This week, NewTechKids started a new 'Problem-Solving with Computer Science & Programming' at a primary school in Amsterdam. Our first lesson: how technology helps us automate tasks so we can free up our time for other things. We discussed 'smart' household devices, what tasks they automate and how to design one. Then we challenged kids to design, build and program a robot to automate a specific task. What a difference props make! We provided a
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NewTechKids will offer two 2020 Christmas holiday bootcamps from December 21 - 31, 2020. Before Christmas Bootcamp: December 21-24, 2020 Bootcamp between Christmas and New Year's: December 28 - 31, 2020 Part of the City of Amsterdam's Mid-Winter Mokum event series, these two bootcamps are subsidized by Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA) and are being offered free-of-charge to all children who have an OBA Junior library pass. For kids who don't have the pass, the fee
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How do you prepare kids and adults for our world of constant and rapid technological innovation? What education, training and exposure to technology do they need to survive and thrive? Deborah Carter, NewTechKids' Founder, will be moderating a panel discussion on this topic during the Women in Tech Regatta Amsterdam virtual event on December 9, 2020. The panel will explore the many different ways that kids can learn about technology, from formal schooling to storytelling,
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Another great resource for teaching technology literacy to children is the 'Zerus and Ona: Adventures in the Binary World' book series developed by Miriam Tocino. Miriam is a software developer, coding teacher, illustrator and author based in Amsterdam. The inspiration for her book series came three years ago when she had her son and started thinking about how to introduce him to the world of computers. She uses characters called Zerus and Ona which are based on binary 0s and
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The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a massive shift to online learning. The NewTechKids team is joining the wave of educators who are developing new and dynamic ways to teach children online about technological innovation, computer science, programming and robotics. This summer, we'll be offering four, Zoom-based robotics courses for kids ages 8-12 under the theme "Tech Inventors to the Rescue". Kids from different countries with little to no previous experience in building and coding will
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Being able to think deeply and critically about technology and its implications is becoming as important as understanding computer science and knowing how to code. This is because the technology we currently have is directly related to the perspectives, values and even biases of the technologists who create it. To help kids develop critical thinking skills, NewTechKids is developing new lessons and teaching resources which help primary school-aged kids explore the ethics of technology. Our
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Parents, teachers, school counsellors: do you know a kid who is obsessed with electronics, tinkering and making things? Engineering and inventing tech is a great study path and career opportunity for her or him. In this PreparationTech interview, Deborah Carter, NewTechKids' Founder and MD, interviews Isaac Sesi, a young Ghanaian man who was named by Massachusetts Institute of Technology as one of the top 35 innovators under the age of 35 in 2019. Isaac talks about
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Parents, teachers, school counsellors: do you know a kid who is fascinated by inventions, inventors and technology? In this PreparationTech interview, Deborah Carter, NewTechKids' Founder and MD, interviews Natalie Raffoul, Managing Partner at Brion Raffoul and one of the top Intellectual Property (IP) and patent lawyers in Canada. "I'm Managing Partner of a law practice called Brion Raffoul. We have a group of really great professionals here with technical backgrounds who advise innovative companies on
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Do you know a kid who is crazy about the giant animated robots at theme parks? Or who is fascinated by cyborgs and human-like robots? Studying robotics can lead to a career in many areas, including but not limited to animatronics, engineering, design, game design, medicine and education. Sculpture, animation, cognitive science, material science, computer science, AI and programming are just some of the fields which intersect with robotics. David Hanson, CEO of Hanson Robotics,
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For kids and teens who love the performing arts, computer science, programming and design combined with digital skills can take them in many interesting directions. Case in point: Miral Kotb, Founder of iLuminate, a light dance and technology company. iLuminate came in third on 'America's Got Talent', has worked with artists including Chris Brown, the Black Eyed Peas and Christina Aguilera, and is launching a Vegas show. Miral is also a study in perseverance and resilience as
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