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This blog is part one of our three-part series on Kids and Coding. This first article explores a variety of benefits to learning web development skills at a young age, including real-world applications beyond technology. If you're eager to get started learning from home, check out our blog of coding tools and resources , and explore our list of the 15 best coding books for kids for even more fun ways to start learning.
When most parents start curating extracurriculars for their children, they start with the basics: soccer, dance, maybe band practice. Their first idea for entertaining their elementary-schooler probably doesn't include programming. But should it?

In our increasingly digital world, parents want their kids to become computer-literate - and why wouldn't they? Learning to code doesn't just set students up for career opportunities later on in life; it also provides a host of soft skills and benefits that we will cover later in this article. But when should they start learning?

While such an early introduction might seem odd at first glance, elementary-school coders are far more common than you might think. Nearly nine percent of developers polled in the above Stack Overflow survey began coding before their tenth birthday. Moreover, it seems likely that rationales for why kids should code will expand as digital literacy cements itself as a critical tenet of modern education.

The truth is, there is a plethora of reasons why kids should learn to code early. In this article, we'll walk you through all of the best research-backed benefits for why kids should learn to code.

Let's dive in!

1. Coding Boosts Problem-Solving Skills

Coding is, without a doubt, one of the most straightforward ways for children to boost their problem-solving skills.

But before we get into that, let's take a step back and clarify the term. At its simplest definition, problem-solving refers to a person's ability to tackle complex or novel situations in an efficient way. Someone with well-honed problem-solving skills weaves disparate skillsets such as creativity, emotional intelligence, research skills, collaboration, and decision-making into a cohesive and effective response.

In a programming context, coders are constantly challenged and asked to problem-solve. The practice all but requires them to break issues down into more manageable sub-problems, then progress through an iterative process of identifying, prioritizing, and implementing solutions. Thus, children start honing their problem-solving skills as soon as they take on their first coding challenge.

This research indicates that even if your child doesn't want to go into coding as an adult, establishing a practice of coding early in life will nevertheless help them build highly-transferable cognitive skills. Is it any wonder why kids should code?
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2. Coding Improves Computational Thinking

One 2014 study found that coding games may help boost middle schoolers' grasps on computational learning.

This particular study concluded that engaging in computational thinking activities, children gained a better understanding of algorithmic thinking patterns. This improved grasp could translate well into mathematical pursuits and bolster a child's problem-solving skills. These gains can have a clear positive impact on their performance as students - and, in the long term, as professionals.
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3. Coding Encourages Persistence

Computer science is one of the few professional disciplines where it's entirely acceptable to be near-constantly failing. Not only is failure immediately recognizable - i.e., a program "breaks," and doesn't work as intended - but success literally cannot be achieved until all errors are handled. Even the most straightforward programs require a coder to understand a set of problems and solve them; otherwise, the code won't run as intended.

All professional developers have spent their fair share of late nights combing through Stack Overflow, struggling in vain to identify the most efficient way to tie the pieces of an application into a cohesive whole. Ask any developer what "dereferencing a null pointer" is - they'll shudder in frustration, remembering hours spent attempting to track down an elusive bug.

But with all this frustration and failure comes a real, lifelong character benefit: persistence.

Coding can help your child develop a growth mindset : a philosophy wherein one's ability to learn can be improved upon, adjusted as needed, and stand firm against demoralizing failures. What better mentality could a child adopt early in life?
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4. Coding Teaches Creativity

Creativity, creativity, creativity; it's something every early educator and parent is wholly concerned with, and yet it's not a quality prized by most working adults.

Research by a team of UC Berkeley psychologists suggests that creativity tends to decrease as we age. The adage is true - adults tend to be less creative than children. By the time we reach our sunset years, we have effectively "unlearned" one of the most important skills in life.

So, how do we preserve a child's creative skills as they age?

Experts suggest that kids should learn to code. As a practice, coding positions developers as "creators" or "world-builders" within a programming environment - by definition, the discipline requires creative thinking and an experimental mindset.

With programming, kids are constantly prompted to experiment. Once they understand basic functionalities, they can continually ask themselves, What if I tried this? Would that work?

Computers provide live feedback, which further encourages young coders to find workable solutions to whatever challenges they face. Age-appropriate coding projects prompt children to tell stories, animate characters, and develop unique programs, which empower them to combine their logical and systematic thinking with creative, artistic, and intuitive learning.

The result? Access to lifelong creativity skills!
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5. Coding Helps Teach Digital Literacy

Why should kids learn to code?

Technology surrounds us; it supports our work, facilitates communication, enables social connectivity, and upholds nearly every industry in the economy. In the modern world, being able to understand and engage with technology isn't just good to have - it's a necessity for navigating an increasingly digitized society. Children need to know technology; in other words, they need to be digitally literate.

Digital literacy is a broad term. Generally speaking, it refers to a person's ability to understand and engage with technology in a thoughtful, meaningful way. Topics such as internet safety, cyberbullying, digital footprints, and online ethics all fall under the purview of digital literacy.

For example, digital-literate children can research topics online, find relevant information, and then think critically about the sources they identified. From there, they can formulate their own opinion and, if one is needed, a response. They can also manage their digital presence and communicate with others via online channels.

It is worth noting that many kids - and teens in particular - are already more adept at digital life and better equipped to handle the information overload that comes with constant online interconnection than prior generations.

While coding hasn't yet risen to the forefront as a day-to-day necessity for online denizens, it probably will become one in a few years. Already, all online communication is facilitated via coded programs; some games, like Minecraft, allow users to code their own features. It seems reasonable to think that programming will become a necessary literacy in its own right, as much as navigating a social media platform or internet research ever was.

To borrow a quote from Annette Lee , the author of Coding Literacy, "If you don't know how to program, you can carry on perfectly fine with life. But this is soon going to change."

It seems best for parents to encourage their children to get ahead of the curve by learning to code early.
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6. Coding is a Career-Building Skill

The importance of programming cannot be understated in our economy, which is now overwhelmingly driven by technology.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job openings for software developers are slated to grow 21 percent between 2018 and 2028 - that's more than four times the average rate for all careers. Moreover, not all employers require their developers to obtain a four-year degree ; many are so strapped for talent that they welcome anyone with the necessary skills and working potential.

But here's why kids should code even if they aren't interested in becoming full-time developers: they can still benefit professionally from learning a coding language or two. Programming savvy is valuable, regardless of your child's educational background or job interest. In some cases, it may even be the capability that ultimately boosts them above their job market competitors !

The biggest hurdle is just mastering that first programming language - but once they do, they will be well-positioned to learn different languages, frameworks, and technologies later on in life.
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7. Coding Improves Confidence and Communication Skills

It's time to debunk a popular misconception; coding is far from a solo activity. Excepting freelancers and one-person operations, most software programmers work in teams and collectively strive to achieve development goals.

One study published in Information and Software Technology found that developer performance is so inextricably tied to team dynamics that to improve one, businesses need to address the other. As the researchers write: "Enhancing performance experiences requires integration of soft factors, such as communication, team spirit, team identity, and values, into the overall development process."

Sure; coding doesn't need to be a group endeavor, but it provides an excellent context for collaboration. Enrolling your child in a programming class could be a great way to develop their team-building and communication skills - and having well-tuned communication skills empowers children to navigate social environments , collaborate with others, perform well academically, and achieve their goals.

Most importantly, kids learn to develop confidence and a healthy self-image. A coding project teaches your child that any problem is solvable, that any obstacle can be overcome with repeated creative effort and teamwork. Could there be a better reason for why kids should learn to code? Probably not.
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Final Thoughts: Why Kids Should Code

It's safe to say that coding is one of the most constructive hobbies for your child to adopt, especially since it can help them develop persistence, communication, creativity, and higher-order thinking.

Yes, learning to code also sets your child up for potentially lucrative career opportunities, but it offers children so much more than that. A modern parent can't go wrong by encouraging their child to program. Start with some of the resources above and introduce your child to developmentally appropriate programming today!

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7 Reasons Why Kids Should Learn to Code - UT Austin Boot Camps

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This blog is part one of our three-part series on Kids and Coding. This first article explores a variety of benefits to learning web development skills at a young age, including real-world applications beyond technology.

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Looking for fun coding for kids challenges for your child? Look no further! If you have a child who loves to code, or a whole classroom of students learning coding, then this collection of Coding for Kids Videos channels is the perfect supplementary learn to code resource. Each of the included coding video channels is packed with well produced, informative videos about important elements of coding alongside cool, creative coding for kids projects.

