New Tech Kids | NewTechKids

13 feb 2018

Reflections on IPON 2018

Last week, I had the privilege of giving one of the keynote talks at IPON 2018. IPON is the Netherlands’ leading conference/trade show devoted to innovation in education and ICT applications and services. The event showcases teaching methods, learning materials and tools, hardware and software. During my talk, I renewed my call for computer science to become a mandatory subject, starting in primary school and continuing through secondary school. Here are some of my thoughts

13 jan 2018

Tips for Raising Successful Technologists: evaluating schools

By NewTechKids

Primary schools are playing an increasingly important role in providing students with computer science and technological literacy education and computational thinking skills as part of a solid 21st century skills and education strategy. NewTechKids has been visiting a variety of primary schools in the Netherlands and interviewing principals and teachers in advance of our latest teacher training program which begins on Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Here are some tips for parents which will help you

10 jan 2018

NewTechKids and American School of the Hague collaborating

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids is collaborating with the American School of the Hague (ASH) to introduce computer science, technological literacy and computational thinking to students in its primary school division. Working closely with a team of ASH teachers, NewTechKids will help the school map key learning objectives and provide teacher training focused on computer science theory, pedagogy, teaching approaches, classroom management and educational tool selection. We will also assist teachers with the development of new lessons, some focused

2 nov 2017

Gratis trainingsprogramma: Computerwetenschappen in Basisschool (5 sessies)

By NewTechKids

Een oproep aan alle baanbrekende docenten! Wil jij deel uitmaken van een groep leraren op (Nederlands en internationale) basisscholen die als eersten in Nederland lessen over computerwetenschappen en ‘computational thinking’ geven? Lees dan snel verder, want Stichting NewTechKids (stichting partner van NewTechKids) biedt een selecte groep docenten de zeldzame kans om GRATIS een trainingsprogramma, ter waarde van ruim 2.000 Euro, te volgen. Het programma is speciaal ontwikkeld voor docenten met weinig of geen ervaring op

3 nov 2017

Tips for raising successful technologists: girls

By NewTechKids

Like most technology education academies, NewTechKids struggles to attract equal numbers of girls and boys to our programs. There are a lot of reasons for this. Most of the time, parents don't even present computer science and programming activities as options for their daughters. They conclude that computer science 'isn’t a fit' for their daughters although it's often 'perfect' for their sons. Girls themselves have told us that learning about technology is hard and often

2 nov 2017

First NewTechKids Program with Maakplaats 021

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids is excited to announce our first collaboration with Maakplaats 021, the Amsterdam Municipal Library's maker space initiative: a 10-week computer science bootcamp for kids ages 8-12 which will take place in the Maakplaats 021 Reigersbos location in Amsterdam Southeast. Set to begin in January 2018, the bootcamp will be for kids ages 8-12 and provide an introduction to computer science, programming and computational thinking. Our partnership with the Library is strategic and we'll use

1 sep 2017

New Times Require New Teaching Approaches

By NewTechKids

This summer, NewTechKids taught a new round of computer science bootcamps to children ages 7-12. We've been reviewing how and what we teach and how to engage a broad range of students, including kids with no previous exposure to computer science education, girls, minorities and children from low-income communities. We concluded that in addition to teaching computational thinking skills and computer science concepts, our job is to inspire kids and to cultivate curiosity about technology:

4 sep 2017

5 Tips: How to raise successful technologists

By NewTechKids

This week, primary school children in Amsterdam head back to school. Like so many previous academic years, most of them will not have any computer science or computational thinking lessons as part of formal school curricula. As long as education systems here in the Netherlands and around the world don't integrate these, we urge parents to take matters into their own hands. Intervening early will ensure that children acquire 21st century skills and prepare them

4 sep 2017

Bring NewTechKids to your school in Amsterdam

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids works with primary schools in the Amsterdam area to help introduce computational thinking and computer science programs as part of formal school curriculum. Our programs integrate pedagogy, didactics, teaching approaches and classroom management and are based on the curriculum, lesson plans and teaching materials that we've developed, tested and taught over the last three years. Below are some of the schools where we've taught: Leonardo da Vinci School, Amsterdam NewTechKids teaches computer science programs

3 sep 2017

Fall 2017 Activities

By NewTechKids

NewTechKids is pleased to announce its Fall 2017 line up of activities. We have spent the summer developing and testing new approaches to computer science education in partnership with our non-profit foundation, Stichting NewTechKids. During two, brand-new bootcamps, we taught computer science concepts along with a stronger focus on technological literacy. This took the form of presenting technology case studies and concepts for new technology and leading in-depth class discussions on the implications of technology