20 BYOD Resources For The 21st Century Schools by Hope Mulholland, TeachThought Intern BYOD policies–Bring Your Own Device–allow schools to bring technology into the classroom with a “bottom-up” approach. Such an approach can save money, allow students to use their own devices, and encourage a student-centered approach to learning. Recently we explained that “digital natives or not, technology dropped into the laps of students in schools isn’t always as accessible as it might be. Below is a list of 20 resources to help you get started with BYOD in your school or classroom. Articles about BYOD 1. 2. 3. 4. 7 Tips for Establishing a Successful BYOD Policy – 5. 6. 7. 8. 10 Reasons To Consider BYOD In Education – This TeachThought article looks at 10 of the most common benefits of BYOD. 9. 10. 11. 10 Reasons BYOD is Impossible To Ignore – What is there to gain–or fear–from BYOD? 12. 13. 10 Components Of A Successful BYOD Implementation – Adapted from an article from Eric Sheninger 14. 15. 16. Schools That Have BYOD Programs 17. 18. 19. 20.
About Who Supported ScratchJr? The ScratchJr project has received generous financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1118664), Scratch Foundation, LEGO Foundation, British Telecommunications, and Adobe Systems. If you enjoy using this free app, please consider making a donation to the Scratch Foundation (www.scratchfoundation.org), a nonprofit organization that provides ongoing support for ScratchJr. We appreciate donations of all sizes, large and small. Platinum supporters from the ScratchJr Kickstarter campaign: Jeremy Deutsch, Kenneth Ehlert, Catherine Greenspon, Mark Loughridge, JoAnn Gantz Bendetson, and Shirley Resnick.
CodeMonkey BYOT? Bring it on | An international forum for all schools seeking to make the best use of BYOT. Hour Of Code Is Designed To Inspire Kids From 4 to 104! Kids News Article From December 5-11, millions of kids in over 180 countries will take the Hour of Code challenge. The annual initiative, which coincides with Computer Science week, is organized by Seattle-based non-profit Code.org to demystify the world of coding, and inspire students of all backgrounds and ages to consider a career in software engineering. During the hour, which can be set aside any time of the week, participants learn to program using one or more of the free tutorials offered on the Code.org website. The sessions that are organized by age and experience level and available in 45 languages, begin with a brief introduction to computer science. Then comes the fun part — coding. With tasks that include solving a problem for Disney’s daring teenager Moana, taking Alex or Steve on an adventure through a Minecraft world, or building a Star Wars Galaxy, there is something to interest everyone. Started in 2013, the Hour of Code is now one of the biggest global learning events.
Kids coding app Tynker expands to Android and adds game-making mode | Technology Education technology startup Tynker is expanding to Android, after attracting more than 8.8 million children to computer programming courses through its website and iPad app. The company has launched its Android tablet app on the Google Play app store, including a new mode – also available in the iPad version – for children to create their own games. Tynker is one of several firms whose apps' visual programming interfaces are aiming to help children take their first coding steps, with rivals including fellow US company Hopscotch, and British startup Kuato Studios, with its Hakitzu Elite app. Until today, Tynker's iPad app focused on a series of exercises where children learn programming concepts including functions, subroutines and conditional logic by solving puzzles. It is available in a free version where parents buy the different puzzle packs as in-app purchases, as well as a premium version aimed at schools, where the packs are included in a single upfront price.
