This 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 đ! (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 more
Kids, teens and smartphones continue to be a topic of concern for parents and educators, sometimes even kids themselves. NewTechKids tracks developments and expert opinion and is pleased to share some great insight: Magazine Article: No One Knows Exactly What Social Media is Doing to Teens (the Atlantic, June 13, 2023) "Late last month, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisoryâa format reserved for public-health issues that demand the nationâs immediate attention. âNearly every teenager
Read more
With Big Tech and businesses increasingly targeting children in terms of advertising, marketing, sales, data mining and surveillance, NewTechKids encourages parents, caregivers and teachers to start thinking more critically about how technology impacts children and teens. We are one of the supporters of the Dutch Code for Children's Rights in the Netherlands. Drawn up by the University of Leiden and the Waag and commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Code outlines 10
Read more
Recently, the Washington Post published an interesting article titled 'This School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Donât Mind.' It was about Buxton School, a small boarding school in Massachusetts which has banned smartphones from campus. Teachers have also agreed not to use theirs. Everyone has been given a Light Phone, a minimalist phone which is only used for essential communication. So far, teachers say that students are more engaged in class and students say the ban
Read more
Mobile phones. The bane of parents around the world. Most parents end up handing kids their old iPhone or Galaxy. But herein may lay the problem. By giving kids what we are used to, we may dump kids into a world of too many choices, too much temptations, too many dangers and too many features before they've developed the mindset, digital literacy skills and willpower needed to use mobile phones responsibly. Here's a partial list
Read more
NewTechKids has wrapped up our computer science and robotics bootcamp for high-potential teens from Amsterdam southeast, a low-income, largely immigrant community. According to one of our teachers, it was "one of the best classes" he's taught over his seven year career at NewTechKids. The magic ingredient? The kids themselves. Every Sunday, these kids rode the subway for 25 minutes to the Library, often accompanied by their parents and group mentor. Many came early and they
Read more
NewTechKids has occasionally invited alumni of our programs and students who are taking computer science courses in local high schools to assist our teachers, especially when we teach large groups of students. This summer, we are pleased to introduce a new summer internship program for three high school students from Amsterdam who will assist us during our six weeks of summer vacation bootcamps. These teens all have experience with the teaching tools we use and will
Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic stressed the central role that parents and caregivers play in the education of children. Virtual homeschooling forced these adults into the roles of informal teachers and task masters. The rapid transformation of education (pedagogies, subject matter, teaching environments, technology, etc.) means that the formal school system is largely outdated and struggling to align itself with 21st century reality. No more so than preparing kids and teens for a world of constant technological
Read more
Here's a list of tech education-related activities for parents, caregivers and teachers looking to shift kids into more active, conscious consumption of technology resources. 0-7 Years Zerus & Ona Enjoy singing, dancing and playing with the code of the 'Zerus & Ona' song composed for this popular book series which introduces young children to technology and coding. Check out this set of five free videos to watch with your children. Buy the books, in English,
Read more
Luckily, there are 'many roads to Rome' when it comes to teaching kids about technology and helping them acquire tech knowledge and skills. This was the theme of the recent panel at the Women in Tech Regatta Amsterdam virtual event on Wednesday, December 9th: 'The Many Flavours of Technology Education (and School is Only One of Them!)'. Watch the panel here. Deborah Carter, NewTechKids' Founder and Managing Director, developed and moderated the panel and brought
Read more