CS Ed Week
December 5-11, 2016
Below is a starter list of resources to help bring computer science to your classroom, school, and district!
The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Check out the tutorials and activities. This grassroots campaign is supported by over 400 partners and 200,000 educators worldwide.
CS with Things
Makey Makey is an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touch-pads and use them to control apps created in languages like Scratch. It's a simple Invention Kit for beginners and experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between.
The Raspberry Pi is a credit card-sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word processing, browsing the internet, and playing games.
Dash & Dot are real robots that teach your kids to code while they play. Using our free apps and a compatible tablet or smartphone, kids learn to code while they make Dash sing, dance and navigate all around the house. Sensors on the robot mean they react to the environment around them, including your kids.
Ozobot Evo — the smart and social robot — entertains right out of the box with autonomous behavior. Then, app-enabled Evo connects you to the world, bringing updates from friends and dynamic gaming and coding challenges to keep you ahead of the curve.
Set kids up for real world success in the future. Connect your Sphero SPRK+ robot to the Lightning Lab app to learn programming, complete activities, and get inspired through connected play and coding. The app-enabled ball is just the start.
As kids play with Phiro, they learn to code and watch Phiro enact their programming. As kids learn to code, they foster computational thinking and problem solving skills, crucial for every field in the 21st century.
Build your own rolling robot with a BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller brain! Just follow the clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations with the included book, Robotics with the Boe-Bot. Great for high schools, colleges, and hobbyists.
PEF does not necessarily endorse the products or services listed above. The listed resources are meant solely for educational purposes. No endorsement is implied.
After the Hour of Code
With tens of thousands of teachers having already participated in the Hour of Code through Code.org, we have curated a repository of resources that can help if you are trying to keep pushing. Also, be sure to check back with Code.org as their team continues to produces great resources for all levels of computer science.
Now that tens of thousands of educators have tried the Hour of Code, many classrooms are ready for more creative, less one-size-fits-all activities that teach the basics of computer science. To help teachers find inspiration, we collected and curated one-hour teacher-led lesson and activity plans designed for different subject areas for Hour of Code veterans.
Previously known as the CS10K Community, CS for All Teachers provides a virtual home for teachers to connect with one another and with the resources and expertise they need to successfully teach computer science in their classrooms.
Uniquely blending programming and play, The Foos is designed by CodeSpark to provide K-5 students with a game-based entry point to object oriented programming in a fast, fun, and engaging tablet-based app. Check out the free teacher dashboard!
CodeCombat makes learning to code as easy as playing a game, letting teachers with no programming background offer a full computer science class through game-based, personalized learning. CodeCombat is a multiplayer programming game for learning how to code.
Coding is the new literacy! With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.
CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.
LeadCS.org is a resource for K-12 district and school leaders, teacher leaders, and their partners and advocates who wish to develop computer science education in their schools.
The CSforAll Consortium is a network of computer science (CS) education providers, schools, funders, and researchers working to support the mission of expanding access to CS education for all K-12 students.
Pythonroom's curriculum is designed to teach students problem-solving and algorithmic thinking. Our lessons are unique, easy to understand, and dynamically ordered to enhance retention. Students learn by mastering basic instructions to solve simple problems, and then work their way into more challenging concepts and larger programs.
MIT App Inventor is an innovative beginner's introduction to programming and app creation that transforms the complex language of text-based coding into visual, drag-and-drop building blocks. The simple graphical interface grants even an inexperienced novice the ability to create a basic, fully functional app within an hour or less.
Your students can use Scratch to code their own interactive stories, animations, and games. In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for everyone in today’s society.
More resources coming soon!
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