about how you might keep more than one from moving - how many toothpicks do you need for each egg? Gather your materials and create your design! Evaluate the design by putting a few eggs in and seeing if they stay put. Can you come up with any ways you could improve your design? Could your design be altered to protect more eggs?

Have fun and have an amazing summer!

Welcome back young ones and parents! At this time of year, primary students are learning to obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the basic needs of plants (S1L1). This week, we are going to be creating a brand new plant with those needs in mind! We are also going to use some non-standard units to measure our plant using materials we have in our homes (MGSE1.MD.2). We are also going to share our work with an adult and tell them why we made the art choices that led to our new plant (VA1.RE.1). Let's get started!

Materials: ​Any arts/crafts materials you have around your home
A small amount of a toy with a standard size (Legos, crayons, wood blocks, etc.)

Do you already know what a plant needs to survive? Double check your thinking by reading (or listening to) this great book!

Think you've got it figured out? Try out what you know using this online game! You will be clicking the water and heat levers to keep the plant happy and growing! (Parents: Requires Adobe Flash Player) Click on the picture to go to the game.

Now that you're an expert on the 4 main things that plants need to grow ( air, water, light, and nutrients) you are going to get creative today with our STEAM challenge!

In today's challenge, you are going to use what you've got at home to create a plant for the make-believe Planet Greenhouse! Planet Greenhouse is the perfect environment for new plants. There's plenty of air, light, water, and very rich soil, but the plant you design needs to be able to take in those essential things. You'll need a plant with strong roots and leaves, and maybe even some fruit or flowers that it can grow in such a rich environment! Ask yourself the question, "How can I use mixed media to create a 2D or 3D work of art depicting a new plant?" Take a look at the materials you have at home and brainstorm a plan for using them to show a plant with roots, leaves, and either fruit or flowers. Have fun creating a plant with plenty of color and personality! Tell an adult about the artistic choices you made when creating your plant. You could talk about the media, size, proportion, shape, color, texture, etc. Let's evaluate the size of your plant using a new unit. Pick out a group of toys you have at your house that are all the same size. How big is your plant in Legos? What about crayons? How many crayons tall is your plant? Show your parents your work and be careful! Decide if there are any parts of your plant that you'd like to improve or change. Have a blast and feel free to share your designs on twitter and tag @stemcobb so that we can see your designs!

It's another beautiful week for digital learning! Young learners typically spend some time in the spring learning about life cycles. Students are specifically asked to determine the sequence of the life cycle of insects, such as butterflies (S2L1.a)! This week let's dive into the butterfly life cycle and learn how it's similar and different from other life cycles we know. We are also going to measure to determine how much longer one object is than another (MGSE2.MD.4) when we dig into our STEM challenge for this week.

Materials: empty toilet paper roll empty paper towel roll paper coloring supplies
**building materials you can find around your house- this will look different for everyone. Don't stress it- just use what you have and have fun building

Let's jump right into the learning with a great book! This one is called The Amazing Life Cycle of Butterflies.

Now that you've learned the steps from a book, let's practice putting them in order. Use this online game to help you review and make sure you totally understand the life cycle. Click on the picture to go to the game. (Parents: Game requires Adobe Flash Player)

As you've learned, butterflies go through a pupa or chrysalis stage where they create a hanging cocoon and undergo a complete metamorphosis! This stage is very important and butterflies will often hang their chrysalis on a branch or under a leaf so that once they come out as a beautiful butterfly, they can hang and use gravity to help stretch out and dry their new wings!

Today for your STEM challenge, you are going to try and do what butterflies do! Find an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll in your house and use it to represent your cocoon. Ask yourself the question, can I build a structure for hanging this cocoon high enough to allow a butterfly to emerge and dry their wings? Have fun with this project! Make a paper butterfly and hide it inside the empty roll. Make the butterfly just shorter than the roll using your measuring skills- butterflies don't leave much empty space for themselves! Brainstorm ideas for hanging your cocoon. Find materials around your house to hang your cocoon and create your structure. Evaluate your design by trying to pull out your butterfly. Did he have enough room to escape? Do you need to improve your design? Have a blast engineering like a butterfly!

Welcome back to another great week of Digital Learning! This week we are going to be studying some differences between animals. Encourage your young ones to notice the features of family pets and animals that they can safely observe outside! How could they construct an argument supported by evidence for how animals can be grouped according to their features (SKL2.a)? The challenge this week will also require students to Organize, represent, and interpret data in order to make the best choices for their design! (MGSE1.MD.4)

As good scientists do, let's learn from a great book! We like this one from James Bruchac.

Wow! That is some great information about the differences between animals. This week, we are going to focus specifically on the bird family. There are a few things birds have in common. They all have 2 feet and wings. They are covered in feathers. They have a beak or bill, and they lay eggs. Did you know that birds can also be very different? One big difference is the sounds that different birds make. Here's an online game that will allow you to try and match the sounds of birds to pictures that could help you remember them. Are you a Bird Song Hero? Click the picture to go to the game.

What kind of birds live near your home? Take a few days this week to really pay attention. Pick about 15 minutes a day to go outside and be still and quiet. Mornings are best, but you can try anytime that works for you. Can you hear or see any birds? If you can, try to identify what kind they might be and make a list to track your data! Here's a really helpful app for that.

What does your data show you? What kind of birds like to live near your home? Here's your challenge for this week! Parents, your design if you can! ask your students, can you use your data to help you build a bird feeder that your neighborhood birds would enjoy? Do a little research as you brainstorm ideas for different types of feeders and what type of food you may want to use. Can you use materials from home that would hold the type of food you choose? Create your bird feeder. Put it outside and see if the birds like it. Evaluate your design with these questions: Does it hold up to the spring weather? Are birds visiting and enjoying the food? Can you re-fill it? Try and improve

Not able to observe birds where you live? Check out these resources and web cams from the Cornell Lab or Ornithology!

Welcome back to another awesome SPRING-TIME week of STEM learning! This week, encourage your young ones to take a close look at plants. Plants are going crazy with new growth during this season and it's a great time to observe and document. 2nd graders typically spend a great deal of time in the 4th quarter learning to investigate the life cycle of a plant by growing a plant from a seed and by recording changes over a period of time (S2L1.b). They also study linear measurement and practice both estimating as well as measuring using standard units (MGSE2.MD). This week, students will design a tool for planting using what they know about both of these topics!

Materials: paper pencil tool for measuring (ruler, tape measure, etc.)
empty cereal box (or something similar)

As always, we will begin with a book! Here's another one that we love by Gail Gibbons!

Here's a great online interactive that shows the plant life cycle. Can you order the steps at the end?

Once you've finished it, work with your parents to choose a plant to observe for the week. You may have a quick-growing seed you could plant, or you might choose a plant from your yard or somewhere near your home! Keep a plant journal this week that shows what you notice may be changing about the plant. Day to day changes may be small, but they add up over time.

All seeds have needs for growing into the best plants. When you buy seeds at a store, they often tell you about some of their needs on the back of the packaging. This package of tomato seeds says that each plant needs to be 2 feet from the plant next to it, and 4 feet from the next closest row of plants. It says the seeds should be planted 1/4 in from the top of the soil. That's very helpful information!

This week, we are going to create a tool that small home farmers could use for planting vegetable seeds that need to be much closer together.

Help your child to look at a seed spacing chart and pick a certain type of vegetable whose seeds need to be planted no more than 6 inches apart. Here is a chart that could be helpful! Ask your child what they could make using a flattened cereal (or other thin cardboard) box to help someone planting to know just where to put the seeds. Allow them to brainstorm some ideas. Give them materials for both measuring and cutting so that they can create their design. Stay nearby to help them if they decide to cut holes and need a hand! Evaluate : Can this be used to keep the seeds planted at the right distances from one another? If possible, allow your child to plant a few seeds using their device. Give them a chance to improve their design!

Here are a few ideas for regrowing foods that you may have in your home. No need to go to the store if you have some of these things nearby!

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Welcome to our final week of digital learning! We are thankful that you've continued to check in and try out these awesome STEM activities at home! This week, we are taking our last look at life cycles by focusing on birds.

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Edutopia: Resources and Downloads for STEM

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Edutopia: Resources and Downloads for STEM

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Explore ways to use STEM lessons and approaches to help students practice cross-disciplinary thinking and build skills in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Photo credit: Kevin Jarrett via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

STEM Is Jambalaya: Internalize this food metaphor to shift into a STEM mindset. (Edutopia, 2014)

How to Get Your School Ready for STEM This Year: Discover a few straightforward tips for preparing your school to launch STEM learning that don't require access to large amounts of funding. (KQED's MindShift, 2013)

10 Innovative Ways to Bring STEM to Schools: Explore ideas for bringing STEM learning into schools, including teacher research and development teams, inviting guest scientists, organizing clubs, and convening parent focus groups. (KQED's MindShift 2014)

Strategies for Engaging Students in STEM Learning

How to Design Right-Sized Challenges: Consider takeaways from an engineering design competition for how to conceptualize design challenges as relevant to real life, challenging, and achievable for diverse learners. (Edutopia, 2014)

Ownership and Agency Will Propel STEM Learning: Review evidence that the best way forward in STEM learning is by letting students lead. (Edutopia, 2014)

STEM and Writing: See how inviting guest speakers from STEM fields to the classroom can inspire student imaginations. (Edutopia, 2014)

Using Football Science to Tackle STEM Education: Learn how to use topics that interest students to get across potentially challenging or intimidating STEM concepts. (Edutopia, 2013)

Learning the Physics of Skateboarding Engages Kids in Science: Watch a video about an educator known as "Dr. Skateboard," and see how he teaches students about speed, velocity, and momentum at the local skate park. (Edutopia, 2014)

STEMbite: An Experiment in Teaching With Google Glass: Watch first-person video lessons -- including a broadcast from one teacher's kitchen exploring crazy science found in the refrigerator -- and see how video lessons can motivate and inspire students in STEM. (Edutopia, 2013)

Engaging Students in the STEM Classroom Through Making: Find out how to use the maker movement to engage STEM students in new ways. (Edutopia, 2012)

STEM Projects, Lessons, and Models

Pulling Underrepresented Youth Into STEM

Quick, Draw a Scientist: Learn how to address scientist stereotypes in the minds of students. (Edutopia, 2015)

Why Students Leave STEM: Discover why some students choose to leave STEM, and learn how strategies like mentors and role models can help. (Edutopia, 2014)

Girls Against the World, Scientifically Speaking: Dig into questions and explore suggestions for how STEM education can be made more relevant for girls. (Edutopia, 2015)

Kinesthetic Learning: Moving Toward a New Model for Education: Find out how one afterschool program is pairing kinesthetic learning and mathematics to break through barriers of self-image and perceived limitations. (Edutopia, 2014)

5 Ways to Get Girls Into STEM: Explore strategies to help capture young girls' interest in STEM subjects and career paths. (Edutopia, 2013)

Five-Minute Film Festival: 8 Videos to Encourage Girls in STEM: Watch a video playlist to ignite your imagination about what girls can do in science, technology, engineering, and math. Be sure to take a look at the tip sheets and articles at the bottom of the page. (Edutopia, 2014)

STEM Beyond School Walls

Downloads and Examples From Schools That Work

Edutopia's flagship series highlights practices and case studies from K-12 schools and districts that are improving the way students learn. Below, find downloads used by practitioners at a featured school, and dive into real-world examples of STEM learning.

Bridges Project Design Document: Download a PDF document that describes how students learn about the math and engineering concepts necessary to construct bridges and explore the symbolic meaning of bridges in literature, history, and social studies.

Communications Project Design Document: Download a PDF document that describes how students address learning goals across multiple subjects through design and construction of a sound system and the writing of original music.

Rockets and Robots Project Design Document: Download a PDF document that describes how students build robots and construct rockets to complete a variety of space-inspired missions and reach reach learning goals in various content areas.

Blank Project Design Document: Download a blank PDF template used to design and plan capstone projects at Mc2STEM.

Sample Fab Lab Projects: Download a PDF document with photos of several projects that were done in the Mc2STEM Fab Lab.

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Explore ways to use STEM lessons and approaches to help students practice cross-disciplinary thinking and build skills in science, technology, engineering, and math.