There are engaging, fun, easy to learn lessons for younger or beginning coders representing a number of our favourite coding apps and websites, as well as exciting challenges for the more experienced elementary/primary school age coding student.

You may also like our cool collection of 25 Picture Books about Coding. These titles are great for learning more about the science behind and functions of computer coding, in an accessible, picture book format.

Coding for Kids Videos: Youtube Channels to Teach Kids Coding

This is a super engaging channel that explores everything science, technology and math. From creating simple physical robots to coding a gaming application, there are no shortage of tutorials your kids can benefit from within STEMpedia's archives. Most of the projects can be completed easily with materials you can find around your home. The coding tutorials are designed to help kids code cool and exciting ideas, making this a very popular tech channel for kids.

Hopscotch is an an iOS app that lets kids design, code, and share their work with other creators. The Hopscotch Youtube channel connects interested users to a series of fun tutorials. There is no shortage of the kind of content you can create using Hopscotch and this channel gets kids started in coding, and building great applications, fast.
2. Hopscotch: Creative Coding
Another fabulous coding for kids platform, Kodable, supports its web platform with a Youtube channel filled with interesting, well produced videos introducing important elements of coding, as well as coding puzzles, games and activities. Great for the young coder, this channel includes videos that educate young children about coding, whichever platform they are learning on.
3. Kodable
Code.org is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making coding accessible to all students. They have a wide range of videos and tutorials at all levels from beginner to advanced. The style of teaching is easy and interesting, making your kids want to follow along and work through the fun coding quizzes and practice exercises.

This channel teaches kids all about coding through hundreds of interactive video tutorials. The included Coding Challenge projects are highly engaging, providing opportunity for children to learn the basics of languages such as JavaScript, as well as machine learning, simulation, and more.
4. Code.org
This channel includes heaps of great, educational programming challenges for kids familiar with coding with Scratch. Kids can make a series of fun games with lots of interaction and moving parts using the free Scratch platform.

What is the mission of Kids Can Code? That every child should have the opportunity to learn how to code. Their content is designed to help kids get started with Python or Godot, with interesting and informative videos for those at beginner to intermediate levels.
6. McGuy
Although not as popular as some of the other channels listed here, Techzonk has some great resources to get your kids coding across a range of popular coding platforms. They do this by creating projects that kids want to do. The channel also discusses emerging trends and new technology in the computer science field.

One for older kids who have a reasonable understanding of elementary math. The channel includes lessons for a range of programming languages and start from a basic level, making it easy for anyone to follow and understand what they are learning. As children advance through a video sequence for their chosen language, they will learn increasingly detailed and complex programming sequences.

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
9. Freecodecamp.org
Related kids & technology content:

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Coding for Kids Videos: Awesome Youtube Channels to Teach Kids Coding

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Have a child who loves to code? Students learning coding? This collection of Coding for Kids Videos Youtube Channels is a great learn to code resource.

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Coding: By a kid, for kids | Krish Mehra | TEDxKentState

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Coding is the future, and we need to make more coders!

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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In the wake of this implementation pace, educators and students may be on the verge of tech burnout: a state of digital fatigue that can generate negative effects ranging from mental exhaustion to reduced productivity and disengagement.

Tech use alone, though, often isn't the main cause of tech burnout, according to Akilah Willery, a Texas-based K-12 education strategist for CDW*G.

"People start to blame the technology tool, or just blame technology in general, and usually it's not the tech," Willery says. "It's often that there wasn't a thoughtful evaluation of your current state and how you want to get to your desired state."
DISCOVER: Laser-focused learning can support student engagement.
Incorporating new software and devices in classrooms has the potential to increase efficiency and facilitate learning, but these outcomes aren't possible without careful planning and consideration. The rollout of new tech tools can sometimes be swift, with teachers receiving little or no time to familiarize themselves enough to effectively integrate the technology into their daily lessons and routines.

To reduce the risk of new tech making students and educators feel more disillusioned than educationally engaged, districts may want to consider using the following approaches to tech implementation.

Review New Tech Tools with Your Audience in Mind

Technology is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution, which is one reason schools should consider a structured-choice approach to IT purchasing.

A structured-choice approach can help position districts to make better technology investments and empower teachers with tools that meet their unique needs.

Instead of making blanket tech purchases for the district, each school can consider a curated list of tech options to choose from, based on its individual needs. The approach also factors in how well new technologies will integrate with the district's overall infrastructure to prevent any compatibility issues.
Why should ed tech users implement interoperability standards?
"During the pandemic, there wasn't a lot of time to research all of these options, but in more stable periods of education, do the research," Willery says. "Who are the people that are going to be using this tech tool? Those are the people you need to hear from."

In addition to the technology's cost and lifecycle management requirements, schools should make sure they've clarified exactly how the item will be used before presenting any new tech tools to end users, Willery says.

Schools also need to think about their goals with any new device they roll out. "What are you expecting to see once you purchase these devices or this software application?" Willery asks. "Figure out what the purpose is, and then make sure you have a range of options you bring to the target audience."

If district leaders don't have a clear idea of what their educators are already using, they run the risk adopting tools that overlap in purpose. This can leave teachers confused about what is expected of them. By talking with end users, K-12 IT admins can determine if there are overlapping tools and strategically choose which solutions will best serve their mission.

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How to Introduce New Tech in Districts, Without Tech Burnout

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In the wake of this implementation pace, educators and students may be on the verge of tech burnout: a state of digital fatigue that can generate negative effects ranging from mental exhaustion to reduced productivity and disengagement. Tech use alone, though, often isn't the main cause of tech burnout, according to Akilah Willery, a Texas-based K-12 education strategist for CDW*G.

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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For the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), it all came all down to a financial settlement-a payment of $6.4 million from Pearson Education, announced in September 2015. This was hardly the desired outcome two years earlier when the nation's second largest school district launched an ambitious $1.3 billion plan to put an iPad in the hands of each of the district's 650,000 students. The goal? To "revolutionize" learning, of course. Instead, the highly touted initiative quickly imploded, and rather than becoming a model for integrating education technology in the classroom, the effort became a cautionary tale of exactly what not to do.

From the outset, the initiative was crippled by problems. The preloaded Pearson curriculum was full of glitches. Students hacked into the devices. The Wi-Fi infrastructure was inadequate. And, perhaps most critically, there was a dire lack of teacher training.

Tom Daccord, founder of EdTech Teacher says the overriding problem was much more fundamental. The district never answered one simple question: Why?

"Districts must have a strategy and vision of what they want the technology to achieve. And you have to first address how any new device will be integrated in a meaningful and purposeful way in the classroom. LA Unified failed to do so and the initiative quickly crumbled."

The district is still dealing with the fallout of the iPad debacle, says Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), including an FBI investigation into the close ties between former superintendent John Deasy and Apple.

"But there's also a lesson to be learned from fast-tracking technology purchases without the meaningful involvement of classroom practitioners," says Caputo-Pearl. "Without teacher input from the get-go, you risk ending up with high-priced products that don't serve the classroom."

Los Angeles isn't alone. District officials and policymakers across the country just can't resist the allure of the latest "next big thing" or "game-changer" for the classroom. What often emerges - at the expense of students and educators - are half-baked plans and reckless spending sprees designed to get new devices into the classroom quickly. The ensuing failures have provided grist for techno-skeptics' claims that the transformative potential of digital technology is overrated. Most would agree about the hype surrounding education technology, but there's also a risk of rejecting out of hand the potential these tools hold.

"Will these devices transform your classroom if your district doesn't have a strategy and a real plan? Probably not," says Jennifer Harmsen, a social studies teacher at Hillsborough Middle School in New Jersey. "But I think we have a responsibility as educators to find ways to make these tools work in our classrooms. Otherwise, I think we're remiss in doing what's best for the students."

Harmsen's advice for schools? "Tread carefully and slowly and learn as you go along. And never forget that the question to answer at every step is: What do you want the students to achieve?"

Buy Now, Ask Questions Later

Erin Samuels, a second- and third- grade teacher at Wilshire Park Elementary in Minnesota, can't imagine teaching without a tablet. She firmly credits the iPad with improving end-of-year assessments in math and reading for the small cluster of ELL students she taught during the 2013-14 school year

"[iPads] put a teacher in the palm of their hands when I wasn't able to work with them directly," says Samuels. This came after the class as a whole would read a text together. When it was time to check comprehension, the ELL students were obviously at a lower level, so Samuels would have them work independently for a time with the iPad using various apps that bolstered their understanding.

"I think it made them more comfortable in the classroom and they knew they had to do something different from the other kids," says Samuels, now in her seventh year of teaching. "They were engaged and even kind of proud because they got to spend more time on the device than the other kids. It helped them grow as learners."