Secrets of Lost Empires | Medieval Siege | Destroy the Castle by Dennis Gaffney The trebuchet was one of the most devastating weapons of the Middle Ages. During medieval sieges, this destruction machine crushed castle walls. Using trial and error, medieval engineers adjusted the trebuchet to make sure its missile hit the castle wall—and destroyed it. NOVA's science game, "Destroy the Castle," is very much like the real thing. There are five elements you can adjust in your trebuchet: stone ball weight sling length counterweight design distance from the castle whether to add wheels Build it right, and you will crush the wall. Build it wrong, though, and you may have to face some painful consequences. Special thanks to Jim and Fran Sammons for their help in designing "Destroy the Castle." Medieval Arms Race | NOVA Builds a Trebuchet | Life in a Castle Destroy the Castle | Resources | Transcript Medieval Siege | Pharaoh's Obelisk | Easter Island | Roman Bath | China Bridge | Site Map
10 Reasons Kids Should Learn to Code When it comes to preparing your children for the future, there are few better ways to do so than to help them learn to code! Coding helps kids develop academic skills, build qualities like perseverance and organization, and gain valuable 21st century skills that can even translate into a career. From the Tynker blog, here are the top 10 reasons kids should learn to code: Coding Improves Academic Performance Math: Coding helps kids visualize abstract concepts, lets them apply math to real-world situations, and makes math fun and creative! Coding Builds Soft Skills Focus and Organization: As they write more complicated code, kids naturally develop better focus and organization.Resilience: With coding comes debugging – and there’s no better way to build perseverance and resilience than working through challenges! Coding Paves a Path to the Future Tynker makes it fun and easy for kids to learn how to code! Explore Courses
The Best Websites to Learn How to Write Code The best tutorials and websites where you can learn how to write code in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python and all the other popular programming languages. The Learn to Code movement has picked up momentum worldwide and that is actually a good thing as even basic programming skills can have a major impact. If you can teach yourself how to write code, you gain a competitive edge over your peers, you can think more algorithmically and thus can tackle problems more efficiently. Don’t just download the latest app, help redesign it. Don’t just play on your phone, program it. — Obama. There’s no reason why shouldn’t know the basics of coding. Gone are the days when you had to enroll in expensive computer training classes as now exist a plethora of web-based courses that will help you learn programming at your own pace in the comfort of your web browser. If you are ready to take the plunge, here are some of the best websites that offer courses in a variety of programming languages for free.
The Epic BYOD Toolchest (51 Tools You Can Use Now) PowerSchool Learning: (Previously Haiku Learning.) This is a full learning management system (LMS) that I’m trying to get our school to adopt. It’s multiplatform and robust, which makes it a great fit for our BYOD environment. It also works on top of Google Classroom, so I have all those features too, plus my grade book. Google Classroom: Teachers are moving in droves to Google Classroom. While it doesn’t have all the features of a full-scale LMS, teachers are giving students assignments and so much more with this awesome tool. There are many other content-sharing platforms, like Moodle, Canvas, and CourseSites. Screencasting and Capturing What Happens in Class If you’re going to share and interact with your students in the electronic and physical spaces (as you should), you must learn how to screencast. In some exciting news, Apple has announced that iOS 11 (out later this year) will include screen recording capabilities and new screenshot features. Cloud Syncing Expression Blogging
Анна Косарєва: «В ІТ-індустрії є безліч професій, де потрібні прикладні, гуманітарні чи фінансові знання» — The Ukrainians Із 5 до 11 грудня у школах по всьому світу пройде «Година коду» — щорічна кампанія, метою якої є промоція програмування серед дітей. Глобальний рух підтримав Барак Обама, Білл Гейтс, Марк Цукерберг і чимало інших знаменитостей. Цьогоріч до акції доєднаються більш як 130 українських шкіл зі Львова та Києва. Про особливості ІТ-освіти в Україні, а також про те, навіщо навчати українських школярів програмуванню, ми спілкувалися із Анною Косарєвою, координаторкою акції «Година коду» в Україні та засновницею ІТ-школи LITS. Розкажи, будь ласка, про цей проект. Нещодавно мені розповіли смішну історію про вчителя бойового гопака, який прийшов у міську школу шукати роботу. Сьогодні майже у кожній школі України, навіть у найвіддаленіших селах, є комп’ютерний клас, але навчальну програму складено з основ роботи у «Word» і «Excel». «Година коду» стала популярною у 180 країнах саме через свій унікальний формат, який чудово допомагає відчути себе програмістом. Чому? Навчання інших — непросте завдання.
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