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We understand that with schools closed children are home and in need of ways to keep their minds engaged. Below is a collection of free TERC resources to help educators, parents, students, and others cope with school closings and quarantines. These resources were created by our math and science education and research experts and funded by the National Science Foundation along with other funding agencies.

BioRobots

In BioRobots middle school students: study the natural world to learn how animals accomplish different tasks, then design and build a robot inspired by what they learned; learn how to build and program a robot; and practice computational thinking, scientific reasoning, and engineering design skills. There is a One Hour Activity, Curriculum, and supporting resources.
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Focus on Energy

Focus on Energy uses an innovative approach to engage elementary students in learning about energy. The curriculum is comprised of a sequence of firsthand investigations including motion, elastic, thermal, and electrical energy. Each investigation is framed by an investigation question, followed by hands-on activities. Students have multiple opportunities to apply and consolidate ideas about energy forms, transformations, and transfer as they construct energy stories of ball collisions, elastic-band driven propellers, solar panels that can charge a capacitor, or temperature changes in the air of a "mini-room" warmed by a cup of hot water.
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EarthLabs

EarthLabs is a set of high school earth science modules that incorporate hands-on activities, data collection and analysis, and interactive visualizations to engage students in an exploration of the earth system. The units offer both student and teacher handbooks.
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The Inquiry Project

The Inquiry Project takes a unique approach to the study of matter for grades 3-5. It brings together core ideas, scientific practices, and crosscutting concepts. The curriculum for each grade is built around a network of science concepts. These concepts are relevant to understanding matter and include ideas about material, weight, and volume.
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Head Start on Engineering

Head Start on Engineering is a bilingual, family-centered program designed to engage preschool children and their parents and caregivers in the engineering process. The program focuses on the engineering design process, rather than the field of engineering, as a topic and skill that is highly relevant to the everyday lives of families, helps make engineering feel approachable, and easily connects to early childhood play and learning practices.
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SPARKS!

The Head Start on Engineering project has recently introduced a new type of resource for families and teachers: Sparks!. These bilingual (Spanish and English) activity ideas are a fun and easy way for families to learn together at home that support preschool-age children's development and spark family engagement with engineering design.
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Make Connections: You and Me and Math

Make Connections, a collaboration of the YMCA of Silicon Valley and TERC, gives adults a fun and easy way to help young children (ages 0-5) learn math. There are eleven curriculum units - each of which fits several common early childhood education themes. Units include activities for ages 2 and up, each with an at-home variation, and activities for children under 2 to use in programs or at home.
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Investigating Science Outside

Investigating Science Outdoors is a supplementary science curriculum, for grades 7-9, that engages students in authentic explorations of a study site-a small piece of land near their school.
TEACHER GUIDE
Study of Place

Study of Place is a collection of two environmental science modules (Antarctic Exploration and Currents Exploration) for middle schools that are approximately two-weeks-long.
TEACHER & STUDENT GUIDE
CLEAN

CLEAN is a high-quality and rigorously reviewed collection of climate and energy education resources aligned with the Climate Literacy and the Energy Literacy frameworks, and the Next Generation Science Standards.
LEARN MORE
What's the Weather

What's the Weather consists of six chapters that are designed to supplement grades 3-5 core science curriculum. It encourages students to build ideas of science content and process through hands-on and online investigation of the weather in their location. Students collect data about moisture (humidity, cloud cover, and precipitation), air temperature, wind, and air pressure.
TEACHERS GUIDE & STUDENT PACK
Signing Math & Science

Signing Math & Science uses SigningAvatar® assistive technology to develop illustrated, interactive 3D standards-based sign language dictionaries that offer students in grades K-8 and 9-12 who are deaf and hard of hearing increased access to the same learning opportunities that hearing students enjoy.
LEARN MORE
Signing Glossaries for Science Exhibits

Six signing glossaries delivered as apps to provide visitors ages 5-12+ who are deaf or hard of hearing access to STEM vocabulary during visits to aquariums, botanical gardens, natural history museums, nature centers, science museums, and zoos. While museums are closed, they can be used when visiting museum websites and "virtual field trips!"
LEARN MORE
Game-based Learning from EdGE

Impulse
Embedded in a sea of enemy particles, avoid collisions as you propel your own particle to the goal in Impulse.

Quantum Spectre
Use mirrors, lenses, and more to direct laser beams to colored targets in this scientifically accurate and cool laser game, Quantum Spectre.

Ravenous
Re-skin yourself in black feathers, take flight, and see if you've got what it takes to survive in Ravenous.
LEARN MORE
Investigations

Math at Home
Math at Home is a collection of K-5 activities that families can do together. A new set of activities in English and Spanish will be released every few days!

Investigations 3 Games Online
The Games Center contains online versions of many of the Investigations 3 games. It can be accessed in English and Spanish.

Math Words and Ideas from Investigations 3
Math Words and Ideas provides a clear, interactive review of different concepts. Many include an animation; all include a "Try It" activity. The MWI can be accessed in English or Spanish.
LEARN MORE
Mixing in Math (MiM)

Materials to help mix math into everything children do-from playing games to building towers to telling stories to catching up on chores. MiM materials consist of a large bank of activities, games, and projects for ages 2-12 in English and Spanish.
LEARN MORE
MPACT at TERC

Make a kite and measure things with this at-home packet to use with students ages 8 and up. The activities are ideal for families to do together. Additional distance learning resources are available on the website.
LEARN MORE
SLI (STEM Literacy through Infographics)

Materials to support high school youth in creating infographics as a form of data journalism, an especially relevant skill in today's data-based society. The SLI website includes lesson plans, assessments and other educational materials that are free and available to be used as is or adapted to your particular setting. Follow the links across the top of the home page to see the steps in the process of creating an infographic, then explore the Educator Resources for more specific materials.
LEARN MORE

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We understand that with schools closed children are home and in need of ways to keep their minds engaged. Below is a collection of free TERC resources to help educators, parents, students, and others cope with school closings and quarantines.

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NASA's First Deaf Engineer: Johanna Lucht

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NASA's First Deaf Engineer: Johanna Lucht

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NASA's First Deaf Engineer in Active Mission Control Role Impresses

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On April 4, 2017, which was the 34th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger's maiden voyage, a modified NASA Gulfstream III took off at Edwards Air Force Base in California to become the first NASA aircraft to fly with a twisted wing flap configuration.

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AASD Accessible Materials Project

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AASD Accessible Materials Project

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AASD Accessible Materials Project

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Math Concepts in ASL: Different Ways of Adding

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Math Concepts in ASL: Different Ways of Adding

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AASD Accessible Materials Project

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Math Concepts in ASL- #6 Different Ways of Adding

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AASD Accessible Materials Project

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Gallaudet University

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Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience (NENS) Lab 

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Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience (NENS) Lab 

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Gallaudet University

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Gender Inclusion in the Clerc Center's Demonstration Schools (The Odyssey Magazine) 

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Gender Inclusion in the Clerc Center's Demonstration Schools (The Odyssey Magazine) 

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Daily Moth Interviews with Deaf Transgender People 

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Daily Moth Interviews with Deaf Transgender People 

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Renca: This week is Trans Awareness Week. The Daily Moth reached out to three Deaf trans people: Zee Chauhan, Blake Culley, and Asteria L. Summers. Zee and Blake had an interview and Asteria provided a statement. We asked about their experiences and their journey as a trans person. We also asked what they think that the Deaf community needs to be more aware about.

Blake: I'm Blake Culley. My pronouns are they/them/their.

Zee: I'm Zee Chauhan. I'm from California and have been here all my life.

Blake: I identify as trans nonbinary, which means I don't identify as either a man or woman. Sometimes I identify with both, and sometimes I'm more oriented towards one or the other. Sometimes I identify with neither at all. So, that's my nonbinary identity - I'm fluid.

Zee: I identify as trans masculine. It was last year, I can't remember - time goes so fast! Anyway, last year.

Blake: I was born female, and in the trans community that's called AFAB - Assigned Female at Birth. So, I'm AFAB, trans, and nonbinary with many more identities. I know it's hard to keep up. I'm 32. I realized I was nonbinary when I was about 28 years old. In this generation and this time, coming out at 28 is kind of late. But now, people who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s are coming out as trans. The reason I mentioned my age is because at 28, I realized that I was trans. I realized later that was because I didn't have access to information as a Deaf person. There are so many YouTube channels by trans people that you can follow if you're hearing or have access to the spoken English language. I didn't have access to that. Many Deaf trans people have little access as well and they're not out or stay in the closet. It's called stealth, which means they are trans but they're not out as trans. They live their lives with their identity, but no one knows they're trans. That's called stealth. So, some Deaf trans are like that, and they don't know how to get support. At that time, when I was 28... Really, I started to realize this about myself probably since high school, but I didn't have information, exposure, or access. So at that time, the Deaf trans community was very small. Where were they? So, social media did help.

Zee: My whole life, I always knew I was meant to be a boy. I wanted to become a boy. Even though my parents and family knew that I was trans, they didn't tell me because they let me grow and go through my journey, you know? I was very confident back then before puberty hit. I did whatever I wanted and wore whatever clothes and hairstyle I wanted, and all was good until puberty hit me. At the same time middle school and high school were happening, so there were big changes and I saw differences like different groups forming. So I felt forced to choose where to go, and didn't have enough resources at the time. I had no idea. Social media was a new thing. I went through a tough time in middle school and high school, and I became much less confident even though I'm Zee - my name has been Zee my whole life. I used to have another name, yes, but my parents have always called me Zee. I remember one word when someone shared their experience and journey through high school. I just thought, "Oh". Oh! That's it. That makes sense. Everything became clear to me. Before that, I had been trying to figure out who I was and find a solution to my mixed feelings. That word, transgender, was the answer and I finally understood clearly. Oh, all right. I was thrilled, and I felt better. I hurried home and told my mom, and she said she knew all along. My whole family already knew.

Renca: What do you, as a Deaf trans person, often face? Share at least one type of frustration that you face. What would that be?

Blake: Not bad bad, but this is kind of an annoyance. When Deaf people who know me from before my transition don't realize that I've transitioned. They'd be like, "Are you...?" and share my birth name, or my dead name. That name is old news. And I'm like "Yeah..." and then I have to come out over and over again, because the Deaf community is small. I know several hearing trans people who can just disappear and show up in a new city where nobody knows anything, and they can start a brand new life with their identity, name, pronouns, and everything without having to come out again unless they start dating or things get more deep. In the Deaf community, that's a big challenge. It's guaranteed that I'll find someone who will message me on my Instagram and be like, are you that person? I'm like, yes, that's me, but... I'm still me, but with a different name. That's one frustrating thing I face. And sometimes people don't realize that there are some Deaf trans who might not want to talk about their journey. People might assume that because I'm open about mine that all Deaf trans people are the same way. That's not true. You need to ask someone if you can ask a personal question about their trans identity and be open to their response, and if they say yes, then sure, go ahead and have a conversation. If they say no, then respect them and let it go.

Zee: I noticed that my classmates and friends who know I identify as a man and have preferred pronouns expect me to man up. Why do I have to man up? I don't have to, but they think that being male means I need to man up. That term comes up often. It actually happened in class, when someone told me to man up. In my class? Why would you say that to me? I can cry, I can do whatever I want. That's fine. I can do feminine things. That's okay. All of that is fine. But people make comments about having to man up, and it doesn't matter, you know? That's one thing I'm very frustrated about. It's hard for me because I want to keep those friends, but I can't let them degrade me constantly.

Renca: Right.

Zee: I have to set boundaries and be honest with them that it needs to stop.

[Sponsored Video from Convo: https://www.convorelay.com/]

Renca: If you could choose one thing that you would like for the Deaf community to be aware of when it comes to Deaf trans individuals, what would you like to share with us?

Blake: I feel like there are two groups in the Deaf community. There is a Deaf group that is already aware of trans and even sexual orientation identities, and they're very understanding and supportive. One thing I want to say is thank you for showing that support, and spreading awareness to each other. On the other hand, I've noticed that there is still a lot of Deaf cisgender people, meaning people whose identity they were given at birth matches their current identity, who don't know what it means to be trans. And it often comes out horrible. Like, I get bad DMs and comments on Instagram, even from the Deaf community too, and they say things like how being trans is a sin and that type of thing. Really, we are human. My identity doesn't change who you are. That's your life and my life. I've been seeing those types of Deaf people who don't know and don't understand. And they feel entitled to criticize my identity. One thing I want to share to that group is that we are human. We live our lives and want to be happy. We are who we are, and we are happy.