Wilshire Park Elementary does not have 1:1 student-to-iPad access-far from it. Samuels will have at most three iPads to work with in one class. "The money's not there, but we make due with what we have," she says resignedly.

But something is clearly working in Samuels' class, and if her district were to purchase thousands more tablets, she would be well-prepared. That is, if the roll-out was methodical, if logistical issues were addressed, and if educators like Samuels were active participants at all points in the process.

Some districts have taken it slow on expensive 1:1 programs, eager to avoid pitfalls that have derailed others, and not entirely convinced that the educational return matches the investment. This is wise, says Patricia Burch associate professor of education at the University of Southern California and author of Equal Scrutiny: Privatization and Accountability in Digital Education. The available research, which is not extensive, indicates that digital technology has not yet bolstered student achievement-at least not to an extent that justifies the enthusiasm shared by many policymakers and district officials.

If districts don't build in the capacity ... and invest in professional development so all teachers know what it means to integrate technology into the classroom, the program is going to double back on you.

The central question, however, isn't if a device like a tablet can enhance learning, Burch cautions. The question is under what conditions.

"A lot of districts have bought all this stuff without answering these questions. It's not necessarily that they don't want to learn. It's just that they're always under pressure to do something quickly and often."

"Teachers have to be central," says Burch, "If districts don't build in the capacity, [and] the necessary supports, and invest in professional development so all teachers know what it means to integrate technology into the classroom, the program is going to double back on you."

A 2014 UTLA membership survey, for example, found 75 percent of teachers did not believe LAUSD provided adequate training to help them integrate the iPads into the curriculum. The district's message to educators in a nutshell was, "Here are the tablets, so go at it. We can't wait to see the magic happen."

"That's not the kind of classroom autonomy teachers are looking for," says Tom Daccord.

At Hillsborough Township Public Schools, educators were central players in the district's efforts to determine whether to use tablets at all. During the 2012-13 school year, a pilot team used iPads and Google Chromebooks-a cheaper, more basic laptop-with students. To determine which tool was best for learning, teachers, students, and parents were asked for feedback.

The district's measured, cautious approach toward education technology gave educators the time and resources they needed to properly evaluate the two devices, says Hillsborough Middle School's Jennifer Harmsen, who participated in the project.

"There was no rush to get any particular tool in the classroom. Our intention was to just get it right," she explains.

Teachers gave high marks to the iPad and the Chromebook, but felt the latter had key advantages, including a relatively low cost. The built-in keyboard and lower-demand tech support was also attractive. Educators also said that students generally associated the iPad with fun and gaming, while Chromebooks look more like a learning tool and therefore would be less of a distraction. In the fall of 2014, Hillsborough distributed 4,600 Chromebooks to students and sold the iPads.

No Replacement for a Qualified Educator

For Dr. Daryl Adams, superintendent of California's Coachella Valley Unified School District, it's always been about the iPad. Part of a rural desert area about 150 miles east of Los Angeles, Coachella Valley is one of the nation's poorest districts, with almost 100 percent of its 19,500 students on free-or reduced lunch and a significant percentage undocumented.

Adams views access to digital technology as a civil rights issue, and says socioeconomic status should not be a barrier that prevents every student from having a school-supplied iPad. In 2011-his first year as superintendent-Adams began laying the groundwork for a 1:1 iPad initiative.

We have to do a much better job at making sure the discussion is about learning. With education technology, we really don't want to be stuck in the either/or paradigm.

"Our school system was not preparing our students for a prosperous future," Adams says. "A 21st Century school system must be connected and provide a holistic education for all students. We wanted students to have 24/7 access to knowledge and information, so they can communicate with their teachers and colleagues, they can create and produce and display information and presentations, they can research and explore."

Widely known for his infectious enthusiasm, tenacity, and passion for education technology, Adams was determined to involve school staff and the community in all aspects of the program, making it markedly easier to galvanize support in the community and navigate the logistical issues associated with a 1:1 program.

Educators in Coachella were quick to sign on, says Richard Razo, president of the Coachella Valley Teachers Association, and were instrumental in lobbying support for the $42 million technology bond initiative to fund the purchase of the devices and upgrade the district's infrastructure.

"We went door-to-door talking with parents and other members of the community," Razo says. "We knew that without this bond, the program would have never gotten off the ground. But once the community heard about what the district was trying to do, they got behind it overwhelmingly." The measure passed in November 2012 with a 67 percent majority vote. During the 2013-14 school year, Coachella equipped every student with a new iPad.

"These devices cannot take the place of a qualified educator," says Rebecca Flanagan, a library media teacher at Desert Mirage High School.
"But the iPads have redefined the way education looks in Coechella. We are moving away from the teacher being the distributor of knowledge in a class, to a facilitator of how to access and use that knowledge. No longer must students memorize facts when they are at their fingertips; now they must learn how to utilize what is so readily available," Flanagan says.

CVTA is working with the district to hopefully improve access to teacher training, which has generally been limited to after school and weekends. The goal in the next school year is to implement an early-release day during the week so educators can receive professional development during school hours.

"We still have a lot of work to do to make the program work even better," Razo says. "But I can't tell you what it's like to see these kids- many of them can't even afford books-with their own iPad. This has already made such a huge difference in our community."

Connectivity is an ongoing challenge, since many lower income student don't have Internet access at home. Without it, digital devices are rendered fairly useless, contributing to what the Department of Education has called the "homework gap." Coachella Valley got creative. Routers were placed on school buses to enable students to do homework coming and going from school. The buses, when not in use, are parked in remote areas so students in those neighborhoods could have some degree of access outside of school.

Pres. Barack Obama applauded Coachella's program at a 2014 White House ConnectEd Conference. "This is really smart. You've got underutilized resources - buses in the evening - so you put the routers on, disperse them, and suddenly everybody is connected," Obama said.

Ultimately, however, these and similar efforts represent merely a patchwork of innovative programs. Nationwide, lack of connectivity for lower-income students remains a serious issue-one that is too often ignored when districts rush to bring tablets into their classrooms. Inequities widen when technologies are increased too rapidly, says Patricia Burch. She questions whether enough districts, even in the aftermath of the highly-publicized LAUSD fiasco, are thinking through this and other issues. "I'm not seeing it. And there are always new products and services around the corner that they will be pressured to buy."

Digital tools like iPads can help create powerful learning environments, so it's frustrating that districts fail to communicate why they've made this major investment, says Tom Daccord.

"There are already enough educators who don't believe these tools support good teaching, so we have to do a much better job at making sure the discussion is about learning. With education technology, we really don't want to be stuck in the either/or paradigm."
Top photo: Brad Flickinger/Creative Commons

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Are School Districts Getting Smarter About Education Technology? | NEA

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For the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), it all came all down to a financial settlement-a payment of $6.4 million from Pearson Education, announced in September 2015. This was hardly the desired outcome two years earlier when the nation's second largest school district launched an ambitious $1.3 billion plan to put an iPad in the hands of each of the district's 650,000 students.

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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Students come to class with diverse learning modalities, abilities, motivations, and levels of background knowledge. Designing courses with strategies that accommodate a wide range of learners enhances an inclusive atmosphere and decreases unnecessary hurdles in the learning process. According to the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), there are flexible and multiple ways instructors can:

Represent material.

Provide students opportunities to demonstrate knowledge.

Engage and motivate students (CAST, 2011).

The techniques below are just a few strategies instructors have used to incorporate UDL principles in their courses using technology.

Provide Options for Perceiving: Ways to Represent Information

You can use presentation software to:

Present a visual representation of your lecture agenda, learning goals for the class, and/or an outline.

Provide visual organizational cues throughout the lecture.

Use visuals such as graphs, maps, cartoons, video, and other multimedia to illustrate concepts when possible.

Distribute a skeletal outline of the lecture before class.

You can use an online course management system, such as Blackboard, to:

Post course materials beyond those required. Include a section with basic background information and a section with more advanced topics for those who want to go further.

Share links to relevant websites.

Provide an FAQs section and add to it regularly.

Compile and share a list of keywords (useful for newcomers to the field and non-native English speakers).

Have students post their lecture notes. This may result in more intentional note taking, and students and lecturers get to see the variety of ways the lecture material was interpreted and re-organized.

Wear an assisted listening device without being asked or use a microphone in larger rooms.

Record lectures with lecture recording software. Share videos or make them available upon request.

Provide a syllabus digitally with hyperlinks to relevant websites.

