NewTechKids is pleased to be joining NEMO's inaugural Codestarter event which takes place on June 27th from 10:00 - 16:00 at NEMO in Amsterdam. The Codestarter event is all about programming and will feature workshops, lectures and activities which cover everything from explaining how a computer works to programming a 3D printer and coding a robot. The target audience is children aged 8 - 12 years. The big plus: it's free! NewTechKids will organize two workshops (held in
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NewTechKids is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Leonardo da Vincischool, a primary school in Amsterdam, to deliver technology and programming courses to its students. The programs will begin in mid-August after the summer holidays. Groups 1 and 2: NewTechKids Robot Boogie Bootcamp Students will be introduced to concepts such as computational thinking, design, commands and systems thinking. They'll learn the basics behind programming and automation through crafts, games, and physical activity. Taught
Read moreThe great thing about technology and programming education is that it is a relatively new field and ripe for innovation and experimentation. So that’s exactly what NewTechKids did last Thursday when we organized a brainstorming session at Google’s Amsterdam headquarters. We brought together a group of Dutch and international teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum experts, designers, developers, and technology professionals dedicated to expanding technology and programming education in schools. Joe Fletcher, Creative Director at frog design
Read moreOne of the nice things about launching a technology and programming academy is asking for input from different kinds of professionals. In NewTechKids' case, we organised a brainstorm session last week which brought together teachers, international education experts, designers, programmers, city government policy makers, branding specialists, event curators and executives working for technology companies. Our goal: sharing information and ideas on how to get kids and their parents excited about technology and programming education. Here are some of the ideas we shared.
Read moreDeborah Carter, NewTechKids' Co-Founder and Business Director, gave a TED talk at TEDxAmsterdamED in March. Her main point: technology and programming education should start in primary school (aged 4-12 years) in order to give kids 21st century skills (problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration) and prepare them for a future full of technology. The world needs thinkers and
Read moreNewTechKids is thrilled to announce that Deborah Carter, its co-founder, will speak at the TEDxAmsterdamED event on March 26th at the new Theater Amsterdam. Under the theme "The Education (r)evolution", the event will examine the central issue: "Is revolution needed for education to evolve, or is the future of education already within reach? From the tiny shifts that make a huge difference to the ground-breaking movements shaking the system. We will explore The Education (r)evolution and the balancing
Read moreNewTechKids chose the question 'What is a computer?' to kick off our 'Intro to Programming' Bootcamp yesterday. We started the first workshop by knocking our group of 7-9 year olds out of their comfort zone and challenging their belief that computers are just a screen, keypad and circuit board. They discovered that computers are all around us: traffic lights, turnstiles in the subway (metro), home heating systems and other things in everyday life. We then introduced them to concept of
Read moreOn October 22nd, we organised our first NewTechKids workshop. The children, aged seven to nine, learned about the concepts of programming and automation. The kids explored how technological systems work in terms of input/output, controls, processes and programming. To bring the theme of systems thinking to life, we structured the class around a challenge: programming a robot to dispose of toxic waste before it leaked and turned everyone into zombies. Each child designed simple code for a
Read moreSerendipity is a wonderful thing. A friend put me in touch with her friend who works at the International School of Amsterdam (ISA). She was organising a 'Get Inspired by Tech' event at the school as part of EU Code Week. Before I knew it, I was on the roster as a mentor, someone who would give 'lightening presentations' of 10-minutes to 100 sixth graders about careers, opportunities and experiences in technology. Grabbing the attention of adults is a
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