Zee: For Trans Awareness Week, it's really important for all trans people including their family and friends to be loved. Always make sure to be there and show support to them for whatever they want to be. It's not about them. It's about what that person decides. It's their choice. Make sure you support them, and be there. I think it's just important to be open-minded and be willing to interact.

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"I would like for people to celebrate the fact that the Deaf community has so much diversity in it without erasing the identities of trans people that are Deaf, Black, Woman, and Indigenous in my case by simply acknowledging ALL of our intersectional identities and experiences that make us so unique." - Asteria LaFaye Summers (Miss/Hers/She)

Blake: I want to add... Trans Awareness Week is meant to raise awareness, clearly. Everyone including myself is constantly still learning. I'm always learning new things. I always make mistakes even in my own trans community. Like when we were talking, I made a mistake with pronouns. That's ok. That's a learning experience. The best thing to do is to say thank you for criticizing me, and say that you'll practice. My partner is nonbinary too, but looks female, like a woman. But they identify as nonbinary, so that was a new experience for me even though I'm nonbinary myself. I sometimes say "she" but their pronouns are they and them too. So, we're all learning. It's ok to make mistakes. It's just important that you don't intentionally use the wrong pronouns, on purpose. It's okay to mess up and learn from it. We're all humans.

Renca: I want to thank all three individuals for sharing. I want to add that there is a Deaf Queer Resource Center, DQRC, that hosts support groups for Deaf trans folks, Deaf trans youth, and signing parents of trans kids. They also have Deaf Queer Youth. You can look at their website. We've added their information in this status. Check DQRC's page out! If you want to follow Zee, Blake and Asteria's journeys, we added their social media information in this status too.

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Interviews with Deaf Transgender people - The Daily Moth

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Renca: This week is Trans Awareness Week. The Daily Moth reached out to three Deaf trans people: Zee Chauhan, Blake Culley, and Asteria L. Summers. Zee and Blake had an interview and Asteria provided a statement. We asked about their experiences and their journey as a trans person.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn.

Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students. Include positive representation of LGBTQ people in your curriculum. Inspire your students of all ages and all identities to be kind, support others, and speak up when they see bullying.

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our days of action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation in any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these days of action nationally at specific times during the year, all of our lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources in the sections below for specific guides and tools related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more!

Join the thousands of educators who are helping GLSEN change schools across the country.

As a member of the GLSEN Educator Network, you'll receive emails that highlight GLSEN's resources and provide up-to-date information on GLSEN research. You will also receive current information on LGBTQ events and celebrations to help you plan for and implement a more inclusive curriculum, including direct information and new resources for GLSEN days of action like No Name-Calling Week.

Register to receive free GSA & school resources.

Join a national movement creating inclusive schools for all.

Educator Guides

Looking for ways to support Ally Week, No Name-Calling Week or the Day of Silence? Interested in finding ways to bring LGBTQ-visibility into your curriculum? You've come to the right place!

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our Days of Action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation into any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these Days of Action nationally at specific times throughout the year, the lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources below for specific guides and tool related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more! Ready to supplement your curriculum? Explore our LGBTQ-Inclusive and Bullying, Bias & Diversity lesson plans.

Lesson Plans

Implementing GLSEN's free lesson plans and resources can help students develop the skills to interact in our diverse world with greater respect, empathy, and understanding.

Incorporate our lessons, found below, to:

Foster respect and understanding

Promote LGBTQ visibility and affirmation

Improve school climate

Build leadership

Encourage ally behavior

Ready for LGBTQ-specific lessons? Explore GLSEN's LGBTQ-inclusive curricular resources.

Teachers can be that figure you look up to. And when they are accepting of you, it means the world to you. To know that you're ok and that they are there for you. - Ximena, 9th grade

When educators are visibly supportive of LGBTQ students, everyone benefits. Through our Chapter-based Professional Development program, GLSEN offers tools and resources to thousands of educators who seek to make their classrooms and schools a safe place for all students. Based on 25+ years of experience and research, GLSEN boasts a robust educator training program with a series of modules curated to cover an array of topics suitable for a diverse range of audiences.

GLSEN research shows that the presence of supportive educators can have a significant positive impact on LGBTQ students' academic achievement, as well as on their psychological well-being and long-term educational aspirations. GLSEN Professional Development aims to empower educators to act in allyship with LGBTQ students.

Our Professional Development Workshops will assist educators in building the following skills:

Knowledge of LGBTQ student experiences in school

Understanding what allyship can provide for LGBTQ students

Awareness of the prevalence of anti-LGBTQ language and behavior in schools

Willingness and ability to intervene when anti-LGBTQ name-calling and bullying occurs

Willingness and ability to utilize curriculum inclusive of LGBTQ people, history and themes

Willingness to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ students and ensure safe schools for all

Access to resources and referral

NOTE: For GLSEN Professional Development Workshops, the term "educator" includes, but is not limited to: Current or future K-12 Teachers, Administrators, Counselors, Paraprofessionals, Librarians, Nurses, Bus Drivers, District Staff, School Resource Officers, Cafeteria Workers, etc
To bring GLSEN Professional Development to your school, please email educators@glsen.org.

Safe Space Kit

Educators like you can make a big difference for LGBTQ students. Just one gesture can change a student's life for the better: Put up a Safe Space Sticker in your classroom to start a conversation about acceptance and affirming LGBTQ identity.

GLSEN's Safe Space Kit provides you with practical ways to transform your school into a safer space for everyone, particularly LGBTQ students, by supporting and educating students, sharing your knowledge with other educators and advocating for school-wide changes. The Safe Space Kit not only guides you through making an assessment of your school's climate and recommends affirming policies and best practices, but also outlines strategies that you may use to advocate for change, including posting a Safe Space Sticker or Safe Space Poster in your classroom or office. You can purchase them in the GLSEN Shop, or download digital copies for free

GLSEN Chapters also offer professional development opportunities that include our Safe Space Kit and support educators in creating safer and more affirming learning environments.

School Year Calendar

The school year is full of opportunities to participate in GLSEN events, address LGBTQ and social justice issues, learn about diverse communities, and take action to create safer and more affirming schools for all.

Use this calendar to schedule your GSA meetings, lesson plans, student events, and staff development workshops, and as part of your ongoing diversity, equity, and LGBTQ-inclusion efforts. Follow us @GLSEN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we'll be sharing related resources and lesson plans for these events throughout the year.

Misgendering, Gender Terminology & Pronouns

Misgendering hurts. Support educators by teaching students how to respect each others' pronouns and bringing awareness to a wider range of gender terminology.

As a class and in small groups, students watch a video about pronouns, have a conversation about pronouns, and discuss misgendering. As a class, students discuss ways to combat misgendering and how they can make sure the gender pronouns of all students are respected.

For all of us, learning an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum can help us better understand our world and our differences. For LGBTQ students in particular, it can mean feeling safer at school and hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks less frequently, according to GLSEN research. Looking back at history is the easiest way to get LGBTQ-inclusivity into any curriculum. That's why we're sharing our resources below, which include an interactive timeline and coloring book as well as many other classroom resources suitable for a range of students ages K-12.

Recognizing these benefits, former GLSEN Chapter leader Rodney Wilson, with the support of GLSEN's founder Kevin Jennings and many others, founded LGBTQ History Month in October 1994. While you can use these resources every October, they're perfect for use all year, so that students see the benefits year round.

A great resource you can use to learn and teach about LGBTQ history is Making Gay History, the critically acclaimed and award-winning podcast that brings LGBTQ history to life through the voices of the people who lived it. Listen to the podcasts below to hear about the lives and legacies of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were participants in the New York Stonewall riots in 1969.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn. Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students.

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Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Educator Tools 

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Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Educator Tools 

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As an intentionally K-12 organization, we understand the importance of beginning conversations about LGBTQ people and families in elementary school.

While many LGBTQ+-inclusive school supports begin in middle or high school, it is critical for elementary schools to establish a foundation of respect and understanding for all people.

These resources can help you bring LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion to your classroom, school or district:

This resource on Elementary Visibility and Integration has best practices and recommendations to begin your advocacy

Use the common-core standardized lessons from our Ready, Set, Respect! Toolkit to teach about bullying and bias, LGBTQ+ -inclusive family diversity, and challenging gender stereotypes.

Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy in the Elementary Classroom to see how other teachers have successfully implemented LGBTQ+ issues into their curriculum.

We recommend these Four Support for LGBTQ+ - Inclusive Schools: Comprehensive Policies, Supportive Educators, GSAs Clubs, and Inclusive Curriculum.

Our Gender Triangle Education Guide has helpful definitions and reflection questions for students or adults to think about gender identity and expression.

Solidarity Story Time - Molly Allis reads Viva Que Dia! Hooray, What a day!

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As an intentionally K-12 organization, we understand the importance of beginning conversations about LGBTQ people and families in elementary school. While many LGBTQ+-inclusive school supports begin in middle or high school, it is critical for elementary schools to establish a foundation of respect and understanding for all people.

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"Brown girl, Brown girl" ASL Poem by KDES students 

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"Brown girl, Brown girl" ASL Poem by KDES students 

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"Brown girl, Brown girl" Poem in ASL by our KDES Students

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For those of you who can't wait until the next National Math Festival, we invite you to explore the wonder and beauty of math with these puzzles, games, books, videos, and other mathy treats. Resources are categorized by age level and updated monthly!

Have a suggestion for us? Share with @natmathfestival on Twitter, or email [email protected] .

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More Math! Resources ⋆ National Math Festival

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For those of you who can't wait until the next National Math Festival, we invite you to explore the wonder and beauty of math with these puzzles, games, books, videos, and other mathy treats. Resources are categorized by age level and... Learn more →

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“Black is Beautiful” Theme for Early Childhood — D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice

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Maureen Ingram’s early childhood PK3 class at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS launched the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action with activities around the theme “Black is Beautiful.”

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The Described and Captioned Media Program: Math 

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The Described and Captioned Media Program: Math 

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The Described and Captioned Media Program is a free-loan library of accessible educational media for use by teachers and family member of K-12 students with a vision or hearing loss. This U.S. Department of Education-funded program also serves as a clearinghouse of accessibility information and training resources as well as a gateway to accessibility information from partnering organizations.

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KDES's Black Lives Matter 13 Guiding Principles in ASL 

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KDES's Black Lives Matter 13 Guiding Principles in ASL 

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Black Lives Matter: 13 Guiding Principles

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Numerical Stories - Early Childhood Education - CSD

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We are TERC, an independent research-based non-profit organization, dedicated to inspiring and supporting all learners through stimulating curricula and programs.

Our forward-thinking and groundbreaking research projects result in insightful and inspiring learning materials, many for free. Curricula, teacher resources, games, web-based tools and more, are published and distributed by a variety of publishers. Here you'll find all the available products created or co-developed by TERC. To order or download, simply follow the links to the product pages.

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Our forward-thinking and groundbreaking research projects result in insightful and inspiring learning materials, many for free. Curricula, teacher resources, games, web-based tools and more, are published and distributed by a variety of publishers. Here you'll find all the available products created or co-developed by TERC.

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Digital Citizenship Curriculum: Lesson Plans 

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Digital Citizenship Curriculum: Lesson Plans 

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Black Deaf Lives Matter: A fun coloring & activity book about Black Deaf life, history, culture & sign language by Dr. Lissa D. Ramirez-Stapleton

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Black Deaf Lives Matter: A fun coloring & activity book about Black Deaf life, history, culture & sign language by Dr. Lissa D. Ramirez-Stapleton

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black deaf lives matter: a fun coloring & activity book about black deaf life

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Black Deaf Lives Matter: A fun coloring & activity book about Black Deaf life, history, culture & sign language

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Amazon.com: Black Deaf Lives Matter: A fun coloring & activity book about Black Deaf life, history, culture & sign language (9798668308118): Ramirez-Stapleton, Lissa D., Richardson, Shawn: Books

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners

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The Departments recognize that families and early educators have many different options for using technology with early learners. The Departments believe that guidance needs to reflect the reality that families and early educators have access to apps, digital books, games, video chatting software, and a multitude of other interactive technologies that can be used with young children. Even as new technologies emerge, the Departments believe that these principles apply, though guidance may evolve as more research on this topic is published.