Provide Options for Expressing Learning: Ways Students can Demonstrate their Knowledge

For class participation points, allow for more than just in-class discussions to count. Create online discussions to accommodate students who need more time to think before responding or prefer to engage in course material through writing and reflection.

Consider how technology can enable various forms of assessment. For example, in large classes, student presentations might not be feasible with class time constraints, but it is possible for students to record videos of group or individual presentations for submission.

Other technologies such as eportfolios, wikis, blogs, or even the creation of a website enable students to demonstrate skills, knowledge, applications, or reflection.

Use rubrics for students to give and receive feedback. Consider creating electronic fillable forms (e.g. PDFs, Google docs).

Incorporate classroom response tools, such as clickers or mobile devices, to have students apply knowledge anonymously or as a group. Instant results allow instructors to quickly assess student progress and provide prompt feedback to the group.

Ask students to find and post online multimedia that relates to course content. Have students evaluate each other's contributions.

Provide Options for Comprehending: Ways to Engage Students with Course Materials

Provide choices when possible. For example, allow students to choose between print or digital text books.

Incorporate peer feedback. For example, students to post responses on assignment drafts using blogs.

Support self-reflection and self-assessment through blogs or eportfolios.

Motivate students by using active learning techniques every so often in lectures. For example, ask students to work in pairs or small groups to find information online or have students quickly respond in writing to a short video clip.

UDL has some related concepts such as Universal Instructional Design and Universal Design for Instruction. All three advocate for accessible and inclusive instructional approaches that meet the needs and abilities of different learners.

Steps for Incorporating Universal Design

Reflect on what you're already doing.

Know the strengths and weaknesses of current activities, instructional methods, and materials (including readings).

Consider your own strengths and preferences for teaching.

Think about the diversity of students in your classroom.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current curriculum?

Who would struggle with it?

Who would do really well with it?

Consider applying Universal Design.

How can you offer more choices?

What is essential about an assignment and what can be changed?

How could technology be used to enable more ways to accomplish the same learning goals?

Evaluate any changes.

How did it work for you?

How did students respond?

Did you address essential aspects of the course?

Adapted from Harbour (2012).

References

Harbour, W. (2012). Universal Design. Faculty Institute for Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

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Students come to class with diverse learning modalities, abilities, motivations, and levels of background knowledge. Designing courses with strategies that accommodate a wide range of learners enhances an inclusive atmosphere and decreases unnecessary hurdles in the learning process. According to the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), there are flexible and multiple ways instructors can: Represent material.

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & School Buy-In

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My thoughts on school buy-in on tech implementation in schools

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Discussion 6: Professional Learning & Faculty Buy-In

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I discovered this app and Google Chrome extension from Regan Clement--thanks Regan! I love extensions that work right from my Internet browser; it's the platform I'm most comfortable with as a '90's kid. This toolbar is amazing, and it really lives up to its nickname, "The Swiss army knife of Tools for Educational Technology". There are a number of tools for assisting students in finding reliable information from the Internet, conducting research, or looking up definitions. It has dictation, text-to-speech audio, text prediction, and many more functions that motivate students to be more independent learners and writers. It's also very useful for students that are ELLs or on IEPs. As a media specialist, part of my role will be to inform students and teachers about tools that make finding and using information responsibly, especially navigating the Internet's vast number of resources. Great tool for a media specialist to add to their arsenal of web resources.

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0:00 / 2:45•Watch full video

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Read&Write for Google Chrome - A how to guide for students

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I absolutely love this app--use it to inspire creativity in your students! They could retell a story or chapter of a novel in language arts, dramatize a historical event, create an original story, use it as a PowerPoint replacement, a visual aid in a persuasive speech, and the list goes on! It also plays into students' interest in social media by incorporating the Snapchat Bitmoji extension! I used this app on a previous project to convince its readers of the importance of school library programs and why media centers matter. I could easily see this being used as a reinforcement activity for just about any subject. I would love to see this app's shareability to expand so that multiple collaborators could be enabled to work on a single project. It's a really great tool that I could envision, as a media specialist, making great use of in my school library program--as a final term project for students to demonstrate their knowledge of digital citizenship, cyber security, or ethical use of information. There's no end to how this could be implemented in a classroom!

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A brief overview of informational services provided by the school media center | Find thousands of free educational ebooks for classroom use at read.bookcreator.com

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No doubt you've heard of Scratch, now meet Scratch Jr.! This iOS and Android app is a much more kid-friendly version of the full Scratch application, and introduces basic concepts of coding to younger learners. You can learn how to make animations, create a simple game, or write stories through coding. I would love to implement this app to introduce coding in my future media center, as it often falls to media specialists to teach digital literacy in schools, of which coding is growing in demand.

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Scratch Jr Tutorial #6 - Can I Make My Character Dribble a Basketball?

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The classroom is changing rapidly: digital boards, tablets, and classrooms full of computers are now part and parcel of the current school system. As time goes on, the introduction of virtual reality becomes more and more interesting and a better investment, because, yes, it still has a serious price tag.

In this blog post, I'll show you 20 interesting educational apps that will bring your lessons to life using VR, and show you what VR apps have to offer in education.

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer technique in which you seem to be in a different reality. Through the use of VR-glasses, the visible reality is replaced by computer-generated images. The glasses contain a screen, and close off your view from the outside world. Because each eye sees its own image, differing slightly from the other eye, you see depth in the virtual environment. In other words: you can view this virtual "world" in 3D.

20 virtual reality apps for the classroom

Depending on the type of virtual reality glasses you have at your disposal, several apps are worth your attention. You'll see that virtual reality in education is a big asset for your students.

Virtual reality apps for languages

Let your students practice languages at home using VR, something much more fun to do than filling out a worksheet. You can also use some of these VR language apps in the classroom: create a VR corner for students that are fast workers and need an extra challenge. They can use the VR goggles to practice more in a fun way.

In House of Languages, you can learn English, German or Spanish in a fun, creative way. You will be taught by Mr. Woo, who introduces him to his family. In the town where Mr. Woo lives, you can visit the airport, the zoo, the café, and some other places in virtual reality. It is a highly effective way for learning new basic vocabulary.

ImmerseMe claims to be the world's best academic language tool. With the app, you can choose between 9 different languages and from over 3000 different scenarios. The languages you can learn with ImmerseMe are German, Spanish, French, English, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Greek, and Indonesian. For example, students learn to order a baguette in Paris, buy a bento box in Tokyo, or try tapas at a Spanish restaurant.

The Learn languages app offers real dialogues in 30 languages in VR. This is because the best way to learn a language is to actually speak it, in real conditions. Students will get instant feedback on their pronunciation and suggestions that will enrich their vocabulary.

Virtual reality apps for science courses

The following VR apps can be used in Biology and science courses. Give your students a real astronaut experience, let them discover the human body, and much more.

Ocean Rift is the world's first Virtual reality aquatic safari park. Let your students explore the vivid underwater world full of life. The student virtually swims under water, with total freedom of movement, and can watch various fish and other animals including dolphins, sharks, turtles, sea snakes, rays, manatees, sea lions, orcas, humpback whales, and even dinosaurs! Use this app for a fun intermezzo in biology class or natural sciences.

This app allows you to upload images and videos to which you can then add interactive elements: videos, images, links, tweets, etc. - There are many possibilities. These can then be shared with your students (who create an account) or put on a website. The app can be used for all subjects and is not only useful with VR.

In this playful app, students will learn different things about the human brain. Like John, the teenager, you go on a trip through the brain. Your goal: to become an adult.

Use this VR app to examine the human body. You are in control to inspect the whole body and navigate it yourself. Students can take quizzes, explore over 2000 anatomical structures, peel away layers, and much more.

Normally, we watch a rocket shoot to the moon only as a viewer in front of the television, or red and white blocked in a Tintin comic book. The Apollo 11 VR app places you in the body of an astronaut who is experiencing the iconic NASA mission from a first-person perspective.

Discovery (channel) might pop-up on our TV once in a while. Well, now you can use their VR app as well. With Discovery VR, you can see all kinds of content from television documentaries in 3D, which can be used in different courses, like biology, geography, history, natural sciences, or engineering. Discovery Atlas, DNewslabs, and more programs have been translated into a VR environment.

Guide students through collections of 360° scenes and 3D objects, pointing out interesting sites and artifacts along the way. The VR app lets you take your students on an expedition and let them explore history, science, the arts, and the natural world. Whether you're roaming with dinosaurs or taking a look at Renaissance sculptures, there's something amazing to explore for every subject.

Virtual reality apps for math

In our section about math, we only have one app, but what an app! This is a VR app for primary school students or middle school students.

