New Tech Kids | curriculum

19 Sep 2023

NewTechKids Teacher Training Workshop on Digital Literacy

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

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

28 Mar 2023

NewTechKids Teaches Kids about Generative AI

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids ended up making some important last-minute changes to our digital literacy programs for primary school students at Wereldwijs Primary School in Amsterdam Southeast. Why? The explosion of generative AI. In their article "Teaching Digital Literacy is a 21st Century Imperative & This is Why", Miah Daughtery and Laura B. Hansen write "In classrooms, digital literacy enables students to access information in new ways and then communicate what has been learned with others, giving students

7 Jun 2021

Summer camps vs. summer schools

By NewTechKids

The concept of "summer school" is foreign to many Europeans. Many think that kids should relax, have fun and take a complete break from school rather than continuing to study. European national summer school holidays tend to be shorter than those in North America which can last between 2-3 months. In The Netherlands for instance, the school summer vacation lasts six weeks because school holidays are distributed throughout the year. There's a big difference between

19 Dec 2018

NewTechKids at ‘Brave New Learning’ Conference

By NewTechKids

Register for the conference here. NewTechKids is pleased to continue our long-term partnership with the Amsterdam Public Library and Maakplaats 021 by becoming a programming partner for its upcoming 'Brave New Learning' conference which takes place in February 2019. We'll be teaching a workshop for educators focused on creative ways to introduce digital technology education to primary school students. We'll share our pedagogical framework, teaching approaches and observations from teaching children, including girls, minorities and

19 Dec 2018

NewTechKids at ‘Brave New Learning’ Conference

By NewTechKids

20 Nov 2018

New Advisor: Phil Rynearson, technology teacher

By NewTechKids

Super happy to announce our newest NewTechKids advisor: Phil Rynearson (aka Mr. Phil). Phil is a technology teacher in Early Childhood Education at the American School of The Hague in the Netherlands. He gained valuable experience as a classroom teacher for 17 years before devoting the last eight years to supporting students and teachers in finding authentic and empowering methods of integrating technology into school settings. He has worked in public schools in the United States

3 Sep 2018

NewTechKids to host meeting with Estonian educators

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids 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

14 Aug 2018

Teaching Systems Thinking & Tech Systems to Primary School Students

By NewTechKids

This 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

8 Jun 2018

NewTechKids and American School of The Hague co-developing new CS curriculum

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids is pleased to announce that we are continuing our collaboration with the American School of The Hague (ASH) to introduce computer science into the School's curriculum. During Fall 2018, we will be working closely with the School's primary education staff (IT Coordinator, Technology Integrationist and several classroom teachers) to develop a general framework for computer science education. This includes identifying important concepts to be taught, determining the order and learning format in which these