The Departments' four guiding principles for use of technology with early learners are as follows:

Guiding Principle #1: Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Guiding Principle #2: Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

Guiding Principle #3: Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Guiding Principle #4: Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Two documents in particular influenced the development of the Departments' guiding principles: Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice and the 2016 National Education Technology Plan (NETP).

HHS published Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice⁹ in March 2015 to examine how technology can be used to support and improve the quality of practice of early childhood practitioners, particularly in their own professional development. The report presented an overview of research related to the use of technology by conducting a literature review and consulting with experts on the topic in four key focus areas: 1) instruction and assessment; 2) parent, family, and community engagement; 3) professional development and informal learning; and 4) facilitators and barriers.

At ED, the Office of Educational Technology released the 2016 NETP, the federal government's flagship educational technology policy document. Titled Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education, the plan articulates a vision of equity, active use, and collaborative leadership to make everywhere, all-the-time learning possible for all learners. While acknowledging the continuing need to provide equitable access to technology itself, the plan goes further to call upon all involved in American education to ensure equity of access to transformational learning experiences enabled by technology, including for early learners. ¹⁰

The Departments' four principles state the position of the Departments on this topic and are expanded below.

Guiding Principle #1:

Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Developmentally appropriate use of technology can help young children grow and learn, especially when families and early educators play an active role. Early learners can use technology to explore new worlds, make believe, and actively engage in fun and challenging activities. They can learn about technology and technology tools and use them to play, solve problems, and role play.

How Do You Determine What is Developmentally Appropriate for a Child When it Comes to Technology?

In Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center state that "appropriate experiences with technology and media allow children to control the medium and the outcome of the experience, to explore the functionality of these tools, and pretend how they might be used in real life ¹¹."

Lisa Guernsey, author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media-From Baby Videos to Educational Software-Affects Your Young Child, also provides guidance for families and early educators. For example, instead of applying arbitrary, "one-size-fits-all" time limits, families and early educators should determine when and how to use various technologies based on the Three C's: the content, the context, and the needs of the individual child. ¹² They should ask themselves following questions:

Content-How does this help children learn, engage, express, imagine, or explore?

Context-What kinds of social interactions (such as conversations with parents or peers) are happening before, during, and after the use of the technology? Does it complement, and not interrupt, children's learning experiences and natural play patterns?

The individual child-What does this child need right now to enhance his or her growth and development? Is this technology an appropriate match with this child's needs, abilities, interests, and development stage?

Appropriate use in formal early learning settings

Early educators should keep in mind the developmental levels of children when using technology for early learning. That is, they first should consider what is best for healthy child development and then consider how technology can help early learners achieve learning outcomes. Technology should never be used for technology's sake. Instead, it should only be used for learning and meeting developmental objectives, which can include being used as a tool during play.

When technology is used in early learning settings, it should be integrated into the learning program and used in rotation with other learning tools such as art materials, writing materials, play materials, and books, and should give early learners an opportunity for self-expression without replacing other classroom learning materials. ¹³ There are additional considerations for educators when technology is used, such as whether a particular device will displace interactions with teachers or peers or whether a device has features that would distract from learning. Further, early educators should consider the overall use of technology throughout a child's day and week, and adhere to recommended guidelines from the Let's Move initiative, in partnership with families. Additionally, if a child is eligible for services under IDEA and/or Section 504 and Title II, the student may require specific technology to ensure that the student can access the instructional material.

What Are Some Differences Between Using an e-Book and a Physical Book with Early Learners?

E-books have the potential to provide learning experiences for children and they also have capabilities that are impossible to deliver in print format. For example:

A device can hold a complete library of stories and information for children to explore.

Words and sentences can be highlighted during oral narration.

Children can elect to have a pre-recorded narrator read the entire text out loud to them.

Children can experience embedded interactive features within the text.

On the other hand, research has shown that some interactive features may actually impede a young child's comprehension. 14, 15 An example is a feature that allows children to jump around to different points in the story, which can make it difficult for developing readers to follow a sequence of events.

The optimal way for children to experience a physical book or an e-book is with an adult who is actively involved, 16, 17 asking questions that allow children to expand on what they've read to make connections and providing opportunities to check for comprehension. However, the design of some e-books may dampen parents' desires to play that interactive role. Two research studies have shown that when parents read e-books that have features that asked questions, parents were less likely to play that role with their children while reading together, 18, 19. On the positive side, another research study showed that children who read an e-book with a parent remembered content better than children who read an e-book alone, regardless of what the parent was saying during the reading. ²⁰

When making decisions about incorporating e-books, parents should consider what features are available and when and how they will be used. Bedtime use of e-books may also require additional considerations. For example, currently there is limited research on the impact on sleep when using e-books for bedtime reading, but some research suggests that the backlighting of electronic devices can curtail the amount of time children spend sleeping if a device is used right before bedtime. ²¹

Just as with other educational tools, school-aged children should be taught how to correctly handle and care for devices. These skills and the use of technology should generally not be taught as a separate rotation or class, but rather integrated into the learning objective of the lesson. ²² In some cases, however, individualized instruction may be desirable to meet the specific needs of a child. As children grow older, they should continue to build on this basic skill set with lessons in digital citizenship.

What is Digital Citizenship?

In the Ed Tech Developer's Guide, released by the Office of Educational Technology in April 2015, digital citizenship is defined as "a set of norms and practices regarding appropriate and responsible technology use... and requires a whole-community approach to thinking critically, behaving safely, and participating responsibly online." ²³

As early learners reach an appropriate age to use technology more independently, they must be taught about cyber safety, including the need to protect and not share personal information on the internet, the goals and influence of advertisements, and the need for caution when clicking on links. These skills are particularly important for older children who may be using a parent's device unsupervised. Early childhood educators and administrators should ensure that the proper filters and firewalls are in place so children cannot access materials that are not approved for a school setting.

Distinctions between active and passive use

To understand how to use technology appropriately with young children, families and early educators should understand the differences between passive and active use of technology. Passive use of technology generally occurs when children are consuming content, such as watching a program on television, a computer, or a handheld device without accompanying reflection, imagination, or participation. Active use occurs when children use technologies such as computers, devices, and apps to engage in meaningful learning or storytelling experiences. Examples include sharing their experiences by documenting them with photos and stories, recording their own music, using video chatting software to communicate with loved ones, or using an app to guide playing a physical game. These types of uses are capable of deeply engaging the child, especially when an adult supports them.

Deep engagement is less likely to occur when a device is used passively. In many circumstances, minimal learning occurs when children use devices merely to consume videos on their own. However, screen time should not be the only factor when considering the value of a child's interaction with technology since high-quality, research-based video content can lead to deep cognitive processing in the minds of young children. ²⁴ As most content does not meet this standard, adults need to recognize that what matters most is whether the child's mind is active and deeply engaged with the content. One way an adult can tell if a child is actively engaging with content is for an adult to watch with them (known as co-viewing) and to guide them to a deeper engagement. Co-viewing and the importance of adult interaction is further discussed in guiding principle #4.

Similarly, adults need to be cautious about assuming that a child using a device in a physically engaging way reflects active learning. While actions such as swiping or pressing on devices may seem to be interactive, if the child does not intentionally learn from the experience, it is not considered to be active use. To be considered active use, the content should enable deep, cognitive processing, and allow intentional, purposeful learning at the child's developmental level.

Research on Television Use

Research on television has shown that the impact of children passively consuming content is associated with adverse effects on their health in terms of weight 25, 26, 27 sleep habits 28, 29 and language development 30, 31, 32. One study also showed that fast-paced, cartoon television shows can have an immediate negative impact on executive function skills for four-year-olds. ³³ Executive function refers to a set of cognitive and regulation skills involved in goal-directed problem solving, including working memory, inhibitory control, and flexible shifting of attention. These studies have led to previous recommendations from the AAP limiting the amount of time children have spent with screens.

The Departments further encourage families and early educators to think of ways they can reduce the sedentary nature of most technology use. Technology can encourage and complement physical activity, such as a parent and child using a yoga app together, exploring different varieties of flowers in a neighborhood park while referencing an app to learn about them, or playing console games that encourage adults and children to exercise or dance together.

Additional guidance for families and early educators

Adults should strive to provide balance and moderation when using technology with children. They should set limits that are developmentally appropriate and meet the needs of their children and family. When introducing technology to children, adults should model behaviors such as using technology to promote positive interaction instead of allowing it to interfere with interactions, designating and enforcing face-to-face time that is free of interruptions, and using technology together before allowing children to use it independently.

What is Developmentally Appropriate Technology Use for Children Aged 0-2?

Research shows that unstructured playtime is particularly important for infants and toddlers because they learn more quickly through interactions with the real world than they do through media use and, at such a young age, they have limited periods of awake time. ³⁴ At this age, children require "hands-on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills." ³⁵

Research also shows that children aged 0-2 should not watch media or use technology alone. Children age 12-24 months can learn from videos if parents co-view material with them and use the video as a learning tool to build language skills. ³⁶ Some studies have shown that children in this age range can learn from videos, but do not retain information as long as comparison groups who learned the same material using books with their parents did. ³⁷ When video chatting, children under 16 months show no learning gains, ³⁸ though there may be a benefit in promoting bonding when physical distance limits frequent in-person interactions.

Based on this research, the Departments recommend the following:

For children under the age of 2, technology use in early learning settings is discouraged. With families, technology can be used in active ways that promote relationship development, such as using video chatting software to talk to relatives, friends, and families whom they are not able to see on a regular basis. Parents who are interested in using media with their children can start around 18 months with high-quality content, but should always co-view content and use technology with their children. As determined appropriate by the IFSP team under Part C of the IDEA, children with disabilities in this age range may also use technology, for example, an assistive technology device to help them communicate with others, access and participate in different learning opportunities, or help them get their needs met.

For children ages 2-5, families and early educators need to take into account that technology may be used at home and in early learning settings. New recommendations in the AAP's 2016 Media and Young Minds Brief suggest that one hour of technology use is appropriate per day, inclusive of time spent at home and in early learning settings and across devices. ³⁹ HHS supports more limited technology use in early care settings, and more information on their recommendations can be found in Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards. ⁴⁰ However, time is only one metric that should be considered with technology use for children in this age range. Families and early educators should also consider the quality of the content, the context of use, and opportunities the technology provides to strengthen or develop relationships. At home, parents can use technology to supplement real-world interactions, for instance, by using an app at the zoo or recapping what they experienced while there.

For children ages 6-8 in school settings, technology should be used as a tool for children to explore and become active creators of content. If children have more than one teacher, those teachers should be aware of how much screen time is being used across subject areas and at home. Students should learn to use technology as an integrated part of a diverse curriculum. At home, parents should set limits they feel are appropriate for their children, understanding the differences between passive and active technology use as well as the benefits of using technology with an adult versus solo use. Parents should also be aware of how much technology is being used in the classroom, what is needed for homework, and how this fits into an overall picture of technology use for their child throughout the day. The AAP has created an interactive Family Media Plan Tool on HealthyChildren.org to help parents be thoughtful about media exposure for their children.

Guiding Principle #2:

Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

When appropriately used by early learners with guidance and modeling by adults, technology can complement or extend learning in ways not easily achieved otherwise. For example, technology can introduce children more directly to cultures and places outside their community. Although children may have access to print resources from libraries, technology can increase the amount of reference information immediately available to them on a given topic and give them the ability to ask questions of people outside of their classroom. Additionally, within a child's own community, technology should be culturally responsive.

What Does It Mean to Be Culturally Responsive?

Culturally responsive materials are designed to create learning environments that are conducive to learning for all students, no matter their ethnic, cultural, or linguistic background. In a chapter titled "Technology Tools for Family Engagement: The Role of Diversity," in the book Family Engagement in the Digital Age: Early Childhood Educators as Media Mentors edited by Chip Donahue, Kevin Clark suggests that early educators ask themselves the following questions when selecting media:

Do children see different types of people, characteristics, and attributes?

Do children hear a variety of sounds, voices, and music?

Are a variety of situations being depicted (e.g. family structure, lifestyles, power/working relationships?)⁴¹

It is important that these questions are considered across content, including in apps and other media.

Children themselves may be encouraged to take part in creating this content. Technology can help children author their own materials and stories and share their real-life experiences with others, increasing the amount of diverse, culturally relevant, and community-based content in the classroom.

How Does Technology Support STEM and Early Learning?