This VR app in your math class is really fun and engaging. In a playful way, students go on a virtual adventure to find numbers and shoot them so they learn to add, multiply, divide, and subtract. Let your students battle each other in your VR classroom corner.

This app lets visual learners see how abstract Math concepts work in a 3D environment. The app models the Math world incredibly by employing highly visual representations.

Virtual reality apps for geography

You probably already discovered that some of the apps mentioned above also include geography experiences in virtual reality. Here are some more, specific geography VR apps.

With this VR app, students can compare the sizes of planets and moons, shrunk down to 1 millionth of their actual size. They learn interesting facts about the planets as well. This VR application can be used when you are teaching about space or other planets.

With the VR app from YouTube, you can "teleport" to certain places. It allows you to watch videos in 360 degrees, putting you in the middle of all the action. The "travel" playlist is one I highly recommend. You can find interesting video's to teach students about nature, countries all over the world, culture, and history.

With Google Earth VR, you can make a school trip out of every lesson! Stroll the streets of Tokyo, soar over Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, and visit famous monuments like the colosseum.

Virtual reality apps for history

History is so much more interesting when you are living it. And that's exactly why you should include these history VR apps in your lessons. Instead of just listening to "an old story", students live the story. Not to mention, they will remember it better.

This is a virtual university with a wide variety of teaching programs. You can explore the Titanic, fly through the universe, or visit the Roman Empire thousands of years ago. This app is made for education. You can also your this VR app or virtual platform for teaching biology.

In this impressive VR presentation, you can visit the Secret Annex from the classroom. The house has been recreated in detail while you listen to fragments from her diary. If you're teaching your students about WWII, you can definitely use this app to keep the students' attention and interest.

The best way to learn or remember something is to experience it yourself. This app makes that possible. For example, on an adventure in King Tutankhamun's Tomb. Because of the 360-degree view, it looks like you are really in Cairo, in the pyramids.

Virtual reality apps for art courses

Virtual reality art, who would have thought this could be a lesson? The following VR app teaches your students to think in 3D, which is very different from drawing on a blank canvas and might require some spatial awareness.

Vermillion is a VR painting app that brings to life the delightful sensation of oil painting on a canvas. It has customizable canvases, a multitude of brushes, realistic wet-on-wet color mixing, layers, realistic analog brush strokes, and accurate blending and mixing.

The focus of Tilt Brush is on drawing, sketching, and creating artworks, which is one of the most fun lessons there is! Let students draw in the "air". They can use dynamic brushes and upload their creations to the web.

The best VR glasses for education

We talked about virtual reality apps, but without virtual reality glasses or "goggles", you can't really use them of course. So, I made a list of some interesting VR glasses that might fit your classroom.

These will probably be the most affordable virtual reality glasses on the list, and is in fact just a holder for a smartphone. With some special lenses, everything you see is transformed into virtual images.

These VR glasses are reasonably pricey, but are currently one of the best sets you can buy. Through the various Oculus apps, you already have many different teaching possibilities. The glasses come with two touch controllers as well, which is a step up from Google Cardboard.

ClassVR is specially produced for schools, and isn't just about the VR glasses. It's a complete platform that's easy to use and offers a lot of content by itself, without the need for external apps. The VR headsets can be wirelessly managed and controlled by their innovative ClassVR Teacher Portal.

This system can easily be compared with the ClassVR system. Redbox VR mainly focuses on the use of Google content such as Google Expeditions. The system also comes with a tablet with which the teacher can manage the lesson. RedBox VR offers schools an all-in-one virtual reality kit including extra support services and a protection plan.

The makers of HTV Vive headsets are well known for creating very good VR glasses. For education, however, this Vive Cosmos is perfectly suited and still a big investment. But you know for sure these VR glasses are qualified. I suggest buying these glasses when you're teaching STEM, engineering, or maths in higher education.

Wrap up

I hope I gave you all the information you need to consider including virtual reality in your future classroom. There are many free VR educational tools out there. Even with a smaller budget, you can use Google Cardboard to give your students the best learning experience ever. Especially now, when going on a trip is not possible in real life, virtual reality is worth the investment.

What VR apps are you going to use in your lessons? And what will you be teaching? Let us know on Twitter: @ibookwidgets.

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20 Powerful virtual reality apps for your classroom of the future

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The classroom is changing rapidly: digital boards, tablets, and classrooms full of computers are now part and parcel of the current school system. As time goes on, the introduction of virtual reality becomes more and more interesting and a better investment, because, yes, it still has a serious price tag.

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A technology integration specialist shares some ways her district uses augmented reality to boost engagement in learning.

Courtesy of Katrina Youdale / Narrator AR

Narrator AR is an augmented reality app that students can use to practice their handwriting.

Educators are constantly looking for resources and tools to get students engaged and excited about the content they are teaching, and an interesting option these days is augmented reality (AR) tools.

With a mobile device or tablet, teachers and students can use AR apps to access projection-based, location-based, or recognition-based experiences so that objects, artifacts, or media appear to be in the room. Students are then able to interact with that content by moving around, getting closer to it, and manipulating it to research and learn more about it.

In my experience, students' engagement increases when they create experiences in AR to demonstrate their understanding of a particular concept or standard. When students use augmented reality during a lesson, they want to dive into the content and don't want to stop learning or exploring. They're more willing to use critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills to explore the lesson or activity. And using a variety of apps, students can create projects that correlate with curriculum standards and concepts to show what they know.

Augmented reality can be integrated into the classroom in all grades and across the curriculum-possibilities range from exploring space to learning about animals and continents to creating book reviews or historical settings. Some students may not have many opportunities to visit historical landmarks, but they can do so virtually. AR also allows students to view models of things we can't see without a microscope and creates opportunity to see and interact with plants and animals, and sea creatures that live on the ocean floor. As educators, we can provide our students with opportunities and experiences they might not otherwise have that will be vital to their future.

7 Fun Augmented Reality Tools
Courtesy of Merge EDU
AR can be a hook to get students excited about content, guiding them to ask more questions. Seeing and interacting with artifacts, animals, and more can boost students' excitement level and foster collaboration with their peers, making content more meaningful and memorable.

For some examples of how my school is using augmented reality resources with pre-K to 12th-grade students, visit this site.

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7 Augmented Reality Tools for the Classroom

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A technology integration specialist shares some ways her district uses augmented reality to boost engagement in learning. Courtesy of Katrina Youdale / Narrator AR Narrator AR is an augmented reality app that students can use to practice their handwriting.

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Augmented reality and virtual reality in the library

As a space for innovative and contemporary learning, the library is a fantastic place for AR and VR. There are so many ways these technologies could be used to raise engagement and to promote literature and literacy. As both AR and VR require specific digital tools, keeping these tools in a central location such as the library makes sense.

Augmented reality

While most AR applications focus on providing pre-created animations or information that overlays reality when viewed through a mobile device, the suggestions below allow students to be part of the creation process. The AR technology is changing rapidly. However, two of the most well-established platforms, Metaverse and HP Reveal, contain desktop studio environments where the experiences are created. The experiences themselves are activated via the apps. The following activities can be conducted using these:

1. Create an interactive orientation activity
Students must find all trigger images and view overlays in order to answer trivia questions. This idea could be adapted for getting students to navigate different parts of the library, or for introducing specific tools or equipment in a teaching area such as home economics or industrial arts.

2. Invite students/parents/the community to view an interactive gallery
Students could create videos of themselves talking about their work. Display the pieces of work - which also act as the trigger images - and provide visitors with advice about which app to download to their smart mobile devices.

3. Encourage parents to interact with library newsletters
Add one or more trigger images to the newsletter that create overlay videos of a recent library event, new resource or positive message.

4. Guide teachers to embed audio or video explanations onto homework tasks
The inclusion of audiovisual explanations means that students can access 24/7 support.

5. Have students create a 'digital story walk' by embedding a narrative into the library or school environment
As characters move around the library or school telling their story, encourage the viewer to travel with them, adding a chapter to each trigger image.

Virtual reality

For virtual reality within the school library, all that is needed is a mobile device (which runs the VR experience), headphones (to be
truly immersed in the 'new' reality) and a VR viewer. The VR viewer can be a high-end model, but terrific experiences can be had
using Google Cardboard. Consider VR as a way to:

1. Develop empathy
Global Nomad Group's Experience of Syria allows students to develop empathy and explore for themselves what life is like for children trapped in a war zone.

2. Add a further layer to literature
Be inspired by the beautiful War of Words, which features a reading of Siegfried Sassoon's poem 'The kiss'. This app demonstrates how VR might engage students in poetry and literature through immersing them in an atmosphere that a simple reading may not provide.

