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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Do you know a kid who is crazy about maps, globes, atlases and tech? There's study paths and careers which combine them. A degree in geography and cartography (map making) and a passion for technology led Kate Edwards to pioneer a whole new field: digital content culturalization. Content culturalization involves ensuring that digital content such as online and mobile games are appropriate for different cultures. She has worked on 'Halo', 'Call of Duty' and 'Rise
Read moreFor 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
Read morehttps://vimeo.com/408410161 JP van Seventer is passionate about all things related to online gaming. JP is Co-founder and Managing Director of Dutch Game Garden, a game incubator and business centre for small gaming companies and independent game designers located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In this interview, JP talks about his own experience in game development. He also shares his thoughts on: the kind of people who thrive in the gaming industry and their knowledge, skills, characteristics and
Read moreSesame Street offers great online resources which provide learning activities for younger children. (Also a great resource for older, non-English speaking kids who want to learn English in a fun way.) Sesame Street has launched a new Web site called "Caring for Each Other" which provides songs, games, free eBooks, video, art, discussion topics, printable worksheets and more and features both Sesame Street characters and celebrities such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anne
Read moreTime Magazine has generously made its 'Time for Kids' digital library available free-of-charge for the rest of the school year to help keep kids engaged with news and information during the Coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe here. The magazine editions available present news and information in a kid-friendly way with lots of visuals and charts. Content includes turnkey teaching tools, with worksheets and quizzes for families or teachers. Useful for kids and their families and teachers, this digital library
Read moreChallenge children to help the United Nations spread public health messages about the behaviours and habits that people should adopt to fight the spread of Coronavirus. The UN is asking creatives (designers, illustrators, storytellers, marketeers, artists as well as people with creative ideas) to contribute to “translating critical public health messages into different languages, different cultures, communities and platforms, reaching everyone, everywhere”. These messages will be spread across different mediums, including social to print, radio, television,
Read moreDeborah Carter, NewTechKids' Founder, Director and occasional teacher, was recently featured in a special supplement about technology and child welfare on February 26, 2020 in het Parool, one of the Netherlands' major newspapers. In it, she shared her experience and opinions on topics ranging ranging screen usage, gaming and how to teach kids about computer science, programming and robotics to engage a more inclusive group of students, including girls. Read article in Dutch. Here's a
Read moreNewTechKids discussed the pros and cons of video games and gaming with Matteo Rinaldi, who graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Master's of Science, specializing in Communication Science, Persuasive and Entertainment Communication. One of his research areas focused on media and children's development. He wrote the blog post below based on his Masters research. It outlines his views on the benefits of gaming and his top recommendations for video games and gaming apps
Read moreToday, NewTechKids kicked off a week of classes for kids ages 8-12 which will encourage students to think critically about how technology can be used to screen and monitor the Coronavirus and help people who contract it. We taught classes at an international private school and several Dutch primary schools for kids ages 8-12. We discussed some of the technology being used to combat the virus: thermal imaging, drones in China which issue warnings to people
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