Technology can be a powerful tool to support learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). There are many resources that use technology to make STEM come to life for young children, allowing access to experiences they wouldn't otherwise have. For example, children can use the panda cams at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park to observe animals that aren't found in their everyday lives, take virtual tours of science museums, and observe cause and effect through simulations and games, without risk of harm.

When combined with social interactions and guidance from parents and early educators, the combination of video and games (transmedia) can be powerful tools at home and in the classroom to promote STEM learning. For example, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-PBS, a 2010 grantee of ED's Ready to Learn Television program demonstrated significant improvement in 4-year olds' math skills when using the PBS KIDS Transmedia Math Supplement to bolster mathematics instruction. ⁴² The 2015 Ready to Learn Television program grant application included a competitive priority to support scientific literacy, which has additional potential to support young children in STEM.

The "T" in STEM is often confused with technological devices such as tablets, laptops, and other physical devices or with the broad term "educational technology." Educational technology is content agnostic and describes using technology as a tool to promote learning across disciplines or content areas. The "T" in STEM, however, is intended to introduce children to the underlying concepts of building or creating technology, including computational thinking, which is the basic logic underlying computer science and is beginning to be incorporated into early childhood settings.

Digital use divide

The 2016 NETP presents research that points to a widening digital use divide, which occurs when some children have the opportunity to use technology actively while others are asked primarily to use it passively. The research showed that children at lower income levels are more likely to complete passive tasks in learning settings while their more affluent peers are more likely to use technology to complete active tasks. 43, 44

For low-income children who may not have access to devices or the internet at home, early childhood settings provide opportunities to learn how to use these tools more actively. For example, research shows that preschool-aged children from low-income families in an urban Head Start center who received daily access to computers and were supported by an adult mentor displayed more positive attitudes toward learning, improved self-esteem and self-confidence, and increased kindergarten readiness skills than children who had computer access, but did not have support from a mentor. ⁴⁵ Access to technology for children is necessary in the 21st century but not sufficient. To have beneficial effects, it must be accompanied by strong adult supports.

Children with disabilities

The 2016 NETP discusses equity in the context of connectivity, access, and active experiences, including the accessibility of technology by children with disabilities. These include apps, devices, materials, and environments that support and enable access to content and educational activities for all learners. ⁴⁶ The Departments support the creation of "born accessible" materials (a play on "born digital," which refers to materials created specifically for digital platforms) that use the principles of Universal Design for Learning and follow industry accessibility standards from the very beginning of the development process. ⁴⁷ Accessibility is not limited to those with sensory or physical disabilities; it also includes individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities.

Universal Design for Learning

In the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is defined as "the meaning given the term in Section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1003)." In that section of the Higher Education Act of 1965, UDL is defined as "a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that-(a) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (b) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient."

The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) developed the UDL framework for making a curriculum inclusive of "flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs." The CAST guidelines encourage instructional practices and educational content that embrace the widest possible diversity of learners. The UDL approach encourages the development of tools that consider this diverse range of users in the original design rather than add-on features. To see the guidelines, refer to the CAST website.

When used appropriately, technology has the potential to help learners of all ages and abilities fully engage in learning by providing greater access to curriculum and improving learning outcomes. ⁴⁸ For instance technology may provide children who struggle to communicate with an efficient means of communicating. One example is an app that enables children to point to a picture or a series of pictures and then says the words that correspond to the selected item.

For IDEA-eligible children receiving early intervention services or special education and related services, decisions about assistive technology use would be made by the child's IEP or IFSP) team under IDEA, as appropriate. For children with disabilities who are not eligible for services under the IDEA, children could receive appropriate technology in a preschool program operated by a recipient of Federal financial assistance or in a public preschool program, regardless of receipt of Federal funds. For students enrolled in public elementary schools who are not IDEA-eligible who are entitled to special education or related aids and services under Section 504, these determinations generally would be made by the group that makes the placement and services decisions for that student under Section 504.

Recommendations regarding active and passive use for entertainment and learning purposes apply to all children, including those with disabilities. For assistive technology that is necessary for the child to communicate with others or allows them to participate in developmentally appropriate activities, age or time limits should be determined together with the child's IEP or IFSP team.

Dual language learners

For dual language learners, digital resources can support language skills development in the home language and English. For example, students and families can use digital tools to create and share stories in their home language that are culturally relevant for classroom use. Educators can use digital tools to adapt materials with translations in both languages to improve comprehension and communication. In addition, oral language development focused on listening and speaking skills can be enhanced in two or more languages using speech-recording and playback features. When used appropriately and sensitively, technology can help meet the needs of dual language learners as individuals and enhance their learning opportunities. ⁴⁹

Guiding Principle #3:

Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Connections between home and school

In early childhood settings, technology can be used to strengthen relationships between early educators and family members. For example, digital portfolios documenting student work through photos, audio, and video recordings enable teachers to share what children are learning in class with families more often and more informally than is possible in traditional school-based conferences. This allows parents to track their child's progress, provides more opportunities for them to validate their child's efforts and accomplishments, and opens up opportunities for the parents to engage their child about their learning to reinforce or supplement it. In addition to using e-mail, text messages, and social media to make communication between early educators and families easier, technology can also be used to provide information and coaching to parents to reinforce at home what is learned at school. In fact, according to the HHS report, Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice, 40% of parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) products used video technology to model ideal parent behaviors or coach a parent's behavior. An additional 40% of PFCE products were used to present parents with educational materials. ⁵⁰ Technology has tremendous potential to strengthen communication and connection between families and early educators to the benefit of children.

Strengthening relationships

Technology can also be used to enhance relationships between children and adults and between children when distance or other barriers such as health prevent in-person interaction. While video chatting can be done at any age (as interactions tend to be brief and guided by an adult), "new evidence shows that infants and toddlers can attend to and engage in joint attention during video-chat interactions but do so more effectively after approximately 16 months of age and with parental support." ⁵¹ Video chatting is not limited to interactions between parents and children or grandparents and children, but is also applicable when children communicate with peers.

While technology has the power to bridge the physical divide between children and loved ones in the ways described, technology should not be used to replace meaningful face-to-face interactions. Precautions should be taken to ensure that technology use does not impede the development of healthy, authentic interactions with adults and peers.

Guiding Principle #4:

Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Most research on children's media usage shows that children learn more from content when parents or early educators watch and interact with children, encouraging them to make real-world connections to what they are viewing both while they are viewing and afterward. ⁵²

The Ready to Learn Television Program

The Ready to Learn Program: 2010-2015 Policy Brief, published in March 2016, summarized ED's Ready to Learn Television program research on the effectiveness of three educational television production organizations. ⁵³ The brief reported on 15 effectiveness/summative research studies with children aged 3-8 using media in informal learning settings (such as after school or child care programs); 7 of the studies focused on learning at home. From the 7 studies that focused on learning at home, positive associations were found between at-home engagement and children's math learning with children whose parents received interventions such as content guides and suggestions for supplemental activities. The studies also found that parents' awareness of children's math learning increased their likeliness to engage in activities and strategies to help their children learn math. ⁵⁴

While technology such as tablets and smartphones are designed to be handheld and lend themselves to individualized instead of shared experiences, children may benefit greatly when parents are actively involved while children use such devices. One research study of maternal interaction with 15-month olds found that the infants are 22 times more likely to transfer learning from a touchscreen to a real object, but only if the interaction with the mother was highly scaffolded with high levels of maternal input and emotional responsiveness. ⁵⁵

There are many ways that adult involvement can make learning more effective for young children using technology. Adult guidance that can increase active use of more passive technology includes, but are not limited to, the following:

Prior to the child viewing content, an adult can talk to child about the content and suggest certain elements to watch for or pay particular attention to;

An adult can view the content with the child and interact with the child in the moment;

After a child views the content, an adult can engage the child in an activity that extends learning such as singing a song they learned while viewing the content or connecting the content to the world.

How Can We Protect Privacy and Security for Young Children?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) (15 U.S.C. § 6501-6505) governs online collection of personal information by online services such as apps and websites from children under aged 13. For example, before a developer can collect personally identifiable information from a child under 13 verifiable parental consent is required. Any information collected from a child, including photos of the child or a voice recording, must be protected by reasonable security measures. The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces COPPA, has said that school officials can act in the capacity of a parent to provide consent to sign students up for online educational programs at school.

If technology is being used in a school setting, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) might also protect the child's privacy online. More information on FERPA is available through the U.S. Department of Education's Privacy Technical Assistance Center: http://ptac.ed.gov/.

Regardless of whether either of these two statutes applies, families and educators should evaluate an app's privacy policies prior to using the app. Assistance on what to review for can be found in the PTAC Model Terms of Service.

Advertising and in-app purchases

Beyond ensuring privacy and security, before downloading an app, families, educators, and others who work with young children also need to evaluate whether the app offers in-app purchasing or advertising. Many apps, particularly those that are free, offer advertising or in-app purchases, both of which are generally inappropriate for young children. Many methods of online advertising have the ability to track a user's behavior across multiple sites and services, putting a child's privacy and security at risk. Additionally, parents should also evaluate whether the app includes advertising, particularly age-inappropriate advertising. While adults can sometimes protect from in-app purchases by using appropriate passwords or disabling in-app purchases at the device level, a best practice is to choose software for very young children that avoids in-app purchases and advertising altogether.

Parents and early learning educators should stay up-to-date and informed

Parents and early learning educators who follow the Departments' principles can help ensure that technology is being used intentionally and appropriately to expand a young child's learning and enable experiences and opportunities that previously were not available. However, not all technology is appropriate for young children and not every technology-based experience is good for young children's development. To ensure that technology has a positive impact, adults who use technology with children should continually update their knowledge and equip themselves to make sophisticated decisions on how to best leverage these technology tools to enhance learning and interpersonal relationships for young children. Some sources for information on how to do this include: Common Sense Media, Fred Rogers Center, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and Zero to Three.

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners - Office of Educational Technology

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The Departments recognize that families and early educators have many different options for using technology with early learners. The Departments believe that guidance needs to reflect the reality that families and early educators have access to apps, digital books, games, video chatting software, and a multitude of other interactive technologies that can be used with [...]

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​ There are many wonderful sign vocabulary resources available online and ASLCORE is happy to contribute in a unique way!

The suggested signs you see in each ASLCORE branch are developed according to ASL linguistic principles by fluent Deaf ASL signers. Our goal is to provide descriptive signs which may serve to complement other initialized or English-influenced sign choices. These signs are presented for your consideration, modification, and adoption if they function well in your work as students, professionals, teachers, or interpreters!

ASLCORE is a Deaf-centric project which honors and celebrates Deaf culture and American Sign Language.

Our primary value is that all ASLCORE sign creations be generated by Deaf users of ASL.​

The content experts must be Deaf. They need not have ASL as their L1, however they must be fluent enough in sign to be able to communicate their content clearly and accurately to the translation team, and also understand the translation team questions/comments/discussion without an interpreter.

The translators must be "sign masters" who possess native fluency in ASL.

Each sign must be agreed upon by the team by consensus, however if an impasse does arise, there can be two versions of the sign if everyone agrees.

The translation work and continual development of the website is sponsored by The National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of nine colleges at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The ASLCORE project is managed and administered by Sarah Cannon, Miriam Lerner, and Sarah Schneckenburger, staff interpreters with the Department of Access Services at RIT/NTID.

We would like to express our gratitude to the many people and departments who have helped make this resource possible!

Gerry Buckley, President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Vice President and Dean of Rochester Institute of Technology, awarded Professional Development funds to Sarah Cannon, Miriam Lerner, and Sarah Schneckenburger. Without this money the project would not exist. We are indebted to Dr. Buckley for his constant support as this website expands!

Rico Peterson, Assistant Dean and Director of the Department of Access Services at RIT/NTID has provided advice, encouragement, and - most importantly - the aide and services of Administrative Assistant Bridget Budwey.

Sarah Cannon, Miriam Lerner, and Sarah Schneckenburger are staff interpreters on the Liberal Arts Core Team at RIT/NTID, and our manager Chris Felo and scheduler Colleen Freeman provided flexibility in schedules for our translation "boot camps" to be our priority.

We would like to express our thanks to Billie Rideout, a former staff interpreter in the Department of Access Services who was part of the initial efforts which eventually evolved into ASLCORE.

Mui Jade created our beautiful logo, and we are so fortunate to have her design representing our work!

