It's that time of the year. When students in group 8 in Dutch primary schools receive their definitive 'advies' on the type of high school they will attend and the type of secondary education they will pursue: pre-vocational, senior general or pre-university. This advice is based on a combination of their marks from groups 6-8, the results of standardized tests they take in group 8, and the advice of their group 8 teacher. In some
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How are school systems in the Netherlands dealing with teacher shortages, teacher burnout and the shrinking number of people choosing to become teachers? Some Dutch primary schools in Amsterdam are considering an emergency measure: shifting to a four-day teaching week. Why? Amsterdam has been hit particularly hard by teacher shortages. At the beginning of this school year which began in August 2019, the city was short 280 teachers. This shortage has now grown to almost
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We reached out to Leah Plunkett, author of the book "Sharenthood: why we should think before we talk about our kids online", and she had this advice for parents, caregivers and teachers engaged in social media activities. "Use a holiday card rule of thumb to decide whether, when, how, why, and with whom to sharent: if you would put the photo or news update into a hard copy letter, print and mail out hundreds of copies
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Computer Science Education Week takes place next week, from December 9-15. It's a global annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science. In honour of this important Week, NewTechKids challenges parents, caretakers and teachers to take the plunge and explore computer science with children. Until schools make technological innovation, computer science, programming and robotics mandatory subjects, the adults active in the lives of children will have to take the lead
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NewTechKids is pleased to announce that in 2020, we are expanding our line up of programs focused on teaching kids ages 7-12 about technological innovation. We've hired new teachers with different specializations in order to continue developing innovative ways to teach kids ages 4-12 about computer science, programming and design while helping them develop critical thinking about technology and its implications. Some of the big changes: We will introduce kids to basic, on-screen programming using the
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Yesterday, NewTechKids hosted its 'Kids and Gaming' seminar for parents, caregivers and teachers in Amsterdam. Attendees came together to explore the topic and stretch their thinking by hearing from professionals including game designers and parents as well as a psychologist, family counsellor, teacher and former gaming addict. Here are the key takeaways in terms of tips and advice: Deborah Carter, NewTechKids Deborah's main message was that gaming shouldn't be viewed in the context of 'good'
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We’re crunching the numbers some more! So far, 60 people have registered for NewTechKids’ upcoming ‘kids and gaming’ seminar on Sunday, November 24 at the Amsterdam Public Library. Here’s a quick analysis of these parents, caregivers and teachers and the information they have provided, including about the gaming habits of their children and their attitudes towards gaming. There are still spaces available to attend NewTechKids’ seminar for parents, caregivers and teachers on ‘kids and gaming’.
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We've crunched the numbers! So far, 60 people have registered for NewTechKids' upcoming 'kids and gaming' seminar on Sunday, November 24 at the Amsterdam Public Library. Here's a quick analysis of these parents, caregivers and teachers and the information they have provided, including about the gaming habits of their children and their attitudes towards gaming. There are still spaces available to attend NewTechKids' seminar for parents, caregivers and teachers on 'kids and gaming'. Speakers will
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Emiel Kampen, an independent game designer and teacher at the Utrecht University of the Arts (HKU) will speak at NewTechKids' upcoming 'Kids and Gaming' seminar for parents, caretakers and teachers on Sunday, November 24 at the Amsterdam Public Library. Register here. He thinks Fortnite is so popular because it offers a wide variety of activities, including social connection, competition and challenge. It's important that parents, caregivers and teachers understand the implications of children's technology usage.
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Rudi is Senior Family Counsellor at the Yes We Can Youth Clinics. He'll be speaking and answering questions at NewTechKids' seminar on 'Kids and gaming' on November 24 in Amsterdam. If there's one piece of advice that Rudi Voet wants to give parents when it comes to guiding and managing their children's online gaming, it's this: establish boundaries. At the seminar, he'll speak about how to tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy gaming, signs
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