Computing is all around us, from movies to manufacturing to marketing. But only a handful of Americans learn how computers work or can create software, websites, or applications. Computer Science Education Week (December 9-15, 2013) aims to change that equation. This year’s effort: an Hour of Code that organizers hope will engage 10 million students.

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Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Special Features | Comments Off on Computer Science Education Week 2013

Tags: code writing, code.org, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, computer science education week, Grace Hopper, Public Policy, STEM education, Technology for Learning

Computer science has the highest pay for new college graduates, twice the national average job growth of more than double the national average, and applications that stretch from rock music to medicine. Yet 9 in 10 schools don’t teach programming. Code.org hopes to change that with a host of free resources to get kids as young as four creating websites and apps.

The answer is computer programming, and advocates from Microsoft founder Bill Gates to former president Bill Clinton are pushing to include it in the K-12 curriculum.

Far from being complicated algorithms only a geek could master, code writing can be learned by just about anyone — even four-year-olds. Code.org has compiled a host of websites, courses, and other free resources to help students hone programming skills from building websites to creating phone apps. There also are tips for using code writing and programming projects and activities in math or science classes to cover content standards.

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Tags: code writing, code.org, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Curriculum, Internet Resources, Lesson Plan, Resources for Teachers, STEM education, Teacher Resources, Technology for Learning, Website

To mark the Year of the Solar System, NASA and PBS’s Design Squad Nation have teamed up to create a series of fun, space-based engineering challenges for children in grades 4 to 8.

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Filed under: Class Activities, For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on Mission: Solar System

Tags: Aerospace Engineering, Class Activities, Design Squad, Grades 6-8, hands-on activities, Mars rover, NASA, PBS, Solar System, Space, STEM education, Teacher Resources, Web Resources

Looking for tips on how to arrange desks to promote hands-on learning? How about lessons that combine engineering, technology, and earth sciences? Teachers TryScience, a website hosted by the New York Hall of Science for K-12 STEM educators, has free, engaging lessons, teaching strategies, collaboration tools, and other resources in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese designed to spark students’ interest in STEM.

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Tags: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, New York Hall of Science, Resources for Teachers, STEM teaching, STEM videos, teachengineering, tutorials, Web Resources

Students can forget what they learned over the summer. To help stave off the slide, the U.S. government’s Kids.gov offers activities for kindergarteners through 8th graders, as well as resources for parents and teachers. Join the live Twitter chat June 20, 2013 to discuss fun and educational activities to do with kids this summer.

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Tags: Internet Resources, Resources for Teachers, Technology for Learning

STEM Career, a website for students seeking to do something in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, offers a one-stop guide to resources from homework help to scholarship, college, and internship information. The site also contains links to resources for educators, counselors, and parents who want to help students pursue their STEM career dreams.

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Tags: Internet Resources, money for college, resources for students, Resources for Teachers, STEM careers, Web Resources

NASA is hosting an essay contest for students in grades 5 to 12 to help choose whether the next big mission to the outer solar system should go to Saturn’s moon, Titan, or to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. The deadline for submissions is February 28.

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Tags: Astrobiology, Competitions for Students, Contest, Essay Contest, Europa, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, moons, NASA, Solar System, space experiments, space exploration, Titan

Mark National Engineers Week by participating in a local event or doing a fun engineering activity with your students. This year’s theme – Celebrate Awesome – the amazing things engineers, engineering students, and technicians do everyday to make the world a better place.

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Tags: E-Week, February, hands-on activities, Introduce a Girl to Engineering, National Engineers Week, Outreach, Web Resources

Do your students enjoy gaming? Harness their interest – and boost their STEM learning – with the Got Game design contest sponsored by STEMFuse.The competition is open to students in grades 5 – 12.

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on Get Your Game On!

Tags: Competitions for Students, computer, Computer Engineering, Contest, games, gaming, STEM education, STEMFuse, Technology