Parents, teachers and caregivers often ask NewTechKids' team members how they can prepare kids for a world of pervasive technology which is shaping almost every facet of life. They want to give their kids the best opportunities for success yet are overwhelmed, confused and don't feel well-equipped because they did not grow up in a tech-driven world. This causes a lot of anxiety so here are our top four tips for preparing kids for an
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NewTechKids has taught thousands of primary school aged children about computer science, coding, robotics, design and critical thinking about technology. What we've found is that while enrolling kids in computer science programs is a great first step, it's only one of the factors which influence the likelihood that kids will choose a tech-related study, training or career path down the line. In order to imprint the importance of tech and reinforce the desire to master
Read moreNewTechKids is excited to start our next batch of workshops and bootcamps in early 2024. We're teaching workshops and bootcamps for kids ages 7-9 at the Amsterdam Public Library's Roelof Hartplein branch in Amsterdam Zuid. These introductory camps are ideal for kids who like LEGO but have never done coding or robotics before. The bootcamps for kids ages 8-12 taught at the Amsterdam Public Library near Centraal Station (OBA Centraal) are ideal for older children
Read moreThis is a personal blog post written by Deborah Carter, Founder and Managing Director of NewTechKids. Feeling proud but a bit apprehensive. I just sent my high schooler son off to a pre-university course which happens to be in COMPUTER SCIENCE 😁! (Students in the final three years of his high school can take courses at Dutch universities alongside their regular subjects.) I'm proud because he and his peers were largely the reason why I
Read moreThis week, NewTechKids continued with our digital literacy lessons for kindergarten students at Wereldwijs primary school. The last few lessons have been about self-directed learning and how technology enables us to learn on our own, without teachers, parents or adults directing the process. We started the lesson off by talking about the fact that not all children have the same abilities as they do. We talked about how some children can't hear and this requires
Read moreRegister 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
Read moreNewTechKids has taught tech education and computer science classes for more than nine years and we've taught kids from all types of backgrounds with differing exposure to tech. Based on our observations, there are some key factors which increase the likelihood that kids will take an interest in tech beyond just using it and actually want to invent, create, make, experiment and prototype with it. These factors considerably increase the likelihood that they will choose
Read moreNext 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
Read moreDigital literacy is not simply 'nice to have' in 2023. It is a fundamental skill that all primary school students need to develop in order to enhance their learning and function in the world around them. NewTechKids is happy to be sharing our knowledge and experience about teaching digital literacy during a free workshop for primary school teachers during the Mokum Maakcoalitie's Maaksymposium on November 14th in Amsterdam. During this hands-on workshop, NewTechKids will give
Read moreDue to generous donations from our donors, NewTechKids is able to offer more kids from low-income families heavily-subsidized spots in our summer bootcamps. Already this year, NewTechKids has taught more than 600 kids from low-income families and communities and we're happy to continue this outreach through our subsidy program. We've partnered with teachers, schools, the Amsterdam Public Library and the content moderators of popular social media pages for kids in Amsterdam to spread the word.
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