We are indebted to Kai Pepler for recording and editing our video content, as well as for creating this website!

Our heartfelt thanks to you all!

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​ There are many wonderful sign vocabulary resources available online and ASLCORE is happy to contribute in a unique way! The suggested signs you see in each ASLCORE branch are developed according to ASL linguistic principles by fluent Deaf ASL signers. Our goal is to provide descriptive signs which may serve to complement other initialized or English-influenced sign choices.

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By Laleña Garcia
Illustrated by Caryn Davidson
This powerful activity book will engage hands, hearts, and minds as it introduces children to the guiding principles of the Black Lives Matter movement.
When the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013, the three founders--Alicia Garza, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, and Opal Tometi--anchored its work in a list of guiding principles, developed through conversation with other activists. These principles commit the movement to empathy, loving engagement, and just action among its participants; affirm the importance of Black women, families, elders, and LGBTQ folk; and celebrate the strength and diversity of Black people in their communities and around the globe.

Now young people can explore these powerful principles in What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Principles Activity Book. Created by two teachers with more than thirty-five years of educational experience between them, the book presents the guiding principles in down-to-earth, child-friendly language, with each principle accompanied by writing prompts, space for children or adults to create their own reflections, and a coloring page. Supporting materials guide adults in sharing the principles with children and encourage kids to dream big and take action within their communities. An essential resource for anyone discussing racial equity with young people, What We Believe offers a beautiful and inspiring lens on the most important social justice movement of our time.
Read the story behind What We Believe from author Laleña Garcia. In an interview, author Laleña Garcia and illustrator Caryn Davidson share a bit about their partnership, and how they define the role of activist and ally.
About the Creators

Laleña Garcia - Author

Laleña Garcia has been teaching children in New York City since 2000, and educators across the country since 2017. HOW WE CAN LIVE grew out of her work with Black Lives Matter at School, a coalition of educators and parents striving for racial justice in education. A graduate of Yale University and Bank Street College of Education, she lives in Brooklyn. Please visit her website at rootedkids.org and follow her on Instagram at @blm_in_kindergarten.

Caryn Davidson

Caryn Davidson studied Anthropology and Visual Art at Brown University and received her MA in Arts Education from NYU. Since the start of her career in education in 2004, she has founded and developed the arts programs at three public schools in New York City, and led initiatives to promote culturally relevant pedagogy and socially just practices within those school communities. She now teaches art at the high school level in Brooklyn, NY, where she also lives. She is a Steering Committee member of the Black Lives Matter at NYC Schools organizing group and a designer for the national Black Lives Matter at Schools movement. Please visit her website at caryndavidson.com and on Instagram at @caryn_arts.

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What We Believe by Laleña Garcia, illus. by Caryn Davidson | Lee & Low Books

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By Laleña GarciaIllustrated by Caryn Davidson This powerful activity book will engage hands, hearts, and minds as it introduces children to the guiding principles of the Black Lives Matter movement. When the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013, the three founders--Alicia Garza, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, and Opal Tometi--anchored its work in a list of guiding principles, developed through conversation with other activists.

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Zero to Three: Help your child develop early math skills 

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Zero to Three: Help your child develop early math skills 

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Children are using early math skills throughout their daily routines and activities. This is good news as these skills are important for being ready for school. But early math doesn't mean taking out the calculator during playtime. Even before they start school, most children develop an understanding of addition and subtraction through everyday interactions. For example, Thomas has two cars; Joseph wants one. After Thomas shares one, he sees that he has one car left (Bowman, Donovan, & Burns, 2001, p. 201). Other math skills are introduced through daily routines you share with your child-counting steps as you go up or down, for example. Informal activities like this one give children a jumpstart on the formal math instruction that starts in school.

What math knowledge will your child need later on in elementary school? Early mathematical concepts and skills that first-grade mathematics curriculum builds on include: (Bowman et al., 2001, p. 76).

Understanding size, shape, and patterns

Ability to count verbally (first forward, then backward)

Recognizing numerals

Identifying more and less of a quantity

Understanding one-to-one correspondence (i.e., matching sets, or knowing which group has four and which has five)

Key Math Skills for School

More advanced mathematical skills are based on an early math "foundation"-just like a house is built on a strong foundation. In the toddler years, you can help your child begin to develop early math skills by introducing ideas like: (From Diezmann & Yelland, 2000, and Fromboluti & Rinck, 1999.)

Number Sense

This is the ability to count accurately-first forward. Then, later in school, children will learn to count backwards. A more complex skill related to number sense is the ability to see relationships between numbers-like adding and subtracting. Ben (age 2) saw the cupcakes on the plate. He counted with his dad: "One, two, three, four, five, six..."

Representation

Making mathematical ideas "real" by using words, pictures, symbols, and objects (like blocks). Casey (aged 3) was setting out a pretend picnic. He carefully laid out four plastic plates and four plastic cups: "So our whole family can come to the picnic!" There were four members in his family; he was able to apply this information to the number of plates and cups he chose.

Spatial sense

Later in school, children will call this "geometry." But for toddlers it is introducing the ideas of shape, size, space, position, direction and movement. Aziz (28 months) was giggling at the bottom of the slide. "What's so funny?" his Auntie wondered. "I comed up," said Aziz, "Then I comed down!"

Measurement

Technically, this is finding the length, height, and weight of an object using units like inches, feet or pounds. Measurement of time (in minutes, for example) also falls under this skill area. Gabriella (36 months) asked her Abuela again and again: "Make cookies? Me do it!" Her Abuela showed her how to fill the measuring cup with sugar. "We need two cups, Gabi. Fill it up once and put it in the bowl, then fill it up again."

Estimation

This is the ability to make a good guess about the amount or size of something. This is very difficult for young children to do. You can help them by showing them the meaning of words like more, less, bigger, smaller, more than, less than. Nolan (30 months) looked at the two bagels: one was a regular bagel, one was a mini-bagel. His dad asked: "Which one would you like?" Nolan pointed to the regular bagel. His dad said, "You must be hungry! That bagel is bigger. That bagel is smaller. Okay, I'll give you the bigger one. Breakfast is coming up!"

Patterns

Patterns are things-numbers, shapes, images-that repeat in a logical way. Patterns help children learn to make predictions, to understand what comes next, to make logical connections, and to use reasoning skills. Ava (27 months) pointed to the moon: "Moon. Sun go night-night." Her grandfather picked her up, "Yes, little Ava. In the morning, the sun comes out and the moon goes away. At night, the sun goes to sleep and the moon comes out to play. But it's time for Ava to go to sleep now, just like the sun."

Problem-solving

The ability to think through a problem, to recognize there is more than one path to the answer. It means using past knowledge and logical thinking skills to find an answer. Carl (15 months old) looked at the shape-sorter-a plastic drum with 3 holes in the top. The holes were in the shape of a triangle, a circle and a square. Carl looked at the chunky shapes on the floor. He picked up a triangle. He put it in his month, then banged it on the floor. He touched the edges with his fingers. Then he tried to stuff it in each of the holes of the new toy. Surprise! It fell inside the triangle hole! Carl reached for another block, a circular one this time...

Math: One Part of the Whole

Math skills are just one part of a larger web of skills that children are developing in the early years-including language skills, physical skills, and social skills. Each of these skill areas is dependent on and influences the others.
Trina (18 months old) was stacking blocks. She had put two square blocks on top of one another, then a triangle block on top of that. She discovered that no more blocks would balance on top of the triangle-shaped block. She looked up at her dad and showed him the block she couldn't get to stay on top, essentially telling him with her gesture, "Dad, I need help figuring this out." Her father showed her that if she took the triangle block off and used a square one instead, she could stack more on top. She then added two more blocks to her tower before proudly showing her creation to her dad: "Dada, Ook! Ook!"
You can see in this ordinary interaction how all areas of Trina's development are working together. Her physical ability allows her to manipulate the blocks and use her thinking skills to execute her plan to make a tower. She uses her language and social skills as she asks her father for help. Her effective communication allows Dad to respond and provide the helps she needs (further enhancing her social skills as she sees herself as important and a good communicator). This then further builds her thinking skills as she learns how to solve the problem of making the tower taller.

What You Can Do

The tips below highlight ways that you can help your child learn early math skills by building on their natural curiosity and having fun together. (Note: Most of these tips are designed for older children-ages 2-3. Younger children can be exposed to stories and songs using repetition, rhymes and numbers.)

Shape up.

Play with shape-sorters. Talk with your child about each shape-count the sides, describe the colors. Make your own shapes by cutting large shapes out of colored construction paper. Ask your child to "hop on the circle" or "jump on the red shape."

Count and sort.

Gather together a basket of small toys, shells, pebbles or buttons. Count them with your child. Sort them based on size, color, or what they do (i.e., all the cars in one pile, all the animals in another).

Place the call.

With your 3-year-old, begin teaching her the address and phone number of your home. Talk with your child about how each house has a number, and how their house or apartment is one of a series, each with its own number.

What size is it?

Notice the sizes of objects in the world around you: That pink pocketbook is the biggest. The blue pocketbook is the smallest. Ask your child to think about his own size relative to other objects ("Do you fit under the table? Under the chair?").

You're cookin' now!

Even young children can help fill, stir, and pour. Through these activities, children learn, quite naturally, to count, measure, add, and estimate.

Walk it off.

Taking a walk gives children many opportunities to compare (which stone is bigger?), assess (how many acorns did we find?), note similarities and differences (does the duck have fur like the bunny does?) and categorize (see if you can find some red leaves). You can also talk about size (by taking big and little steps), estimate distance (is the park close to our house or far away?), and practice counting (let's count how many steps until we get to the corner).

Picture time.

Use an hourglass, stopwatch, or timer to time short (1-3 minute) activities. This helps children develop a sense of time and to understand that some things take longer than others.

Shape up.

Point out the different shapes and colors you see during the day. On a walk, you may see a triangle-shaped sign that's yellow. Inside a store you may see a rectangle-shaped sign that's red.

Read and sing your numbers.

Sing songs that rhyme, repeat, or have numbers in them. Songs reinforce patterns (which is a math skill as well). They also are fun ways to practice language and foster social skills like cooperation.

Start today.

Use a calendar to talk about the date, the day of the week, and the weather. Calendars reinforce counting, sequences, and patterns. Build logical thinking skills by talking about cold weather and asking your child: What do we wear when it's cold? This encourages your child to make the link between cold weather and warm clothing.

Pass it around.

Ask for your child's help in distributing items like snacks or in laying napkins out on the dinner table. Help him give one cracker to each child. This helps children understand one-to-one correspondence. When you are distributing items, emphasize the number concept: "One for you, one for me, one for Daddy." Or, "We are putting on our shoes: One, two."

Big on blocks.

Give your child the chance to play with wooden blocks, plastic interlocking blocks, empty boxes, milk cartons, etc. Stacking and manipulating these toys help children learn about shapes and the relationships between shapes (e.g., two triangles make a square). Nesting boxes and cups for younger children help them understand the relationship between different sized objects.

Tunnel time.

Open a large cardboard box at each end to turn it into a tunnel. This helps children understand where their body is in space and in relation to other objects.

The long and the short of it.

Cut a few (3-5) pieces of ribbon, yarn or paper in different lengths. Talk about ideas like long and short. With your child, put in order of longest to shortest.

Learn through touch.

Cut shapes-circle, square, triangle-out of sturdy cardboard. Let your child touch the shape with her eyes open and then closed.

Pattern play.

Have fun with patterns by letting children arrange dry macaroni, chunky beads, different types of dry cereal, or pieces of paper in different patterns or designs. Supervise your child carefully during this activity to prevent choking, and put away all items when you are done.

Laundry learning.

Make household jobs fun. As you sort the laundry, ask your child to make a pile of shirts and a pile of socks. Ask him which pile is the bigger (estimation). Together, count how many shirts. See if he can make pairs of socks: Can you take two socks out and put them in their own pile? (Don't worry if they don't match! This activity is more about counting than matching.)

Playground math.

As your child plays, make comparisons based on height (high/low), position (over/under), or size (big/little).

Dress for math success.

Ask your child to pick out a shirt for the day. Ask: What color is your shirt? Yes, yellow. Can you find something in your room that is also yellow? As your child nears three and beyond, notice patterns in his clothing-like stripes, colors, shapes, or pictures: I see a pattern on your shirt. There are stripes that go red, blue, red, blue. Or, Your shirt is covered with ponies-a big pony next to a little pony, all over your shirt!