3. Build confidence with public speaking
Apps such as Beyond VR Public Speaking or Virtual Speech can make presentations a less painful experience by offering students the opportunity to practise in front of a virtual audience, in a variety of settings.

AR and VR have the potential to transform learning experiences. As curriculum and digital technology leaders, teacher librarians are well-placed to explore and implement these immersive technologies within the library, the classroom and beyond. To learn more, check out the collection of articles in my Flipboard magazine at http://flip.it/NdZQaU.
Author's note: HP Reveal has announced the closure of the platform. A reminder that this is a changeable space, and we need to embrace a flexible mindset when using these technologies.
Image credits

Main photo by stem.T4L on Unsplash and figure supplied by Kay Oddone.

References

Freeman A, Adams Becker, S, Cummins, M, Davis, A & Hall Giesinger, C 2017, NMC/CoSN Horizon Report (K-12 ed.), The New Media Consortium, Austin, Texas, www.nmc.org/publication/nmccosn-horizon-report-2017-k-12-edition

Milgram, P & Kishino, F 1994, 'A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays', IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems: Special Issue on Networked Reality, no. 12, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231514051_A_Taxonomy_of_Mixed_Reality_Visual_Displays

Panetta, K 2017, 'Top Trends in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies', www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-trends-in-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2017

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Even better than the real thing? Virtual and augmented reality in the school library

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As a space for innovative and contemporary learning, the library is a fantastic place for AR and VR. There are so many ways these technologies could be used to raise engagement and to promote literature and literacy. As both AR and VR require specific digital tools, keeping these tools in a central location such as the library makes sense.

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Learn computer science. Change the world.

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Every student in every school deserves the opportunity to study computer science.

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Things I discovered while working in a public library about STE(A)M and coding

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Two of Addie Matteson's coding students designed this "Roblox"
website to teach people about Internet safety.

I am a school librarian who has been teaching coding for a little over six years. In my first job with elementary school students, coding was like a game. I collaborated with our tech teacher to introduce students to coding logic using Kodable, Hopscotch, and Daisy the Dinosaur. Once a week, I dropped in on a fifth grade class to teach them to create games and animations using Scratch. I purchased an array of robots for the library: Ozobots, Dash and Dot, and Spheros, all of which brought coding to life by enacting the programs students wrote for them. Once a year in December, the tech teacher had every student in school participate in Hour of Code. These efforts aimed to show our students that computer coding is fun-and something everyone can do.

But I've always had a nagging question in the back of my head: What comes next-after Hour of Code, Scratch, and Kodable? Once we inspire our students to love coding, how do we transition them from the safety of block-based languages to the kind of coding that solves real-world problems? I had to cast around for some answers. Despite the spotlight on K-12 STEM and computer science (CS) education, the number of college students graduating with education degrees in CS totaled only 75 in 2016, according to a Medium.com article posted by Code.org. For the most part, we rogue librarians and teachers are it for now.

There are some intangible reasons to teach kids to code. Reshma Saujani, founder of the organization Girls Who Code (GWC), stated in her keynote at the 2017 ISTE conference that one benefit to having girls code is that it provides a safe space in which they can face failure and work through it. Code.org shares the goal of bringing more girls and other underserved populations to computer science. Students who learn to code, even if they never use the skills again, absorb computational concepts such as sequencing and debugging, as well as a deeper understanding of their world.

Charles Severance, aka Dr. Chuck
Photo by Jay Jackson

Teaching young kids

At the elementary level, where the primary goal is exposure to computational thinking and concepts, educators make use of a wide range of tools-some purchased, some free. They're built to teach students how programmers think and solve problems. Block languages allow kids to create programs without the worry of forgotten semicolons or other syntax errors. Each app or program gives them the opportunity to create something fun, like a game, that is contained completely within an app.

Some apps, such as Swift Playgrounds, Scratch Jr., Hopscotch, and Daisy the Dinosaur, are designed specifically to work with the unique controls of a handheld device. Scratch, Code.org, and Kodable function on a variety of platforms, and all have built-in ways for teachers to manage their classes. They provide for the perfect introduction for elementary students. But the games are really only the beginning.

Kodable founder Jon Mattingly, who developed the product in an effort to make teaching code easier, is the first to admit that these programs have limits. "Computer Science has a problem. In the past few years, educators have been hoodwinked by flashy games and deceptive messaging into believing that students could be 'taught to code' by letting their students play a game for an hour," he wrote in a blog post launching a set of Kodable-developed teaching standards. "Unfortunately, like in every other subject, this isn't the case. No, you cannot teach your students computer science with just a game."

The standards align with the Kodable game, and the learning goals are embedded within it. This is Kodable's way of helping teachers transfer the learning from the game to the other subjects that students study.

Moving away from toy stuff

That kind of transfer becomes essential when students get to middle school. According to University of Michigan School of Information associate professor Charles Severance, aka Dr. Chuck, this is the time to transition away from the "toy stuff," including Scratch and Hopscotch. But he warns that the transition is "lumpy." Moving too quickly will result in driving frustrated students away from coding. He advises aiming for "absorption and retention."

The transition isn't any less lumpy for high school students. Lorraine Scaffidi, a New Jersey school librarian who began teaching a high school coding elective this year, says that some of her students aren't used to the kind of thinking required to write code. They tend to give up quickly or just ask for the solutions, and they get bored easily with the block languages. She decided to use their limited time and resources on a language that would be useful to them in college, and they're now learning Python via the CodeHS curriculum.

Eliot Kaplan, who teaches Advanced Placement Computer Science at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, says his students struggle at times with the kind of thinking required to code-specifically, accepting failure as a part of the iterative process. The Computer Science Advanced Placement exam, which focuses predominantly on Java, doesn't seem to help. Both Kaplan and Dr. Chuck express frustration over an AP exam that they think is, at best, an ineffective teaching tool and, at worst, convinces students not to pursue computer science. Kaplan loves having his AP students return to take an advanced elective the following year, when he can have more fun with them.

There's a shared mission between coding teachers and those who develop the tools they use: All kids should learn how to code, and they need to be learning it at every grade level. But that mission faces challenges, namely time and skill. It also takes time to learn this skill well enough to teach it.

Scaffidi, who isn't an expert coder, worries about what will happen when her students know more about Python than she does and when she will no longer be able to help them. My own students outstrip me almost immediately. My eighth grade coding elective is project based, and final projects are completely student driven. Some create websites; other students program simple video games. These projects required multiple skills and languages, such as JavaScript Arduino, in which I am not proficient. At this point, I'm comfortable with saying, "I don't know; let's find out."

Find support

Fortunately, more resources are being developed to help teachers. Code.org has a robust professional learning network and program. Dr. Chuck, who is on a mission to reach as many educators as possible, has constructed several MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) available via the University of Michigan on Coursera. His hope is to provide adults with the skills for an entry-level programming job through the fewest courses. Scaffidi prepared to teach her own coding class by taking Dr. Chuck's "Python for Everybody" course.

Don't write off the "toy stuff" like Kodable, Hopscotch, and Scratch. Use them as a springboard. "For me, the connection between Scratch and computer science is very clear and personal," Sarah Otts, an online community developer for Scratch, wrote on Medium. "My experience with Scratch as a teenager gave me confidence in my ability to create with computers, inspired me to explore coding in different languages, prompted my decision to major in CS in college, and helped me succeed in even my hardest classes."

Otts adds that Scratch is where she learned concepts like parallelism that are essentially the same in more complex languages such as Python and Java. As Kaplan puts it, "A loop in Scratch is the same as a loop in Java."

Another good resource to check out: standards. Both the Computer Science Teachers Association and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have released updated CS standards in the past year, and Code.org reports that 14 states have developed or are developing state CS standards. For those who primarily use Kodable, its standards, constructed from the Kodable program and the CSTA and ISTE standards, are a nice guide as well.

The Girls Who Code model is also full of great ideas. GWC leans heavily on real-world examples and experts. The GWC clubs are expected not only to work through their online curriculum, but also to partner with a local female professional in the CS field. The GWC program also involves a service project, such as creating a website or app that educates or benefits the community, putting newly acquired coding skills to practical use.

Teaching kids to code is about more than providing them with a useful skill or integrating tech. Coding takes guts and grit, forcing students to persevere through failure and to think in new ways. It's inherently creative, requiring students to make something from nothing. "Learning how to code makes you a better person. Even if you never code again," Kaplan says.

In the two years that my school has offered a coding elective, it has expanded from one class to three and is sure to continue growing. As it reaches more students, I hope to align the curriculum more purposefully with the high school computer science program-in part by shifting the focus away from writing code and toward what students can create with computers.

