New Tech Kids | All posts

4 Oct 2023

Self-directed Learning as a Superpower

This week, NewTechKids continued with our digital literacy lessons for kindergarten students at Wereldwijs primary school. The last few lessons have been about self-directed learning and how technology enables us to learn on our own, without teachers, parents or adults directing the process. We started the lesson off by talking about the fact that not all children have the same abilities as they do. We talked about how some children can't hear and this requires

19 Sep 2023

NewTechKids Teacher Training Workshop on Digital Literacy

By NewTechKids

Register here. NewTechKids will be giving a teacher training workshop focused on introducing digital literacy to primary school students. Since January 2023, NewTechKids has been teaching digital literacy programs at schools and our after-school programs. We started teaching these classes at OBS Wereldwijs, a primary school in Amsterdam Southeast which has been designated 'Excellent' by the Dutch government in both 2019 and 2022. Our curriculum includes how technology systems work, the use of digital productivity

6 Oct 2023

Key Factors Which Help Kids Develop into Tech Innovators

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids has taught tech education and computer science classes for more than nine years and we've taught kids from all types of backgrounds with differing exposure to tech. Based on our observations, there are some key factors which increase the likelihood that kids will take an interest in tech beyond just using it and actually want to invent, create, make, experiment and prototype with it. These factors considerably increase the likelihood that they will choose

1 Sep 2023

Starting 2nd year of teaching digital literacy in primary school

By NewTechKids

Next week, NewTechKids will begin our second year of teaching digital literacy programs at Wereldwijs primary school in Amsterdam Southeast. We learned a lot from teaching all 650 students in groups 1-8 (ages 4-12 on average). We taught the youngest students in Dutch and the older students in a combination of Dutch and English. Here are some of our takeaways: Our youngest students are using apps which should not be legally available to them. Students

1 Sep 2023

Dutch government advises high schools to ban mobile phones during school day

By NewTechKids

On July 4, 2023, something momentous happened in the Netherlands. The Dutch Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf issued an urgent guideline calling for the banning of all mobile telephones from Dutch high schools as of January 2024. It's just a guideline and not enforceable but it's a big deal that the Dutch government has taken this step. Individual high schools are expected to develop their own specific terms related to the ban based on input from

1 Sep 2023

NewTechKids Teaching Digital Literacy Workshop for Primary School Teachers

By NewTechKids

Digital literacy is not simply 'nice to have' in 2023. It is a fundamental skill that all primary school students need to develop in order to enhance their learning and function in the world around them. NewTechKids is happy to be sharing our knowledge and experience about teaching digital literacy during a free workshop for primary school teachers during the Mokum Maakcoalitie's Maaksymposium on November 14th in Amsterdam. During this hands-on workshop, NewTechKids will give

15 Jul 2023

Heavily subsidized spots for low-income kids this summer

By NewTechKids

Due to generous donations from our donors, NewTechKids is able to offer more kids from low-income families heavily-subsidized spots in our summer bootcamps. Already this year, NewTechKids has taught more than 600 kids from low-income families and communities and we're happy to continue this outreach through our subsidy program. We've partnered with teachers, schools, the Amsterdam Public Library and the content moderators of popular social media pages for kids in Amsterdam to spread the word.

10 Jul 2023

‘Critical Making’: Nurturing Responsible Tech Innovators in High School

By NewTechKids

How is the Netherlands maintaining its innovation edge? By developing and prototyping new creative and design processes. NewTechKids is involved in one such research project aimed at mobilizing the creative industries to help transform high school students into tech inventors who make products and services which have a positive impact on society. The research seeks to answer the question "How can critical making contribute to technological citizenship and responsible innovation?" High School Students & The

17 Jun 2023

‘Future of farming’ workshop for Atlas Workshops

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids is pleased to announce that we collaborated with Atlas Workshops, a company which organizes international learning experiences around the world for students and educators and which partners with creative organizations around the world. On Saturday, June 17, we hosted a group of American high school students and teachers in Amsterdam and taught a robotics and coding workshop focused on 'the future of farming and tech'. The Dutch backdrop makes a lot of sense. Despite

2 Jun 2023

Kids, Teens & Smartphones: Recent Media Coverage

By NewTechKids

Kids, teens and smartphones continue to be a topic of concern for parents and educators, sometimes even kids themselves. NewTechKids tracks developments and expert opinion and is pleased to share some great insight: Magazine Article: No One Knows Exactly What Social Media is Doing to Teens (the Atlantic, June 13, 2023) "Late last month, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory—a format reserved for public-health issues that demand the nation’s immediate attention. “Nearly every teenager