Graphing games.

As your child nears three and beyond, make a chart where your child can put a sticker each time it rains or each time it is sunny. At the end of a week, you can estimate together which column has more or less stickers, and count how many to be sure.

References

Bowman, B.T., Donovan, M.S., & Burns, M.S., (Eds.). (2001). Eager to learn: Educating our preschoolers. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.

Diezmann, C., & Yelland, N. J. (2000). Developing mathematical literacy in the early childhood years. In Yelland, N.J. (Ed.), Promoting meaningful learning: Innovations in educating early childhood professionals. (pp.47-58). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Fromboluti, C. S., & Rinck, N. (1999 June). Early childhood: Where learning begins. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education. Retrieved on May 11, 2018 from https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EarlyMath/title.html

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Help Your Child Develop Early Math Skills

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Most children develop an understanding of math through everyday interactions and informal activities. Help your child develop math skills.

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Daily Moth: Interview with Deaf Software Engineers in Bay Area

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Daily Moth: Interview with Deaf Software Engineers in Bay Area

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Hello, many of you have either mobile phones or computers and most of you have both of these.

The world is full of websites and services such as YouTube, Netflix and Facebook. What type of people do they need?

Computer programmers and software engineers, which are similar.

They're responsible for creating code in order to develop applications for our mobile phones and install programs in our computers.

I interviewed three deaf people and they are professional software engineers.

Take a look and enjoy.

WILL:
My name is Will Johansson. I work for Lyft as an iOS engineer.

ANJA:
My name is Anja Berens. I work here at Yelp on the Release Engineering team.

ALLISON:
My name is Allison Weiner. I graduated with a degree in Accounting. Over time, I realized that it was not for me so now, I'm a software engineering student here in San Francisco at Holberton School.

CALLIE:
Does Software Engineering require you to have training or obtain a degree?

WILL:
Well, it depends. Some people will teach themselves. Some people will take a bootstrap class which is like, you know, a coder camp kind of thing or, like I did, go to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and got a degree in Computer Sciences. It varies.

CALLIE:
For those people who are considering specializing in software engineering, have just graduated and want to start a career in software engineering, what advice do you have for these people?

ANJA:
My two biggest pointers would be, first, be curious and secondly, be resilient. Be curious because every time a new iPhone is released, with a new version, you have to be curious and learn how these iPhones function, learn how to implement programs and how to write code for these programs which always need to be adjusted. Be curious about that. Secondly, be resilient because sometimes I will get up at 2 in the morning and stubbornly try to solve a problem. I might cry and be stressed out, but I keep moving forward until I come up with a breakthrough. It feels so good to finish.

CALLIE:
I wonder how software engineering benefits deaf people.

ALLISON:
My feeling is there are two main reasons: first, it's broadly available to the deaf population. Software engineers make a lot of accessibility tools. Back then, we couldn't communicate with hearing people. Now we have Video Relay Service, FaceTime, captioning, and it's all thanks to software engineers. That's number one. Secondly, for those deaf people who work as software engineers, I feel it's a huge benefit because software engineers don't require a lot of face-to-face communication which means less communication barriers. We can easily send each other messages electronically.

CALLIE:
I've noticed that there are three subfields within software engineering. There's the front end, the back end and full stack. Would you mind explaining these subfields?

WILL:
Sure, you are correct. First, the front end means they interact with people using iPhone apps or through web applications. This is user interface (UI) development and that's the front end. The back end means they try to figure out how things work. For example, the front end for the driver and the rider on a Lyft means they need to be matched up for a ride. How that works is the driver looks for a rider and the rider looks for a driver, right? Each person submits a request and the back end connects those two and sends them a notification of who their driver and rider is. The full stack is really a combination of both. Some people enjoy both. They're highly capable of working in both capacities and they're more knowledgeable in how they work so that's why they call it the full stack.

CALLIE:
Many people have told me that the software engineer interview process is really tough. I'm curious about your experience with your interview process.

ANJA:
Yes, it's tough. My experience here was I submitted a resume then they did a screening and they contacted me for a brief phone interview screening. They asked me simple questions like what a base-2 was. After I answered all their questions, they sent me homework with questions and usually gives you two days to complete. In my case, it wasn't that bad, it took me about 2 or 3 hours to finish and submit. A few days later, they contacted me and asked me if I wanted to fly onto their site which I agreed to. They paid for my flight and flew me over here then we did an on-site interview.

During the first interview, we started off light by talking about technology like how I would address different scenarios. Afterwards, we would take a break, go to the bathroom or eat snacks then we moved onto the second phase where we used the famous white board and they would ask you how you would solve different problems. I would write solutions on the white board and run your interviewer through the process. After that's done, we have a lunch break in the middle of four phases. After we eat, we do the third interview where it's kind of more like, they ask me what I have difficulties with, what my experiences are with these difficulties and how I would address these challenges. After that's finished, we move onto the last part of the process which is what we call a cultural fitting and that is where you sit down with an interviewer and you kind of analyze their company and they would decide if they're a good fit and that I'm a good fit as well. I would decide if I'm comfortable with them too. It goes both ways. After we've done, I flew back home. About a week later, they reached out to me and gave me an offer.

CALLIE:
Congratulations!

ANJA:
Thank you.

CALLIE:
These software engineers usually work with computers, does that mean most of them work from home?

WILL:
Well, some companies offer full remote positions, yes, but some companies are stricter and require you to come into the office. Some companies offer a mixture of both. In my case, I usually come into the office, but if I need a day or two to work from home, I can do that.

CALLIE:
I wonder why there's not many female employees in technology-related fields?

ALLISON:
I feel there's many reasons why...but I feel there are three biggest factors. First, based on my upbringing, in school girls usually gravitate towards reading and writing while boys often focus on technology, math and science so of course, they eventually specialize in these fields and there are less women in those fields. Another reason, I feel, is when men rise up in the ranks, they often have stronger networking that is mainly male-to-male which means whenever women try to break through, they have a hard time building camaraderie. Men have an easier time building these connections. Lastly, and this applies to many fields, many women who want to state their opinion are often not taken seriously and cast aside. So, of course, over time women lose motivation because they're not being listened to. So I feel these are the main reasons.

CALLIE:
Ah, now you as a woman must be excited to become a software engineer, right?!

ALLISON:
Pretty excited.

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Interviews with three Deaf software engineers in Bay Area - The Daily Moth

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Hello, many of you have either mobile phones or computers and most of you have both of these. The world is full of websites and services such as YouTube, Netflix and Facebook. What type of people do they need? Computer programmers and software engineers, which are similar. They're respo

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Preschoolers are digital natives, they don't know a life without smartphones, tablets, and computers or cartoons on demand.

The world is a much different place than the one we grew up in. Technology has changed our way of life including preschool games!

So coding isn't just for computer whizzes or high school students....when introduced the right way coding games for preschoolers are a fun interactive (and hands-on) ways to explore the beginning concepts of coding.

Just recently technology completely changed my life by simplifying one task.

My local grocery store started using online ordering and it has changed my life, for the better.

I can order everything our family needs and pick it up without having to get three kids in and out of the car seats!

I estimate I save at least 60 minutes of time each week and I save money by purchasing only what I need.
So what does my online grocery shopping have to do with coding for kids?
We teach science lessons to help children understand and explore the world around them.

Teaching a foundation to code helps children understand the digital world around them.

In the future, our children will need to not only understand technology but also how to control and manipulate it.

Why should preschoolers be introduced to coding?

Coding gives children the ability to understand how to "tinker" and shape their digital world.

As I see it, code literacy is a requirement for participation in a digital world. When we acquired language, we didn't just learn how to listen, but also how to speak. When we acquired text, we didn't just learn how to read, but also how to write. Now that we have computers, we are learning to use them but not how to program them. When we are not code literate, we must accept the devices and software we use with whatever limitations and agendas their creators have built into them - Douglas Rushkoff, Digital Literacy Advocate - Codecademy

Understanding how technology works is important for the future our preschoolers. Not only so they have the necessary skills to live in a future world but so they can help build the future world.

What is coding?

Coding in simple terms is telling a computer (or website or app) what you want it to do.

What are the benefits of learning to code?

Coding helps teach problem-solving skills.

Coding helps children develop new ways of thinking by breaking up big problems into smaller steps.

Coding helps take the fear out of making mistakes or failing. It teaches persistence in finding a way to solve your problem.

"If we were teaching coding like reading and math, we would break it down into bite-size chunks, make it more fun with songs and stories, and give students two decades to reach mastery.... With coding we throw you in the deep end in high school or college and are surprised when most kids drown." Grant Hosford, co-founder of codeSpark

What does coding look like for Preschoolers?
At the preschool level, you are laying a foundation for children to think like a computer programmer.
You do not need technology or a computer to introduce the first steps of coding.
Young children learn best through play.
Coding is fun and learning to code should be hands-on and fun. Making it a game or incorporating different hands-on toys can engage young children in learning the steps to thinking like a programmer.
Beginner Coding Game This post uses affiliate links.
To get started we marked off a grid of 9 squares with painter's tape on the floor (this was a math lesson in itself).

Once we had our grid established, we marked an "X" in one of the squares to represent our final destination. We discussed what path would you need to walk in order to reach the X. We laid out the arrows in the pattern or sequence to reach our destination.

Together we counted the squares and moved through the squares.

Once the children understand the concept of counting the squares and moving through the grid, select one child to be the "computer" and one child to be the "programmer".
Take this game to the next level, by introducing the "Code-a-Pillar" They are many toys on the market for introducing coding to young children.
Have the programmer use the arrow cards and verbally tell the "computer" which way to move. Try changing the location of "X" and take turners being the programmer.

Recently we had the opportunity to play with the Fisher-Price Think & Learn Code-a-pillar. (We were not paid or compensated by Fisher Price in any way).

The caterpillar comes with different attachments that move the caterpillar in different directions. Children can attach the different segments together to create a unique path for the caterpillar to move.

How to Get Started with "Code-a-pillar"

Introduce the "code-a-pillar" by giving children time to explore and play with it.

Let the children explore and test to see how the caterpillar works. This particular toy is designed for ages 3-8 so it is pretty indestructible as far as attaching and un-attaching the different coding segments (even my two year old managed to connect the different segments).

Try testing the different segments of the caterpillar and making it "go crazy"! My children created their own game of trying to make the caterpillar move between the other child's legs.

NOISE ALERT! As a public service warning, the caterpillar is noisy. I did not see a way to turn off the sound, that would be a great feature to add to it!

After giving lots of time to play and explore with the caterpillar, then introduce coding games you can use with the caterpillar.

Press Play to See Code-a-pillar in action!

We played the same beginner code game as above, but this time our goal was to help the code-a-pillar get to his lunch (the green LEGO bricks)
What if you don't have a code-a-pillar?
Since the children were already familiar with the grid and had time to figure out how to work the caterpillar they were able to line up the right segments on the caterpillar to get him to move towards his final destination.

We did start easy by making him move 3 squares forward at first. Then we gradually built harder challenges or sequences.

No worries, you can accomplish the same skills with a truck or car. You just have to manually move the car!

Next Level Coding Game for Kids

Once you have practiced moving the caterpillar through the grid you can take it up a notch by creating a maze of obstacles for your caterpillar.

We added different colored shapes to our grid and made a paper die to help guide our code-a-pillar.

Roll the die and then program the code-a-pillar to travel to the corresponding shape.

Advanced Level Coding Game for Kids

Roll a sequence of shapes and try to make the caterpillar move through each shape.

There are many ways to use the code-a-pillar to help set a foundation for coding. But remember, coding for preschoolers should involve movement and play not necessarily sitting in front of a screen.

Special thanks to Juli from STEAMatPA for introducing the code-a-pillar to us!
For more hands-on coding games check out the links below:

Get our FREE pack of printable shapes to use for your own coding games.

If -Then Coding Game from Left Brain Craft Brain

Building and Walking an Algorithm from JDaniel4sMom

Superhero Coding Game from Little Bins for Little Hands

Birthday Binary Code from Handmade Kids Art

This post is part of the 28 Days of STEAM series hosted by Left Brain Craft Brain.

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The Easy Way to Get Started with Coding for Preschoolers!