I definitely plan to add a Sonic Pi unit, so they can all become composers, and to dedicate more time to creating video games in Code.org. They don't need to be experts in Java, HTML, or any one language by the end of middle school. It's more important that my students have a fun, challenging experience that will prepare and empower them to learn more.

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Going Rogue to Teach Code: A school librarian offers strategies for teaching every age group

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Two of Addie Matteson's coding students designed this "Roblox"website to teach people about Internet safety. I am a school librarian who has been teaching coding for a little over six years. In my first job with elementary school students, coding was like a game.

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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The year 2020 should have been a watershed for . With the pandemic sending tens of millions of students online, it was poised to be a breakout moment. But it may have had just the opposite effect.

Over the past two decades, we have learned much about how the brain works and how learning happens. Educational technology can and should reflect that. Learning is at its best when it is about doing, not just listening. It should be hands on, practical and interactive. It should be individualised, adaptive and flexible. And it should be rooted in peer-based collaboration and discussion. If one starts designing a digital learning experience with these learning principles in mind, they do not end up with a tool as rigid, static and ineffective as Zoom.

Digital learning tools made specifically for classrooms, on the other hand, often mistake video or audio components for interactivity when it's ostensibly just a broadcast. Students who watch a short video and then take a quiz are not interacting with the material or their instructor in any meaningful way. The quizzes are largely functioning as a way-stop to the next video, testing for comprehension rather than practical ability. Videos might do a fine job disseminating cold facts, but they don't developskills, which is where career readiness lies.

Whether on a screen or in person, a good tutor does not simply speak at a student and then leave them with a quiz to answer. They provide their students with a relevant practical problem, allow the students to attempt to solve it and then provide clear feedback, discussion and guidance before moving on to the next challenge together. Progress is dictated by the student's mastery of each new skill.

Nearly 40 years ago, education psychologist Benjamin Bloom first detailed his Two Sigma Problem: while research demonstrated one-to-one tutoring based on mastery learning techniques dramatically improved student outcomes by two standard deviations, the methods were deemed too costly to bring to scale.

Educational technology designers can, at last, solve this problem. But this requires e ducators to not only embrace interactivity but demand it. After the learning challenges of the pandemic, the need to finally bring mastery learning to scale has never been more urgent.

Tom Adams is chairman and co-founder of Quantic School of Business & Technology and the former CEO of Rosetta Stone.

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The shift online could set digital learning back by years

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The year 2020 should have been a watershed for . With the pandemic sending tens of millions of students online, it was poised to be a breakout moment. But it may have had just the opposite effect. Over the past two decades, we have learned much about how the brain works and how learning happens.

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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In an extroverted world, learning virtually has eliminated some of the challenges introverts face in brick-and-mortar schools.

During this global pandemic, we have been thrown into the world of distance learning, and have heard much about the negative aspects of virtual classrooms and its effects on students. But how about the students who are thriving in this unusual and unconventional way of learning?

Yes, there are some success stories. And guess what? Many of them are from introverts. I recognize this because I am a teacher and a fellow introvert, and have had the pleasure of watching some of my introverted students come alive over WiFi. Even if you're not a student, but an introvert working from home, you may be having a similar positive experience.

I teach kindergarten through fifth grade and can usually spot the introverted artists in my physical art room immediately. They are the students who observe, take more time to process things, and who need opportunities to recharge. They don't dislike people - they just like their alone time. My imaginative introverts don't converse much, meaning they avoid small talk and rarely participate in class discussions. However, they get right into their artwork and are some of my most creative artists, as is common among introverts. (Fun fact: Georgia O'Keeffe was an introvert.)

When school went virtual, I was already familiar with the personalities of my students and became interested in discovering how my artistic introverts would function in a virtual world. As an introvert, I was in the same boat as my students, leaving me to wonder how we would all keep our heads above water.

The initial transition to distance learning was intimidating. Think of all the things introverts are great at overthinking: joining conference calls, raising our hands in class, showing our face, responding to questions, and letting others in our personal spaces. It was all a bit daunting! However, as my students and I got a handle on the virtual unknowns, I began to realize that many of my introverted Picassos, myself included, were thriving within their virtual environments. Here are several reasons why.

7 Reasons Why Introverts Excel at Virtual Learning

1. Small talk is limited, or eliminated altogether, which gives students more time to focus on their work.

In the physical classroom, it is expected we will interact with our peers, even when we don't really want to. We come into the classroom and are nearly forced to talk to the kid next to us, take part in class discussions, and work on the ever-awful group projects.

In the virtual world of distance learning, however, students are, well, distant. Not physically being next to one another puts an end to most idle conversations. The pressure to speak to someone you are sitting next to, or talking to while you are working on an art project, is eliminated. My introverted crew can hunker down to work on their projects without engaging in the small talk they would rather not be a part of. And the best thing is, no one is going to ask the dreaded question, "How come you never talk?"

2. It gives students more opportunities for alone time to recharge.

It's no secret that students in a brick-and-mortar school are constantly on the go, surrounded by other people all day long. The day starts with a bus ride full of yammering kids, followed by a populated classroom of peers, then to lunch in a loud cafeteria. But, ahhhh, a relaxing recess is coming: Finally, a chance to be alone. Nope! A group game is on the agenda. Maybe a bathroom break will provide some alone time... Oh wait, group bathroom breaks follow recess. Introverted students' social batteries definitely get drained through all this excessive people time!

But virtual learning provides alone time for my artists, who need plenty of time to recharge. They can learn and create in their own space, camera on or off, without people around them every minute of their learning day, draining their energy. "Peopling" all day is exhausting! This way, my Rembrandts can recharge and revive, alone.

3. They have more time to process responses to questions and class discussions.

In-person classroom discussions often require students to have an answer ready immediately. It usually starts with the teacher asking a question, followed by everyone looking at the person being questioned and waiting for a response. Contemplating a conversation from a few moments ago, the introverted student begins to sweat - no answers are coming fast enough because they are still analyzing a few conversations back.

The teacher waits patiently for a few seconds, then moves on to the next person. About three questions later, the mindful introvert comes up with a thoughtful response to the teacher's original question. But it's too late.

More than likely, introverts would not willingly ask questions or interrupt a class discussion to have their say because it would involve raising a hand, other students watching them, or speaking in front of others. We all know this can trigger anxiety in introverts.

Introverts need time to process and consider things internally, and virtual learning is more forgiving when it comes to processing information and answering questions. Students can use the virtual "hand raise" button if they wish to speak or have a question, and the "chat" function is a huge stress reliever, too, eliminating on-the-spot answers. My introverted imagineers have been known to use the chat to contribute to discussions because they have time to think about their responses. (An introvert's dream come true!) I found that many like to comment on discussions from earlier in the class, and the chat gives them an opportunity to do so.

4. Silence creates a calm environment (and a perfect learning environment).

If you've ever been in an art classroom, you know creating can be loud and busy; students chatter at their tables, get up to retrieve supplies, and hum while they work. Clean-up time can be equally as chaotic, with students heading to the drying rack, washing out brushes, and wiping down tables.

With the exception of my voice Bob Ross'ing through my virtual classes, the chitter-chatter is virtually eliminated (no pun intended) and no one has to rush to clean up. My cyber classroom is hushed, silent, and peaceful while we create. Many of my introverted students perform better and prefer working in quieter calming environments, making virtual art ideal for their learning style.

5. They can be "invisible" - they can turn off their cameras.

There is nowhere to hide or fade into the background in a school building. And, let's face it, sometimes we would prefer to go through a day unnoticed; maybe we are having a bad day or we just want to be left alone to observe.

In distance learning, my observant introverts can still be in class without all eyes on them. Cameras can be turned off or aimed downward to show artwork being created instead. Being the center of attention can make fellow introverts feel self-conscious, or even awkward, especially when the camera acts like a mirror and you are observing yourself all day! With cameras off, the pressure of being "watched" is alleviated, as my Monets can still be an active part of the class without revealing their emotions through their facial expressions. Plus, it also eliminates the need to be camera-ready.
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6. They can be comfortable in their own space, like in their introvert sanctuaries.

School can have a nice, homey feel, but when it comes down to it, there's no place like home. Ask any introvert.

Many of my virtual Van Goghs are schooling in their own environments, learning right next to Fido, in their room, or even with grandma nearby. Because they are in a familiar environment, they are comfortable and feel safe in their " introvert zen zone," complete with familiar and relatable sights, sounds, objects, and smells. In turn, this creates a calm work space where creativity can be expressed to its fullness. (And, really, who wouldn't want to use their own toilet at break time?)

