On November 19, 2018, NewTechKids hosted a delegation of researchers from the Education departments of University of Helsinki, University of Turku and University of Tampere here in the Netherlands. During the meetings, we shared our pedagogy, teaching approaches and concept scaffolding strategies related to introducing technological innovation, computer science and programming to young primary school students. We also discussed potential research collaboration. As part of the visit, the delegation visited an international school where NewTechKids has
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EU Code Week 2018 is happening right now. From October 6-21st, kids and adults across Europe are participating in events and activities related to coding and digital literacy. According to the organisers of this grassroots initiative, "Learning to code helps us to make sense of the rapidly changing world around us, expand our understanding of how technology works, and develop skills and capabilities in order to explore new ideas and innovate." See this listing of
Read moreNewTechKids is pleased to announce that Joe Fletcher, Co-founder and Executive Creative Director at Raft, has joined the NewTechKids team as a strategic advisor. Based in Amsterdam, Raft is a design and strategy consultancy. With 15+ years experience in corporate design management and consulting, Joe's work focuses on creating business strategies, setting up business processes, and designing experiences for Fortune 100 companies through start-ups. His previous leadership roles include Creative Director at frog design, and
Read moreDeborah Carter, NewTechKids' Co-founder and Business Director, will speak at the Women in Tech (WIT) Regatta event in Amsterdam on November 1st in Amsterdam. During the panel ''Launch It Broken, Fix It Live: Put the Life Vest On and Jump!', Deborah will share her experiences 'from the trenches' in launching NewTechKids and adapting the company's vision, mission and business strategy over the past four years. NewTechKids started as an after-school computer science academy but has
Read moreMore attention is being given to the harmful effects of staring at device screens for prolonged periods of time. According to a recently-published article on the Popular Science Web site, researchers are connecting screen exposure to sleep disruption and eye problems. "Researchers have connected the high-energy visible light, which emanates from both the sun and your cell phone (and just about every other digital device in our hands and on our bedside tables), to disruptions
Read moreNewTechKids will host a meeting in Amsterdam with a delegation of Estonian educators in early October. We'll be exchanging information on technology education (computer science, technological literacy and computational thinking) and discussing collaboration possibilities. Estonia has made major inroads in integrating computer science and programming into primary school curriculum. In 2012, it launched the ProgeTiger Programme which covers engineering sciences, design and technology, and information & communication technology (ICT). The Programme targets preschool, primary and
Read moreParents and teachers often ask us how to they can move kids beyond just using technology. They ask us what they can do to how to encourage kids to think about how technology works, the implications of technology on humans, and the computer science knowledge and skills they will need to become technologists. This summer, we've launched a feature via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to help parents and teachers who don't have a background in
Read moreThis year, NewTechKids kicked off a series of computer science summer school programs with a program focused on teaching kids ages seven to 12 about systems thinking and technological systems. Technology systems are all around us: from the smart energy systems we use to cool our homes to the traffic lights we obey, the self check-out counters we use at grocery stores and the PS4 systems on which kids spend time playing. Yet, we take
Read moreWhile many North Americans are familiar with the concept of 'summer school' for primary school students, it's a foreign concept for many Europeans. For many European, summer means no school: only vacation, relaxation, time with family, and recreational activities for children. We're not arguing for or against summer school. Different strokes for different folks. But we'd like to present it in the context of continuous learning and the computer science summer school programs we'll be
Read moreToday in Amsterdam, NewTechKids taught computer science workshops to high school students from across the U.S. The students are in Amsterdam as part of EF Tours' Global Summit Tour, an event during which students are immersed in the topic ' The Influence of Technology on Society'. We chose the theme of automation as a way to explore ways in which technology is transforming the way we live, work and interact with each other and the
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