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Preschoolers are digital natives, they don't know a life without smartphones, tablets, and computers or cartoons on demand. The world is a much different place than the one we grew up in. Technology has changed our way of life including preschool games!

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Black, Indigenous and People of Color Deaf Artists Resources Unfolding the Soul of Black Deaf Expressions Dyer Arts Center Rochester, NY 2016Catalog http://www.blurb.com/books/6951862-unfolding-the-soul-of-black-deaf-expressions BlackDeafCenter.com - arts and photographyhttps://www.blackdeafcenter.com/artandphotography Black Deaf Artists album, De'VIA & Surdism Central FBhttps://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.4062009547206833&type=3 List of Black Deaf Artists, Dyer Arts CenterlistofblackdeafartistsDownload Black De'VIA/Black Art FBhttps://www.facebook.com/BlackDeVIArt Color to the Cube exhibit panel,...

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Get your apron and your chef's hat ready, we are headed into the kitchen for this one! Believe it or not, the kitchen is a place that inspires many lessons centered around science, math, technology, and engineering that you can teach your children. Read on to find out how you can practice STEM while making a tasty dish in the kitchen.

Get your apron and your chef's hat ready, we are headed into the kitchen for this one!

The first lesson of cooking comes far before we need to break out the oven mitts. While shopping can be a tedious chore, it is also an opportunity to keep your child engaged in the process and test their addition skills. Bring along a pencil and paper and have your child add up the cost of your groceries as you go through the aisles.
2. Take Accurate Measurements
One thing cooking and science both require is precision in taking accurate measurements. Whether it is measuring chemicals in a graduated cylinder or ingredients in a measuring cup, it is important to develop the precision to read the correct measurements at the meniscus line. Be sure to practice taking accurate measurements with your child using a variety of ingredients and across various measuring utensils.
3. Test Conversion Techniques
Converting between measuring amounts can be a great way to test your child's math skills while cooking. Try giving your child a guide between the measuring amounts and testing their ability to accurately measure the correct amount. For example, if a recipe calls for a cup of water, you could ask your child to fill up 16 tablespoons, 4 quarter cups, or 2 half cups. You can even do a fun craft project with them to help them remember the conversion amounts across cups, pints, quarts, and gallons.
4. Experiment with Stages of Matter
Show your child the dynamics of how heat can change the state of different types of food. Whether you want to freeze lemonade to make a sweet ice cube treat or simply boil water and watch it turn to gas, showing your child the effects that heat has can be a great way to explain the stages of matter.
5. Practice Math Equations
You can help your child build their math skills by changing the recipe measurements to decrease or increase serving size. Adjusting recipes helps your child practice their multiplication and division skills. Try finding a recipe for a single serving and ask your child to multiply it by the number of members in your family. For younger children you can have them count spoons, cups, and scoops while adding ingredients to the meal.
6. Concoct Chemical Reactions
Cooking can be a great way to show the various reactions a combination of ingredients can create. There is everything from the classic combination of baking soda and vinegar to adding yeast to make bread rise. Check out examples of other experiments you can eat, and the lessons behind them.
7. Have Fun with Fractions
Although it has been said that you should not play with your food, cutting your food into different shapes can be a fun way to practice the concepts your child is learning with geometry. Cutting food into separate pieces can be a great way to practice fractions while you eat as well. For example, if you cut a pizza into eight slices, you can ask your child the fraction of the pizza they have eaten throughout the meal.

Expanding lessons in math and science into different areas of your child's life can greatly improve their interest and their skills in the subject. By including these lessons into an activity that requires all five of the senses, your child is more likely to remember and retain the information that they learn. So the next time you are planning dinner, be sure to include your little sous-chef in the process.

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Where's a great place to teach your children about science, math, technology, and engineering? Your kitchen!

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The Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf (Math Story) 

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The Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf (Math Story) 

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From NDEC website

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The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf : Math ASL Storytelling

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Tynker Hour of Code with PEEP

Tynker's Hour of Code partnership with PEEP lets kids build storytelling & animation projects

PEEP Apps for Android and iOS

Can't get enough of PEEP? All of our games are now available for iOS and Android devices. Be sure to check out the app store and download your favorite PEEP game for free. Now you can take PEEP on the go!

Parents

Anywhere Activities

Written by a preschool teacher who specializes in early childhood science, these easy-to-do ideas are fun ways for you and your kids to learn simple science concepts. Each activity extends the science ideas of each Peep and the Big Wide World story.

Educators

PEEP Science Curriculum

Celebrate curiosity and the joys of discovery! The PEEP science curriculum invites preschoolers to actively investigate their world by exploring water, sound, plants, color, shadows, and ramps (movement).

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Preschool science and math games, activities, and videos | PEEP

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Tynker's Hour of Code partnership with PEEP lets kids build storytelling & animation projects Can't get enough of PEEP? All of our games are now available for iOS and Android devices. Be sure to check out the app store and download your favorite PEEP game for free.

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When you go online to search for a science activity, how can you know which activities will really help children build knowledge about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and support their scientific thinking?

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NAEYC:  Creating Coding Stories and Games

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NAEYC:  Creating Coding Stories and Games

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Coding stories and coding games are playful, hands-on ways for children to explore and experiment with early coding. They offer opportunities for interactions and collaborative learning. If coding is new to you, you will find that it builds on many early math and literacy concepts you are familiar with.

What is coding?

Coding (or programming) is a basic language of the digital age. It involves the process of creating step-by-step instructions a computer understands and needs in order for its programs to work. Gaming systems, tablets, cars, cell phones-even washing machines!-all use coding to function properly.

Early coding, or precoding, offers children experiences that integrate communication, thinking, and problem solving. These are 21st century skills that are valuable for children's future success in our digital world.

There are many learning activities preschool children already engage in that relate to coding. I started to think about some aspects of precoding that would be meaningful to preschoolers, and I began to develop a series of activities where children create their own coding stories. Children learn about creating commands, or using directional language, when they make and use maps to locate a treasure during dramatic play and when they give each other instructions while playing with toy cars. Activities related to creating and following commands can be gamelike in nature, such as moving a gaming piece a specific number of spaces on a grid (think Candyland or Chutes and Ladders). Children are naturally drawn to adventurous experiences in which they can explore movement, direction, and location. Many of the same concepts supported in these activities, such as spatial reasoning and number sense, are a foundational part of coding that children can practice without a computer.

Early coding is fun and exciting. The earlier children explore the basics of coding, the more easily they will be able to learn, understand, and apply coding later in life. Many preschoolers are just the right age to begin learning!

What do children need to know?

Coding is more accessible to young children than you may think. To participate successfully in precoding activities, children should be introduced to directional language, like up and down, backward and forward, left and right. They need to become familiar with how to count using ordinals ( first, second, third) and understand one-to-one correspondence. Some children will have mastered these concepts and others will still be learning. If children are just beginning to understand and follow directional language and use ordinals, the precoding activities that follow will reinforce that learning.

Activities involving location and movement, such as playing board games and giving directions to peers in pretend play, offer some background knowledge and provide entry points for children into coding activities.

Why introduce coding to preschoolers?

Coding is like a game. It's very engaging for children who enjoy telling stories and using grids and maps. Children ages 3 to 5 are able to create drawings of maps that represent relationships between objects and places. When we incorporate programming into early learning settings, we immerse children in versatile activities that align with standards in multiple areas, like math, problem solving, communication, and literacy. Precoding activities offer children opportunities for interaction and collaborative learning, as well.

Coding stories and games use math

Coding involves spatial reasoning and logic. Helping children to think about direction, location, and movement strengthens their math skills. Children need to count the number of spaces they must move and indicate in which direction they are headed as they relate objects and locations to one another. Coding integrates a number of math skills into one meaningful experience.

Coding stories and games encourage problem solving

When activities like coding provide a challenge for the user or when there are several ways of solving the same problem, children can consider multiple paths for arriving at a solution and choose the most efficient strategy. In these activities, planning ahead is the key to success.

Coding stories and games strengthen communication

When a child codes, she needs to indicate directions to another person (or to a computer). Her communications need to be succinct-that is, they cannot be wordy. When two children play coding games, the child receiving the instructions needs to be an active listener in order to move the coding pieces in the correct way. Clear communication and turn taking are essential to coding.

Coding stories and games promote literacy

Coding games often tell a story-there is a path the programmer takes to move an object through different obstacles and settings, eventually arriving at a destination. Children's imaginative stories or favorite retellings can be used as the base for coding games. This helps children develop vocabulary and a greater comprehension of texts. Children can make connections between literature and their lives. They can even change the outcome of a favorite story by exploring different endings in the coding activity. Teachers can lead innovative read-alouds with a gaming board by changing the sequence of a story or reinventing the ending.

Getting started

First, make a grid

You can create a grid of squares using masking tape on the floor or on a tabletop. A grid can also be drawn on a large plastic tablecloth, making it easy to use, transport, and store. For children who want to explore coding further, make large grid paper by tracing black lines on graph paper. This way, a child can draw his own coding story and take it home to share with family members.

Choose your story and gather the corresponding props

Decide if the children are going to retell a favorite story ( The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks) or invent their own tale. For example, if the children choose to explore The Gingerbread Man, they will need a mini gingerbread figure, a wolf, and pictures to represent the places the gingerbread man travels to in the story.

Ensure that children understand the story line and the path they are coding

Determine the starting and ending points of the path the character is going to take. In The Gingerbread Man, the character starts in a cottage, then moves down a lane, through a field, and into the woods. He finally arrives at a stream, where he meets a wolf. If the children are retelling a favorite story, be sure their retelling is in the proper sequence and makes sense. If they are inventing their own story, children can place different settings or obstacles around the grid for a character to maneuver through.

How Children Play

Set up the grid. The teacher or children place the character at the starting point on the grid and put the settings or obstacles on the grid in the order they occur.

Establish the commands. As a group, the children determine the commands for moving the character along the grid. Directional arrows (which can point up, down, left, or right when placed on the grid) are visual symbols to represent the commands. Children can easily make and use lots of arrows on mini cards or sticky notes.

Choose a programmer and a gamer. The programmer-or programmers-gives the coding commands. The gamer is the child-or children-who follows the coding commands and moves the figure on the grid.

Code the story! The programmer is now responsible for giving commands-"Go up 1," "Go forward 2," "Go down 3,"-to the gamer so that the gamer can move the character along the grid, from start to finish. (The first few times a group codes, an adult might model the roles for the children.) As a new command is followed, the coder places a symbol card in each square the gaming piece travels through, representing the direction of the move on the grid. Code all the moves until the ending point is reached.

Encourage and support children so they can complete the entire path, giving and following correct directions without skipping squares on the grid. Ensure that the directional arrows are left in place during the game to represent the path the character has taken. When the character arrives at the final destination, the path is complete! Other children can change the story and have a turn.

Extending the Coding Play

Once children become confident with early coding, they can use it independently in many different ways. Coding naturally and easily complements other learning opportunities in the preschool classroom!

Children can . . .

Code outdoors by drawing grids on the pavement with chalk and retelling stories using corresponding props

Create their own coding stories using grid paper by establishing a story line, determining a starting and ending point, and drawing coding symbols directly on the grid

Create scavenger hunts for one another, placing treasures in the squares of a grid; children can direct one another using a coded message to reach a certain square and then claim the treasure

Incorporate elements of precoding into their dramatic play, both indoors and out, by drawing or placing grids on top of maps and directing each other using commands to move to different locations (going on an adventure, searching for treasure)

Invite family or community members to visit the classroom and share ways adults use coding in real life

Coding Terms

Code: A set of instructions for a computer

Coding: The process of creating step-by-step instructions a computer understand and needs in order for its programs to work.

Precoding activities: Developmentally appropriate games and activities in which children explore some of the concepts involve in coding in ways that are meaningful to them.

"Playful Learning in the Early Years"
mrsmclennan.blogspot.ca/search/label/coding

"Playing, Coding, and Higher Order Thinking: Experiences to Support
Children's Learning," by Tamara Kaldor
www.NAEYC.org/blogs/early-coding-higher-thinking

"Let's Make a Map: The Developmental Stages of Children's Mapmaking,"
by Eugene Geist. Young Children, May 2016, pp. 50-55.

"Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8"-NAEYC position statement
www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf

Photos courtesy of the author

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Coding stories and coding games are playful, hands-on ways for children to explore and experiment with early coding.

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