Coding Now To Prepare For The Future
“We believe coding is the next “English Class” and measures should be taken to blend this within our existing curriculum…. It is our belief that students must be provided with blended learning activities on a regular basis at every stage of educational development.” So says Lynn Bradley who organized the 21st Century Technology Playground at the Back to School Conference for Rowan-Salisbury School District in North Carolina. Lynn is the STEM Technology Facilitator, and the conference, held in August, was attended by 1,500 K–12 educators and administrators.
Lynn’s passion for combining teaching and technology was evident at the conference. She demonstrated both Bee-Bot and Blue-Bot, and was excited to share her experiences and ideas with the attendees. She told us that “One unanticipated result of the playground took me by surprise: many Occupational therapists loved Bee-Bot for their patients.”
As for the
classroom, Lynn said that the Terrapin “products fit within our model
nicely and provide young learners with an exciting and challenging
curriculum. Bee-Bot provides a fantastic way for students to become
actively engaged in their learning and generate a much-needed interest
in computer programming.” She adds, “I know that if I begin
teaching these skills at a primary level my students will possibly have
an edge when it comes to not only choosing a career, but also being the best
candidate because they are so knowledgeable! That is what makes the
Bee-Bot/Blue-Bot so important at the elementary level. It can be easily
operated, but is a fantastic tool for the integration of core curriculum
and blended learning, as well! It is a necessary tool for any primary
classroom!”
It’s wonderful to see a teacher of very young students so focused on getting them prepared for a future that might be decades away.
We also love that when Lynn ordered more Bee-Bots from us she said, “I am hoping to make coding as contagious as the flu and spread the buzz to as many as possible this year!”
Check out this slide show that Lynn created to help with the teaching of coding with Bee-Bot: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hi5DC__fINUOP0pSlwFSRUC1DWZgMLNZRE6pcmTlGMk/edit#slide=id.p
And also this video: https://youtu.be/WdaSh8hNhd4
Contact Information
| Name | Lynn Bradley |
| Position | STEM Technology/Facilitator |
| School | Rowan-Salisbury School District |
| Location | Salisbury, NC |
| lynn.bradley@rss.k12.nc.us | |
| Tags | Bee-Bot, Blue-Bot, Video, Learning Mats, Coding, North Carolina |
| Age | K-12 |