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SAM Labs blocks put students in charge of creative learning

July 8, 2018 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: Recently, the good people at SAM Labs sent me an Alpha Kit to play with and review. You guys, this is such a cool product! I love that as soon as students open it up, it puts them in charge of the learning. Best of all, it encourages the learning to happen through playful trial and error. Each SAM Labs Kit comes with clever little blocks that each does something specific (think switches, light sensors, temperature sensors, DC motors, etc.). These little blocks interact with the SAM Labs app and empower students to become the inventors of…

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Swift Playground: Apple’s free app that teaches kids to code!

September 19, 2016 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: Swift Playground is an awesome new app from Apple that teaches kids how to code in Swift. This free app for iPads uses games to teach kids Apple’s coding language used to create apps. Students can drag and drop code, and easily edit the code to customize it. The code can be instantly run so students can test out their code and see if it works. Best of all, in those instances that the code they put together doesn’t work, Swift Playground has debugging tools and hints built-in to help students rectify any problems. Students can also…

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Hello Ruby: A whimsical way to learn about computers and programming

February 3, 2016 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: Hello Ruby began as a whimsical children’s book by Linda Liuka meant to help kids learn about computers, technology, and programming. Hello Ruby has since escaped the pages of the book, and now Ruby continues all of her adventures in exercises, games, and apps. It is well suited for primary kids, but truly anyone (adults included!) can learn something from Ruby. The story of Ruby is beautiful, it begins with a unique, different girl who is surrounded by her unique and different friends-all with different abilities. Ruby loves learning new things, and hates giving up. She…

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Apple joining Hour of Code and offering free workshops! #edtech

December 4, 2014 - By Kelly Tenkely

Today Apple announced that it will be joining code.org’s “Hour of Code” movement by hosting a free one-hour introduction to the basics of computer programming at Apple stores on December 11. During Computer Science Education week (December 8-14th) they will be hosting other workshops. As a part of the Computer Science Education week, Apple will be hosting designers and engineers in select cities around the world. Pretty awesome! Contact your local Apple store to find out exact details of what your store has planned for the week. Students at Anastasis Academy have started into an inquiry block about “How We…

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Ozobot: game pieces with brains

October 14, 2014 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: “Oh my gosh! This is SO AWESOME!!” – Exclamation from a student upon playing with the Ozobot for the first time. Last week, I got an Ozobot in the mail…I couldn’t wait to play! These little robots are game pieces with brains. They are about the size of a large bouncy ball and kids can interact with these little robots in a variety of ways. Right out of the box, the Ozobot is ready to use. After a quick calibration (which consists of holding down the power button and setting on a “dot” card) the Ozobot is…

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Sphero: the coolest robot around

April 14, 2014 - By Kelly Tenkely

This week, the wonderful people at Orbotix sent me a Sphero to try out and play with. HOLY COW, I haven’t had so much fun with a new toy in a long time. The better part of today was spent learning about the Sphero and stealthily “driving” it into classrooms (much to the delight of kids). Sphero is a robotic ball that gets controlled by iPhone, iPad, or android device. I had it rolling all over school this morning…I only wish I had thought ahead to record student reactions (I was using my iPhone to control it and didn’t think…

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Hour of Code: 30 ways to get your students (k-12) coding! #hourofcode

December 9, 2013 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: This week is Hour of Code week! From December 9- December 15, Code.org is hosting an event to introduce students everywhere to computer sciences. The event is super flexible, you can plan your hour anywhere it fits in your schedule this week. Code.org has MORE than enough resources, videos, activities to get you going, but these days there are all kinds of great resources to help you bring programming and the Hour of Code into your classroom. The best part is, there is no previous coding experience required, really! I can’t tell you how rewarding and exciting…

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Tynker: Computer programming for kids

November 22, 2013 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: Tynker is about the coolest way for kids to learn how to computer program- absolutely NO prior programming experience is needed! Tynker leads kids through design thinking through interactive courses where kids can learn how to program at their own pace. Anyone can teach kids how to program (no really!) because with Tynker, you don’t need any prior knowledge or understanding. Tynker provides teachers with tools, curriculum and project ideas that will have your kids programming in no time! The Tynker curriculum pack starts with 6 lessons. Each one is appropriate for a 45 minute work period.…

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Construct 2: A WYSIWYG editor for HTML5

September 4, 2012 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: Construct 2 is a free program that makes it possible for ANYONE (kids too!) to make HTML5 games without any programming experience. Construct 2 is available for free download for Windows XP, Vista and 7. The approach to game creation is pretty intuitive. It is easy enough for beginners but is robust enough to make some pretty impressive games. This editor makes it possible for your students to take their ideas to production. SO cool! Construct 2 also has physics elements that can be added to games that adds dimension and another aspect of learning in game…

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Codecademy: Learn how to code

January 5, 2012 - By Kelly Tenkely

What it is: Codecademy makes learning to code a snap. It is an interactive, fun way to learn coding one step at a time. The site will prepare students to program websites, games and apps. Learn independently or with friends, keeping track of their progress and comparing it with yours. Students can track and share their progress to see how much they have learned and to stay motivated. The platform could not be simpler to use and after just a few lessons…I’m starting to really understand and get the hang of programming. I think that is pretty impressive considering that…

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