7. They have control over situations they usually wouldn't.

Lastly, virtual classrooms allow learners to have control of situations they normally wouldn't have control over in a physical classroom, such as entering a meeting on their own terms, staying after the meeting to ask a question, and avoiding confrontations with other students.

My virtual students can see who has already joined the meeting and choose when to join. No more being that awkward first kid in class every day! Just simply click on the meeting and it shows you who has already joined. Then, you can jump right in, or wait for that friend to join before you do!

And then there is always the question my introverts want to ask, but couldn't make it happen during class. Now, they can be comfortable hanging on till the end of the meeting (until the last person signs off) to ask that burning question, or to even just have the little chat they'd been holding in. In a physical classroom, it's much harder to be the last one around to talk with the teacher, because there are always the kids who linger to receive every last bit of attention they can, making it harder for introverts to get in some coveted one-on-one "teacher time."

Virtual classrooms can also be a way to avoid bullies or students who you don't get along with. Sure, hiding behind the camera is never a good thing, but some anxiety can be relieved for introverts when they can avoid face-to-face confrontations with others who may make them feel less than who, or what, they truly are. In a virtual classroom, introverts have more control over interactions, which is a big win.

Although distance learning is not ideal, for some introverted students, it's a welcome change (at least for now). In an extroverted world, learning virtually has eliminated some of the challenges introverts face in brick-and-mortar schools. Without these obstacles, introverted students are able to thrive in their virtual learning environments. It's no secret that the pandemic has created challenges in the education world, and introverts are definitely holding their heads above water. In fact, some may be even floating above the rest.

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Why Introverts Excel at Virtual Learning, According to a Teacher

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During this global pandemic, we have been thrown into the world of distance learning, and have heard much about the negative aspects of virtual classrooms and its effects on students. But how about the students who are thriving in this unusual and unconventional way of learning? Yes, there are some success stories.

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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As demands grow for innovative tech advancement, more and more schools are being faced with the question of "when is the right time to introduce students to online learning?"

Additionally, with the rise of online education across the world due to the effects of the 2020 pandemic, school districts are being forced to reinvent traditional learning models and improve existing online models to better suit the growing need for online education.

In this article, we'll go over what hybrid learning environments are, the pros and cons of such environments, and the importance of introducing hybrid learning early in students' education.

What is Hybrid Learning?

A hybrid learning model is a concept in education that blends elements of the traditional, in-person classroom experience with online education, creating a "blended" learning environment. Some existing models of hybrid learning in the K-12 space include having "computer time" during class to participate in discussion forums and assigning homework online as opposed to take-home paper assignments.

Meanwhile, universities and colleges have long integrated hybrid learning environments to prepare students for the continuously shifting demands of tech skills in the workforce. Despite research showing the improved performance of students in hybrid learning environments, schools have yet to integrate or accept hybrid learning environments as the best path forward, which begs the question... why?

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Learning

There are many pros and cons that come with integrating hybrid learning into schools. Let's look at some of the benefits and challenges that come with hybrid learning.

Pros

Personalised learning: With online learning, students can have more flexibility in their schedules. Plus, if their school invests in technology to target the student's weakest subjects, they have a higher chance at mastering subjects that might otherwise require extra tutoring.

Greater collaboration: From discussion forums to study rooms, online learning gives students more ease in collaborating on projects and working together.

Improves tech literacy: Through continuous exposure to different technology and software, students become more prepared for higher education and the workforce at an earlier age.

Better learning tools: With interactive apps and educational games, teachers can educate students through a wider array of methods that facilitate different learning styles and levels.

Performance tracking: Teachers can evaluate students' progress with much more ease through the help of various tracking, grading, and data analysis software. This way teachers have a better idea of where students are excelling and where they need more support. Parents and students are also able to have a better idea of the students' performance through instantaneous grading and cumulative reports.

Cons

Tech literacy: Many students, parents, and teachers may not be familiar with the tech they are being introduced to, so they need to have adequate support to get over the tech learning curve.

Age-appropriate internet browsing: With increasing advancements in parental controls on different apps and websites, it's obvious that children must be supervised while browsing the internet. With the internet being as vast as it is, hybrid learning may give students too many opportunities to stray from age-appropriate browsing and learning.

Caregiver support: Some students don't have around-the-clock stay-at-home parents or caregivers who can supervise them during their school hours. Additionally, students with disabilities require greater care and attention to meet their learning requirements. Unfortunately, online learning doesn't offer the same level of support that a special needs class does at school.

Can the pros outweigh the cons?

Historically speaking, introducing new technologies has improved education significantly, which tells us that incorporating hybrid learning into the K-12 space isn't a question of "should we?", but rather a question of "how?"

One of the biggest problems schools face with hybrid learning environments is providing every student with the personalised attention they need to excel in their education. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem: aleX.

The Adaptive Learning Experience, or aleX for short, is a platform designed to help build learning communities. aleX amplifies all the best parts of traditional and online education to create a truly inclusive and engaging learning experience for students. Additionally, aleX is built on the Microsoft Teams platform, which is widely used by schools across the globe, making it an evolved way of learning and interacting in a familiar environment.

What makes aleX particularly special (and effective) is a powerful analytics engine and a digital learning assistant called QBot which helps institutions:

Automate responses to common questions by creating a centralized self-building knowledge base that leverages the questions from interactions with students to accelerate the acquisition of knowledge.

Leverage analytics to provide teachers with recommendations that address individual student needs.

With aleX, schools can have a seamless, automated process that allows teachers to focus on what matters most: connecting with their students. With many of the teaching and tutoring components set on autopilot, teachers can prioritise showing up for students in ways that are necessary beyond their intellectual needs.

Summary

While there are still challenges in online learning, these can be easily resolved with careful planning and innovative solutions. When it comes to taking the next steps in integrating hybrid learning into schools, aleX is the proven solution.
Learn more about aleX here to see how it can improve your institution for both students and teachers alike.

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Pros and Cons of Learning for K-12 in Hybrid Environments

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As demands grow for innovative tech advancement, more and more schools are being faced with the question of "when is the right time to introduce students to online learning?". Let's look at some of the benefits and challenges that come with hybrid learning.

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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My thoughts on hybrid and digital learning classroom approaches in schools

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Discussion 2: Digital Learning in Schools

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Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence in School Media Centers

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Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence in School Media Centers

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10 Crazy Free AI tools that will BLOW YOUR MIND!

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Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence in School Media Centers

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Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence in School Media Centers

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Review a movie and the AI will guess your sentiment

Open the online sentiment analysis tool. Choose a book or movie you recently read or viewed. Type a brief review into an online sentiment analysis tool. This tool uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to classify text as positive, neutral or negative based on words that appear in your text. How well did the sentiment analysis tool work? Was the categorisation accurate?
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Find out what AIs you know about

Download and print the card set, Does it use AI?. Cut the cards out and sort them into those that use AI, those that might use AI, and those that don't. An AI system requires an input - some form of data, which the AI processes in some way, makes a prediction on based on that data, then provides an output. Play the Scratch game, AI four of a kind to see if you can match the correct input, process and output of an AI.
Required: Device with browser connected to internet, printer.
AI: For good or ill?

As you may be aware, there are many applications where AI is used for good. AI can enable farmers to easily monitor their crops and to detect plant diseases, support health workers to interpret many different types of image data such as radiographs and ultrasound, and provide diagnostic expertise to help us conserve wildlife by monitoring animal populations using accurate and efficient data analysis!

There are also challenges and concerns in the way AI is used; for example:

Who is responsible when things go wrong in an application powered by AI?

How can we identify when AI systems exhibit bias due to training data or hidden algorithms?

Hopefully, now you are inspired to offer students the opportunity to learn about and explore AI in your library where you can provide access to some of these wonderful resources. Who knows? In the future, you might have planted the seed for one of your students to become part of the next wave of AI creators.

If you are interested in free lesson plans, visit the Artificial Intelligence lesson plans available on the Digital Technologies Hub. The DT Hub provides a range of resources to help teachers implement Digital Technologies, school leaders to plan and implement a whole-school plan, and families to learn about Digital Technologies and related careers.

Image credits

Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

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Is there a place for Artificial Intelligence in the school library?

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Open the online sentiment analysis tool. Choose a book or movie you recently read or viewed. Type a brief review into an online sentiment analysis tool. This tool uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to classify text as positive, neutral or negative based on words that appear in your text.

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Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence in School Media Centers

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Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence in School Media Centers

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My thoughts on the pros and cons of A.I.'s implementation in school libraries